Ex-hubby is daddy, but Jenny is a star

Los Angeles: While her former husband Brad Pitt is playing daddy in Namibia, Jennifer Aniston is basking in her new role as Hollywood's latest movie star.

Her new romantic comedy The Break-Up, co-starring real-life companion Vince Vaughn, stunned industry observers by taking the top spot at the North American box office with ticket sales of about $38.1 mn during its first three days.

The Universal Pictures release, which was savaged by critics, had been expected to open in the $20 mn range behind reigning champ X-Men: The Last Stand, which slipped to number two with $34.4 mn in its second weekend.

Certainly, few observers were expecting it to break the former Friends star's mediocre run at the box office.

Of her two wide releases last year, Derailed stalled at $ 36 mn, while Rumor Has It fell silent at $43 mn.

Still, she has some way to go to catch up with ex-husband Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the mother of his new baby girl.

Their movie together, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, earned $186 mn in 2005.

Vaughn's last movie, Wedding Crashers opened to $33 million in 2005, and earned more than $200 mn, propelled by glowing reviews and strong word of mouth.

The Break-Up, a $52 mn project that Vaughn helped write, revolves around a couple whose relationship is on the rocks, but choose to stay together in their Chicago apartment.

"What's a smart comedienne doing in such a dumb movie?" asked the Wall Street Journal.

The nation's female moviegoers begged to disagree, as women comprised 67 per cent of the audience, according to Universal.

Exit polling also indicated that most viewers went because of the humour - a reflection of how well Universal marketed the surprisingly dark movie.

"There is humor in it, just not the saccharine type of humor you expect," said president of distribution at the General Electric Co-owned studio, Nikki Rocco.

"People genuinely like Vince and Jennifer, and they like to be entertained."

The film is the first romantic comedy in the marketplace for a while, and actually ranks as the number three opening of all time for films in this genre.