Batman Breaks Weekend Opening Record At U.S. Box Office

New BATMAN movie THE DARK KNIGHT has stormed the U.S. box office chart,
bringing in $155.34 million (#77.67 million) in its opening weekend.

The Dark Knight was set for a record-breaking weekend, raking in a massive
$66.4 million (#33.2 million) when it opened in U.S. theaters on Friday
(18Jul08).

And the franchise film, starring Christian Bale as its winged superhero and
late actor Heath Ledger as movie villain The Joker, smashed the all-time
opening weekend record of $151.1 million (#75.55 million), formerly held by
2007’s Spider-Man 3.

Other U.S. box office top spots were held by Meryl Streep’s movie-musical
Mamma Mia!, which took the second spot this weekend, earning $27.6 million
(#13.8 million), and Will Smith’s superhero blockbuster Hancock.

Smith’s film slipped to number three this weekend, but managed to add $14
million (#7 million) to its three-week total of $191.5 million (#95.75
million).

Rounding out the top five are Brendan Fraser’s Journey to the Center of the
Earth, which took in $11.9 million (#5.95 million) in fourth place, and Hellboy
II: The Golden Army, which slipped from the top spot but earned an additional
$10 million (#5 million).

(JMA/WNWCYA&NYDN/PAW)