Brüno proves a hit with American filmgoers

The comedy spoof Brüno, about the American adventures of a gay Austrian fashion reporter, claimed top spot at the US box office on its first weekend, giving Sacha Baron Cohen a second big screen number one after the success of Borat.

His latest film even beat the animated family movie Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and relegated sci-fi action flick Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen to third place.

The result is a triumph for Baron Cohen, who has now seen two of his alter egos, specifically designed to outrage American sensibilities, become box-office smashes - even if some regions of the country have failed to get the joke.

There were questions over whether Brüno's flamboyantly gay persona would be a turn-off for conservative American audiences, but Brüno proved even more successful than Borat on its opening weekend. The film chronicling the fashion reporter's quest for fame took $30.4m, while Borat, featuring the bigoted Kazakhstani TV presenter, managed $26.4m.

Unsurprisingly perhaps, the film did its best business in the more liberal cities on the east and west coasts of America. Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, described takings in middle America as "softer, much softer".

Film experts also believe that Brüno's success could be more shortlived than that of Borat. The 2006 film was a surprise hit and took more in its second week than its first, while Brüno's takings peaked on opening night and dropped off on Saturday - which is traditionally a bigger night for filmgoers.