Kevin James, best known for his role as the portly delivery man in 'The King of Queens ', is now King of the box office playing a bumbling stumbler when it comes to nailing the bad guys, as his 'Paul Blart: Mall Cop' nabbed the top box office spot this weekend.

A PG-rated comedy, 'Paul Blart: Mall Cop', No. 1 at the box office has James playing the role of a portly shopping centre security guard, who tries to foil a bank heist by taking on high-tech thieves. Making $33.8 million within its first three days, one can expect it to reach the $40 million mark, over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.

Far surpassing expectations, Rory Bruer responsible for worldwide distribution of Sony's just released film, said: 'It totally speaks to just how much audiences love Kevin James, No. 1, and how hard he worked to promote this film.' James has not only proven his value as Will Smith's side-kick in 'Hitch' and Adam Sandler in 'I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry', with this film, he shows he can also be a reliable leading man.

Film ratings show Clint Eastwood starrer, 'Gran Torino', in which he not only acts but directs also himself as a bigot turned reluctant neighborhood hero, dropping from its No. 1 spot last week to second place, making $22.2-million this weekend, with a cumulative gross of $73.2-million.

New release 'My Bloody Valentine 3-D' opened at the No. 3 spot, while 'Notorious', about slain rapper Notorious B. I. G. was No. 4, making $21.5 million. This is the biggest opening ever opening for Fox Searchlight, also responsible for releasing crowd-pleasers like 'Juno' and 'Little Miss Sunshine'. A high quality film, it compels one to look at a cultural icon, who left early, but not before making an indelible mark on society.

Comedy 'Hotel for Dogs', the other new release this week opened at No. 5 with $17.7 million, while 'Defiance', a true story of Jewish Holocaust survivors forming a community in the forests of Belarus, also performed well. The Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber starrer made $9.8 million, reaching the No. 8 spot.

Best Picture, Director (Danny Boyle), Screenplay, Original Score, Golden Globes winner 'Slumdog Millionaire' a drama about a teen from the slums of Mumbai goes on to win and become the champion of a TV games show made it to No. 10 with $5.9 million. The impact of the winning so many Golden Globes can be seen from the way the audience keeps growing, as people discover the film.

In the Top Ten:
1.  Paul Blart: Mall Cop - $33.8 million.
2.  Gran Torino - $22.2 million.
3.  My Bloody Valentine 3-D - $21.9 million.
4.  Notorious - $21.5 million.
5.  Hotel for Dogs - $17.7 million.
6.  Bride Wars - $11.75 million.
7.  The Unborn - $9.8 million.
8.  Defiance - $9.2 million.
9.  Marley & Me - $6.3 million.
10.  Slumdog Millionaire - $5.9 million.