The latest alter-ego of comedian Sasha Baron-Cohen, Bruno, has stormed the North American box office in its first week.

AAP

COMEDIAN Sasha Baron-Cohen's latest movie, featuring gay Austrian television presenter Bruno, strutted to the top of the North American box office in its first week in theatres, according to earnings estimates released on Sunday.

The controversial adult comedy, featuring a frequently naked Cohen as a flamboyant fashionista on a mission to become famous, stole the top spot from the more family-friendly Ice Age: Return of the Dinosaurs.

Bruno scored $US30.4 million ($A39.03 million) in box office receipts in its first weekend, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Ice Age, an animated movie featuring the voices of Queen Latifah and Dennis Leary as prehistoric animals who discover a lost jungle inhabited by dinosaurs, hung onto the number two spot, earning $US28.5 million ($A36.59 million).

In third place was Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Michael Bay's followup to the first Transformers movie in 2007, which earned $US24.2 million ($A31.07 million) in its third week of release, despite being panned by critics.

Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp as notorious US gangster John Dillinger, pulled in $US14.1 million ($A18.1 million) in its second week in theatres.

In at fifth place, and down a spot from last week, was The Proposal, a romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock as a pushy boss who marries her assistant to get a US visa, which earned $US10.5 million ($A13.48 million).

The Hangover, a raucous comedy about the fallout from a Las Vegas bachelor party, earned sixth place in the box office rankings, adding $US9.9 million ($A12.71 million) to bring its five-week earnings to $US222.4 million ($A285.53 million).

In seventh place was new release I Love You, Beth Cooper, a teen comedy starring Hayden Panettiere as a popular high school girl wooed by a nerd, which earned $US5 million ($A6.42 million).

Down two places to eighth was Pixar's hugely successful animated feature Up, which tells the story of a grumpy old man who finds adventure in Latin America.

In its seventh week in theatres, the movie earned $US4.7 million ($A6.03 million), bringing its earnings to date to $US273.8 million ($A351.52 million).

At ninth place was My Sister's Keeper, starring Cameron Diaz, which also fell two places from last week after earning $US4.2 million ($A5.39 million) in its third week.

Rounding out the top 10 was Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian, starring Ben Stiller and Amy Adams, which earned $US1.5 million ($A1.93 million) to bring its 10-week earnings to $US170.6 million ($A219.03 million).