The Dark Knight smashes US box office records

While the figures announced at the weekend are strictly box office estimates – and rival studios are already treating them as controversial - The Dark Knight has soared to the top of the US box office, taking in approximately $155.3 million across its launch weekend, smashing the record held by Spider-Man 3 and grabbing the highest opening day total to boot. With success in the handful of overseas markets it has launched with, this looks like being a very profitable summer for Bruce Wayne. That sound you hear? Warners backing up three dump trucks of money to persuade Chris Nolan to make a third film.

The other sound you might be hearing is the singing success of Mamma Mia which was successfully counterprogrammed against the denizens of Gotham City and made $27.6 million, the biggest US opening for a musical. The two new films shoved Hancock down to third, though the superhero movie is still hanging in well after three weeks with $191 taken so far. Journey To The Centre Of The Earth slipped one place also, and has $43 million in the bank. And at fifth, we find Hellboy II, which appears to be faltering badly after that decent first weekend. It dropped 71% in its second week.

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