Record MLK weekend B.O.

A few days back, I posted an analysis of Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Safe to say it’s not an artistic threat to Lawrence of Arabia. But then comes word that this Martin Luther King Day weekend set a record at the box office:

Sony’s PG-rated comedy “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” arrested an estimated $39 million during a record-setting Martin Luther King Jr. weekend to bow stylishly atop a gold-plated domestic boxoffice.

Industrywide, the weekend’s $233 million in collective grosses outpaced by 25% the holiday frame’s previous high of $187 million, set last year, Nielsen said.

Four movies opened this weekend: Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Notorious, My Bloody Valentine, and Hotel for Dogs. Each movie grossed at least $20M. Each a high-concept movie with a specific target demo. And from the “Success Begets Success” files, check out this pilot pick-up today from Fox:

Network: FOX
Genre: Comedy
Title: WALORSKY
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television, American Work
Commitment: Pilot Pick Up
Auspices: Brian Gatewood (Co EP, W-Pilot)* , Alex Tanaka (Co EP, W-Pilot)*, Scot Armstrong (EP N/W), Ravi Nandan (EP N/W)
Logline:A single camera comedy series centering on a lazy former police officer who becomes a security guard in a mall in Buffalo, NY. He gets partnered with a rookie who needs to learn the ropes and is forced to step it up. 

Security guard? Check.
Mall? Check.
Northeast location? Check.
Knock-off of Paul Blart? Hm….