This past weekend was one of the few so far this summer with two potential blockbusters of the same genre going head-to-head with broad comedies “Get Smart” and “The Love Guru” both coming out this past Friday. Many in the business were wondering if “Get Smart’s” leading man, Steve Carrell, would be able to channel his appeal from “The Office” onto the big screen after his flop from last year, “Evan Almighty.” The other big question was whether former “Saturday Night Live” star Mike Meyers, also known as the man behind the voice of Shrek and Austin Powers, could still pull in big numbers with a new character.

After a five year absence from feature films (minus the animated “Shrek” films) and many a rumor about Myer’s difficult nature, it seems neither Jessica Alba or Justin Timberlake could save this sinking ship. “Get Smart” grossed $39.1 million and came out number one for the weekend while “The Love Guru” came out at 4 with only $14.1 million.

Carrell, along with Anne Hathaway in one of her biggest films to date, brought the “Get Smart” TV franchise to a new generation mixing comedy with more action than in the original late 1960’s TV series.

Personally, I was never a big fan of Myers’ vulgar brand of comedy back in the day when “Austin Powers” was hot so haha for all “The Office” fans out there.

Audiences still get Maxwell Smart. Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway’s “Get Smart,” the Warner Bros. big screen update of the 1960s spy sitcom, raked in $39.2 million to debut as the No. 1 weekend movie, according to studio estimates Sunday.

But movie-goers did not get Mike Myers‘ “The Love Guru,” the weekend’s other new wide release. The Paramount Pictures comedy about a self-help mentor took in just $14 million to open at No. 4.

In limited release, “Kit Kittredge: An American Girl” opened strongly with $222,697 in five theaters, averaging $44,539 a cinema, compared with $10,012 in 3,911 theaters for “Get Smart.”

“Kit Kittredge,” released by Picturehouse and based on the popular line of American Girl dolls, stars Abigail Breslin as a 9-year-old aspiring newspaper reporter during the Depression. The film expands into wide release July 2.

The weekend’s No. 2 spot was a photo finish between DreamWorks Animation and Paramount’s “Kung Fu Panda” and Universal’s “The Incredible Hulk.”

In its third weekend, “Kung Fu Panda” pulled in $21.7 million, raising its domestic total to $155.6 million. “The Incredible Hulk” was right behind with $21.6 million in its second weekend to lift its total to $96.5 million.

“Panda” and “Hulk” were close enough that their rankings could change when final numbers are released Monday.

Hollywood’s summer surge continued, with total revenues climbing for the fourth straight weekend compared to last year. The top 12 movies took in $136.9 million, up nearly 10 percent from the same weekend in 2007, when Carell’s “Evan Almighty” opened at No. 1 with $31.2 million.

The industry is on track to beat the revenue record set last summer, when receipts topped $4 billion for the first time.

“While the country may be suffering with a so-called recession, people are finding movies a fairly inexpensive way to get their entertainment,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. “This proves the conventional wisdom that, during tough economic times, the movies flourish.”

In “Get Smart,” Carell re-creates the bumbling Max Smart character created by Don Adams, with Hathaway playing the capable Agent 99 as the duo try to stop a plot to arm unstable governments with nuclear bombs. Dwayne Johnson co-stars as a superstar spy colleague.

Critics picked apart the movie for emphasizing action over the crisp verbal comedy of the TV show, but Warner Bros. figures that was a wise commercial move. While 60 percent of the audience was 25 or older, that still meant a sizable younger crowd that was more keen on the movie’s action, said Dan Fellman, the studio’s head of distribution.

“We were very pleased to have 40 percent under 25, because they did not grow up on the television show,” Fellman said. “The filmmakers did a great job in making that happen. They broadened the audience and brought it into a modern-day bent.”

Myers — who dreamed up the “Love Guru” character, co-wrote the script and was a producer on the movie — has been accustomed to blockbuster openings with the three “Shrek” flicks and his two “Austin Powers” spy sequels.

“Mike Myers, the master of the spy spoof, opens his movie against a spy comedy, and the spy movie genre was obviously a lot more appealing to audiences,” Dergarabedian said.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. “Get Smart,” $39.2 million.

2. “Kung Fu Panda,” $21.7 million.

3. “The Incredible Hulk,” $21.6 million.

4. “The Love Guru,” $14 million.

5. “The Happening,” $10 million.

6. “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” $8.4 million.

7. “You Don’t Mess With the Zohan,” $7.2 million.

8. “Sex and the City,” $6.5 million.

9. “Iron Man,” $4 million.

10. “The Strangers,” $1.9 million.

