Hollywood Corner: “$441.5 million and still counting… ”

Midweek it looked as though Pineapple Express would beat The Dark Knight at the box office. The Wednesday U.S. box office had The Dark Knight coming in at 3rd. The R-rated comedy Pineapple Express, which grossed $12.1 million from 3,072 theatres on its opening, had finally overtaken the Batman sequel’s long spell as the number one at the

box office. Reports said it has been the best Wednesday opening ever for August.

However, over the weekend, The Dark Knight once again showed its spectacular hold in movie halls by regaining its top position at the U.S. domestic box office. Variety reports that The Dark Knight has now collected “$441.5 million, surpassing “Shrek 2” as the third highest domestic grosser of all time. It’s expected to beat “Star Wars’ ” $461 million total in the next week before finally settling at No. 2, behind “Titanic.”

At the Asian box office it was a different story. "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” seems to have been the dominant player. Internationally, the third Mummy took in $56.1 million, more than the combined grosses of its big rivals, The Dark Knight ($35.1 million) and Wall-E (18.1).

The Dark Knight has become a phenomenon. Both, box office pundits and critics say it is because of the late Heath Ledger’s unforgettable performance as the villain.