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Chris

In a major upset, former wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson pummeled the box office competition with his new family comedy "The Game Plan," which beat presumed victor "The Kingdom" for top honors.

"The Game Plan," in which Johnson plays a football star confronted by the 8-year-old daughter he never knew about, sold about $22.7 million worth of tickets since opening Friday, said distributor Walt Disney Pictures.

Universal Pictures' terrorism thriller "The Kingdom," starring Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner, followed with $17.7 million in its first three days.

Industry pundits had expected "The Kingdom" to open at No. 1 with sales in the low-$20 million range, with "The Game Plan" kicking off in the high-teen millions.

Critics were underwhelmed by both films, but "everybody has been starved" for a family comedy, said Chuck Viane, president of distribution at Walt Disney Co.'s domestic theatrical unit.

Johnson's last movie, 2006's "Gridiron Gang," opened at No. 1 in September 2006 with $14.4 million. "The Game Plan" marks his biggest opening since 2002's "The Scorpion King" ($36 million).

He is not the first action hero to become a kid-friendly star. In 2005, Disney's Vin Diesel comedy "The Pacifier" surprised everyone by opening at No. 1 with $30.6 million. And Arnold Schwarzenegger had a huge hit in 1990 with his unconventional turn in "Kindergarten Cop."