With Mike Myers’ “The Love Guru” coming out today (6/20), next he’ll turn his attention to “Austin Powers 4” — NOT!!  Turns out that next installment of the far-out franchise is “not as fast-tracked as has been reported recently,” reports director Jay Roach.  He tells us, “Mike has always wanted to do it, and I’ve always said, ‘When you’re ready, sure.’  I think he’s thinking more about it than he was, but there’s no script, no schedule, nothing but good intentions right now.”

Roach is, however, getting ready to produce Sacha Baron Cohen’s untitled “Bruno” project.  The “Borat” producer adds of that venture, “I don’t know how he does what he does.  I just facilitate.”

And then there is Roach’s non-comedic filmmaking identity – so different, one might well wonder whether there are two Jay Roaches in Hollywood.  His critically-admired HBO “Recount” telefilm about the 2000 Presidential election, with Kevin Spacey, Laura Dern and an all-star cast, has not only led to Emmy talk, it’s also moving Roach further into his alternate universe.

He’s planning to direct “the story of Mark Felt — ‘Deep Throat’ from Watergate.  Playtone has the rights,” he says, referring to Tom Hanks’ production company.  “They’re determined to get it done.  It’s a fascinating story, the question of why this guy, who was the Number 2 guy in the FBI, would help Woodward and Bernstein and then keep it a secret for his entire life.  I’m also intrigued by this whole attempt to manipulate the political environment with propaganda and dirty tricks.”

Like “Recount,” the film will illuminate a chain of events that changed history. Roach, who was planning a career in law and politics when he discovered his love for movie making at USC, calls that aspect “so fulfilling.  Everyone involved in ‘Recount’ recognized that it was an important story to tell.  It sounds so patriotic and idealistic to say, but it’s true:  our system of government depends on people believing that their votes will matter.”

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: “Last Comic Standing” host Bill Bellamy reports he’ll be heading out on a standup comedy tour “as soon as I finish taping all these shows.” The comic, who also hosts the comedy competition show “Bill Bellamy’s Who’s Got Jokes” on TV One, says the plan is to “take some of these real hot comics with me that I’ve been working with from one show or both of them.”

Bellamy says he’s taking full advantage of being in the spotlight now. “This is my time, my season. People are seeing more of me again, so I’m happy to be where I am. I’m developing a TV show for myself at NBC and I’m trying to do some positive things with movies at the same time.”

KNIGHT LITE: “The Dark Knight” is hitting theaters in July, but the original Batman, Adam West, isn’t very excited about it.  He certainly has no ill will towards the movie franchise, but admits it’s a very different story nowadays.  ”I’ve only seen bits and pieces of them,” he tells us.  ”There’s an enormous amount of effort and time and money that goes into the making of them, but it’s a different generation.  They’re a different kind of thing than ours was.  They’re dark, gothic, sinister, full of explosions.  We didn’t approach it that way at all.”

West was used to a much more light-hearted portrayal of the characters during their 1960’s TV series.  ”It was silly and funny.  With the villains, especially, it was almost Shakespearian because of the bizarre costuming and makeup,” he recalls.  ”In those days we didn’t rely on special effects as much so everyone was challenged to use their imaginations.  I don’t remember any case in which somebody didn’t really enjoy the creation of it.  If it wasn’t that kind of open environment then I felt like I was a failure because I tried to go on the stage every day and create that kind of atmosphere.”

In 1966, the cast also filmed “Batman: The Movie,” which is coming out on Blu-ray disc July 1.  However, it remains to be seen if the television series will ever become available for home viewing.  ”I get that question all the time.  People want it, but I can’t do anything about it.  They only thing I’ve heard is that for some time they’ve been trying to cut a deal as far as ownership and return - basically who gets what slice of the pie. When that is worked out then I guess you’ll be able to get it.”

THE INSIDE TRACK: Popular singer/songwriter Marilyn Scott says fulfilling her dream of recording her critically acclaimed new jazz CD, “Every Time We Say Goodbye,” the Old School way – with all the players in the studio at once – definitely had its pros and cons.

“It’s historically the best way to find improvisation and free thinking,” notes the vocalist, who’s been compared to everyone from Michael Franks to the late Lou Rawls. “But usually there’s a lot more that goes into recording. You come back and redo the vocals, do some sweetening or add some background vocals – and you take your time. You don’t record six or seven tunes in a day. I hadn’t even met the musicians yet, so basically it was a meet and greet and we just went ahead and started making music.”

Scott says she chose all the jazz standards she covers on the CD. “Every song on this album is about going somewhere — ‘Do You Know the Way to San Jose,’ ‘Autumn in New York,’ ‘I Love Paris…’ I always like to have kind of a theme so each song kind of has a connection to the other.”

