'Dark Knight' on top for third straight week

LOS ANGELES - "The Dark Knight Rises" topped the box office for the third week in a row, making $36.4 million this past weekend.

The finale in Christopher Nolan's epic Batman trilogy has now made nearly $355 million domestically alone, according to Sunday estimates from Warner Bros.

"Total Recall," starring Colin Farrell in a new take on the thriller that provided Arnold Schwarzenegger with one of his best-loved actions roles in 1990, opened in second place with $26 million, Columbia Pictures said.

And the Fox family comedy "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days" debuted at No. 3 with $14.7 million.

Warner Bros. head of distribution Dan Fellman said he wasn't surprised by the film's strong showing in its third week; it only dropped 41 percent compared to the 43-percent drop in week three that "The Dark Knight" experienced in 2008. He also said the film is getting back on track to perform at its expected pace following the opening-night shooting in Aurora, Colo., that left 12 dead and 58 others injured.

"The support from audiences across North America has been outstanding," Fellman said. "The movie speaks for itself, and the unfortunate tragedy that took place hurt everyone. We're obviously very moved by the events that took place."

"The Dark Knight Rises" has now set an IMAX record, he said, with nearly $48 million of the film's gross coming from the large-screen format. Nolan shot more than 40 percent of the film in IMAX with the intention of having it projected that way.

Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com, said he was surprised that "The Dark Knight Rises" held so well in its third week.

"It was the clear runaway favorite. I thought it would be a race for the No. 1 spot with `Total Recall,"' he said. "`The Dark Knight' is rising above the fray and word of mouth is just tremendous on the film and people keep going back to see it."

Rory Bruer, Sony's president of worldwide distribution, said "Total Recall" opened close to the studio's high-$20 million estimate. But it was also No. 1 in many of the dozen international markets in which it opened, including India, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand for a total of $6.2 million. It expands to Europe and Latin America in upcoming weeks.

Farrell stars in this version of the futuristic Philip K. Dick short story "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" as a man who struggles to piece together his memory after he discovers the life he's been living is a fabrication. Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel co-star.

"The thing about `Total Recall' is that it's always been made for the world stage, and we're off to a good start opening in smaller markets this week," Bruer said. "Overall when you consider this movie was made for such a reasonable price ($125 million), for the scenario of what we got, we've opened really well. I think we're going to be very pleased with the result."

Also this week, the Universal Pictures comedy "Ted" made an additional $5.5 million to cross the $200 million mark domestically; it also had a huge weekend internationally, taking in $32 million. "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane directs for the first time and provides the voice of a foul-mouthed, pot-smoking teddy bear who's the lifelong best friend of Mark Wahlberg's character.

"It's very, very R-rated but it's the quintessential word-of-mouth movie," Dergarabedian said. "You see it and you've got to take your friends to see it so they can believe what you're saying."

Estimated ticket sales were for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Dark Knight Rises," $36.4 million. ($67 million international.)
2. "Total Recall," $26 million. ($6.2 million international.)
3. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days," $14.7 million. ($2.8 million international.)
4. "Ice Age: Continental Drift," $8.4 million. ($32.8 million.)
5. "The Watch," $6.35 million.
6. "Ted," $5.5 million. ($32 million international.)
7. "Step Up Revolution," $5.7 million. ($7.9 million international.)
8. "The Amazing Spider-Man," $4.3 million. ($6.1 million international.)
9. "Brave," $2.9 million. ($16.5 million international.)
10. "Magic Mike," $1.4 million. ($3.7 million international.)
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Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:
1. "The Dark Knight Rises," $67 million.
2. "Ice Age: Continental Drift," $32.8 million.
3. "Ted," $32 million.
4. "Brave," $16.5 million.
5. "The Thieves," $16 million.
6. "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," $15.8 million.
7. "Step Up Revolution," $7.9 million.
8. "Total Recall," $6.2 million.
9. "The Amazing Spider-Man," $6.1 million.
10. "Prometheus," $4.55 million.

On the Web:

http://www.hollywood.com
http://www.rentrak.com