Dark Knight is still raking in cash

Associated Press

In this promotional image provided by Warner Bros, actor Christian Bale portrays Batman in a scene from The Dark Knight Rises.

Los Angeles - The Dark Knight Rises dominated US and Canadian box offices for a third time, holding firm to the weekend's No. 1 spot and leaving the debut of science fiction remake Total Recall in distant second place.

The Dark Knight Rises racked up an estimated $36.4-million in ticket sales from theatres in the United States and Canada, distributor Warner Bros said on Sunday. The movie is the third installment in a popular Batman trilogy starring Christian Bale.

Total Recall, featuring Colin Farrell in a role played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1990, grossed $26-million from Friday through Sunday. Family sequel Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days took the No. 3 slot, earning $14.7-million.

The Dark Knight Rises has hauled in $354.6-million at North American (US and Canadian) theatres since its July 20 debut, ranking as one of the highest-grossing films in movie history. Still, it stands behind its 2008 predecessor, The Dark Knight, which collected $393-million domestically through three weekends.

The Dark Knight Rises’ international sales have now topped $378-million, for a global total of $733-million through Sunday, according to Warner Bros.

Jeffrey Goldstein, executive vice-president of theatrical distribution, said the studio was confident the film would continue performing well in the coming weeks.

“Of course the horrendous tragedy in Colorado (in which a gunman opened fire on a Dark Knight audience) affected the numbers,” he said.

“But we're settling in after that tragedy,” Goldstein told Reuters. “This is such a unique story, and there's no pattern to follow,” he said.

He noted that The Dark Knight Rises outperformed the 2008 Dark Knight in its third weekend. “Midweeks have been strong, and the next couple of weeks should be interesting,” Goldstein said.

The $26-million take of new rival Total Recall hit the low end of producer Sony's projections for an opening in the mid-to-high $20-millions. The original opened with a similar $25.5-million in 1990, when tickets were cheaper. - Reuters