Mark Burnett has some advice for how to fix the Academy Awards:

“The Oscars, I think, could certainly be shorter.  The show seems very long,” notes the ultra-successful and influential producer.  “I think it would be really appropriate to include some of these big comedies and action blockbusters in the running,” he adds.  The Oscars “air on the broadcast networks – the key word is broadcast.  You know, as much as I enjoyed ‘La Vie en Rose,’ I don’t know that a big portion of the audience saw that movie to say whether or not it deserved to be honored.”

Burnett is producing this Sunday’s (6/1) 2008 MTV Movie Awards — the second time he’s taken on producing the show.  This year’s edition has Mike Myers hosting, Coldplay and the Pussycat Dolls among the performers, and a new Best Summer Movie So Far category being voted on ‘til the last minute.  It promises to be a blockbuster event.

Last year’s MTV Movie Awards saw a ratings increase of 9 per cent over 2006. On the other hand, the many times larger Oscar show saw its worst ratings decline yet this past February — 14 per cent lower than the previously least-watched Oscars.

“From a relevance point of view, the MTV Movie Awards are a perfect way to do an awards show that celebrates movies,” says Burnett. “They’re a lot of fun and very, very relevant.”

Burnett, a.k.a. the reality TV king whose shows range from “Survivor” to “The Apprentice” to “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader,” points out that transforming the MTV Movie Awards into a live show last year “has given it a whole new sense of energy.  There’s a reason to tune in and see it live.”

WOMAN ON THE MOVE: “It’s a big summer for me, but I just got my first house so I need a big summer,” says Haylie Duff, who’s working hard for those house payments.  ”I’m doing a movie in Vancouver called ‘Deep Cove’ that I get to film on big boats and in the woods.  Then I’m doing a movie called ‘Slightly Single in L.A.’ It’s kind of a funny twist on women in their twenties who are dating in Los Angeles,” she tells us.  ”I think guys get a bad rap for being able to walk away from relationships and we don’t always get to see that women are the same way.”

In the meantime, Duff is anticipating the June 2 premiere of “Legally Blonde: The Search for the New Elle Woods.”  ”I look at those girls as my peers.  I’m constantly auditioning for things so I felt like an equal to them more than I did somebody that was going to be judging them or eliminating them,” says Duff of hosting the new MTV reality series.  ”I got to be there when they were upset and tell them I’ve been through all the same things they are feeling and it does get better, and there’s a huge payoff at the end.”

Duff can then be seen June 8 in the Spike TV movie, “Backwoods,” about a group of colleagues, who set out for a company retreat in the woods, only to find themselves being hunted.  ”It was a great experience for me because I got to play a girl that went from being quite vulnerable in her life, to being really strong and empowered.”

WEDDING TRIBUTE: Emmy Award winning (“Win Ben Stein’s Money”) TV personality Teresa Strasser’s  Vegas wedding at the Venetian next month (Iune) to Daniel Wachinski promises to be a time of rejoicing - and healing. The former host of TLC’s “While You Were Out” and current sidekick on The Adam Carolla radio show is wearing the gown of her fiance’s deceased sister. The sister, Lynn, and her new husband were killed in a car accident 10 year ago, leaving a devastated family. Knowing how much her future husband idolized his big sister, Strasser committed to wearing the wedding gown sight unseen. It turned out to be Kismet. The current co-host of the TV Guide Network’s weekly pop-culture roundup, “TV Watercooler” discovered the dress to be a beautiful, classic Vera Wang gown — that fits perfectly.

PLANET PLEASING: Rob Morrow and Fisher Stevens are collaborating on a pilot presentation for NBC called “Green Team” – about a self-made billionaire who decides to turn his life around after a terrible health scare, and goes from being a big-time ecological offender to going Green. Stylistically, they’re tying for a not-so –scripted approach ala “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Stevens and Morrow are exec producing and Morrow directing the presentation.

Who would have thought that Justin Timberlake would one day be a porn star? Unfortunatly, he is not one in real life, just a wannabe porn star in his new movie “The Love Guru.”

The pop singer sports a dodgy ‘tache, big hair, tiny speedos and little else as Jacques Grande in “The Love Guru.” Grande is a professional skater and aspiring porno actor who has stolen away the wife of a rival hockey player whose career has subsequently gone on the skids.

Austin Powers star Mike Myers plays an Indian guru who makes people fall in love and he attempts to break into the US self-help market by resolving this “triangle of lurve”.

Jessica Alba, Ben Kingsley and Jessica Simpson also star in this ridiculous comedy along with Verne Troyer, who played Mini Me in the Austin Powers series.