Hot Fuzz, the new action comedy from the Shaun of the Dead team, opened in the U.K. and Ireland this past weekend at #1, scoring the biggest opening of the year so far. Hot Fuzz is in release in the U.K. and Ireland through the newly formed Universal Pictures International U.K. and Eire, and will be released in the U.S. on April 20th through Rogue Pictures.

Notching the fifth-biggest opening weekend ever for a comedy in the U.K., Hot Fuzz took in over ٣.9 million (equivalent to nearly $11.7 million) in 427 theaters. That figure encompasses two days of paid previews (beginning on Valentine's Day), which accounted for £$1.6 million (equivalent to $3.1 million).

The numbers also marked Universal's fifth-biggest opening weekend ever in the U.K., as well as Hot Fuzz production company Working Title Films' third-biggest opening weekend ever (behind only Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason [in 2004] and Love Actually [in 2003]).

This spring, Hot Fuzz director/co-screenwriter Edgar Wright, co-screenwriter/star Simon Pegg, and star Nick Frost will visit several U.S. cities to promote Hot Fuzz, as they had done prior for Rogue's successful 2004 release of their sleeper hit Shaun of the Dead. Pre-release events in the U.S. will include a special "Film Comment Selects"/Film Society of Lincoln Center event with the trio on April 10th at the Walter Reade Theater in New York City.

Hot Fuzz's stellar supporting cast includes Academy Award winner Jim Broadbent, Paddy Considine (In America), Timothy Dalton (The Living Daylights), Martin Freeman ("The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"), Paul Freeman (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Bill Nighy ("Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"), Lucy Punch ("The Class"), Anne Reid (The Mother), Billie Whitelaw (The Omen), Stuart Wilson (The Mask of Zorro), Edward Woodward (The Equalizer), and plenty of surprises!

Hot Fuzz was released April 20th, 2007 and stars Simon Pegg, Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy, Robert Popper, Joe Cornish, Chris Waitt, Eric Mason, Billie Whitelaw. The film is directed by Edgar Wright.