Great success for Borat in US and A

The Borat movie has shocked box office analysts by debuting at number one in the US. The film - full title Borat: Cultural Learning of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan - grossed $26.4 million in the US and Canada over the weekend. It had been expected to open in the top five, behind The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, which debuted in 3,458 screens and limped home with $20 million.

In comparison, Borat opened in just 837 cinemas with analysts predicting that it was not powerful enough to win over mainstream America. The surprise gross was fuelled by strong word-of-mouth, excellent reviews and heavy doses of media publicity.

This Friday, the film is set to expand to as many as 2,500 locations. A gross of $100 million- plus seems a certainty.