“The Dark Knight Rises'' was on top for a second weekend in a row, with ticket sales estimated at $64 million, pushing its 10-day North American total to $289 million, according to figures released today.
Grosses for the latest Batman movie from director Christopher Nolan, however, were off about 60 percent compared to its opening weekend – something movie tracker Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com attributed in part to televised Olympics coverage stealing moviegoers.
Second week fall-off for "The Dark Knight'' in 2008 was 53 percent.
In its third weekend in release, Twentieth Century Fox's "Ice Age: Continental Drift" grossed $13.3 million. Thanks largely to its overseas success, the movie's worldwide cumulative take was nearly $540 million. Its cumulative North American gross hit $115 million, according to Hollywood.com.
Debuting in third place was "The Watch,'' also from Twentieth Century Fox and just behind "Ice Age" at $13 million flat. The R-rated comedy stars Jonah Hill, Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn.
Liongate's "Step Up Revolution" in 3-D debuted in third place and took in $20.6 million. The movie is the fourth installment in the dance-inspired series.
In fifth place was Universal's comedy ''Ted,'' which pulled in $7.3 million.
Hanging on in sixth place, down from third, was ''The Amazing Spider-Man,'' taking in $6.8 million over its fourth weekend in release. The worldwide take was estimated to be $654.8 million.
Disney's 3-D ''Brave'' was seventh, with sales of $4.2 million, helping push its worldwide take to $309.3 million.
''Magic Mike'' was eighth, with $2.58 million in sales, followed by ''Savages,'' which took in $1.75 million and ''Moonrise Kingdom,'' with $1.39 million.
It was unclear how the massacre in Aurora, Colo., during a midnight screening of ''The Dark Knight Rises'' last week affected ticket sales, but first-weekend figures -- $160.9 million in its first three days -- put it in the company of the biggest opening weekends on record.
The heavyweights remain ''The Avengers,'' which pulled in $207.4 million over its opening weekend, and ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,'' which grossed $169.2 million. Both are 3-D movies, unlike ''The Dark Knight Rises.''\
City New Service
