The Dark Knight managed to fend off The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor at the North American box office with a weekend gross of $43.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Tomb of the Dragon Emperor debuted in second place with $42.4 million, which is a little less than the $43.3 million opening weekend gross of The Mummy in 1999. Directed by Rob Cohen, the third installment in the franchise follows Brendan Fraser on his quest to take down China's ruthless Han Emperor, played by Jet Li.
Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight continued its box-office reign, lifting its domestic total to an impressive $394.8 million after only three weeks in release. Starring Christian Bale, the film follows Batman's struggled to protect Gotham City from the madness of the Joker (Heath Ledger).
Sony's Step Brothers slipped to No. 3 this weekend, collecting $16.3 million and bringing its total haul to $62.9 million after a two-week run. Directed by Adam McKay and produced by Judd Apatow, the film stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as two spoiled men who become competitive stepbrothers after their single parents decide to get married.
At No. 4, Universal's musical Mamma Mia! took home $13.1 million. Starring Meryl Streep, the Phyllida Lloyd-directed big-screen version of the hit Broadway musical reached a cumulative gross of $87.9 million.
Staying put in fifth place was Eric Brevig's adventure flick Journey to the Center of the Earth, also starring Brendan Fraser, which pulled in $6.8 million and brought its domestic total to $73.1 million after four weeks in release.
Following closely at No. 6 was new entry Swing Vote, with only $6.3 million. Distributed by Walt Disney and directed by Joshua Michael Stern, the comedy stars Kevin Costner as an apathetic New Mexico resident whose vote will determine the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.
Dropping to No. 7, Peter Berg's thrill ride Hancock earned $5.2 million, reaching a cumulative gross of $215.9 million after five weeks. Starring Will Smith, the movie follows a drunken superhero who agrees to revamp his damaged image within the community.
Pixar's WALL-E followed closely in eighth place with $4.7 million, bringing its domestic total to $204.2 million. At No. 9, Chris Carter's The X-Files: I Want to Believe picked up $3.4 million, reaching a disappointing total of $17 million after two weeks in release.
Rounding out the top 10 was 20th Century Fox's Space Chimps, which, after this weekend's earnings of $2.8 million, lifted its cumulative gross to $22 million.
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