Ben Stiller's action comedy Tropic Thunder kicked The Dark Knight off its throne at the North American box office this weekend, having earned US$26 million according to studio estimates Sunday.
Since its release Wednesday, Thunder has lifted its domestic total to $37 million. Starring Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr., the movie follows a group of actors being pursued by ruthless criminals after their director drops them off in the middle of a jungle.
Slipping to No. 2, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, took home $16.7 million this weekend, bringing its total gross to $471.4 million after five impressive weeks in release.
Debuting in third place with $15.5 million was Warner's computer-animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars (above), which serves as an introduction to the upcoming television series of the same title. Directed by Dave Filoni, the film follows Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi as they try to close a crucial deal with Jabba the Hutt. The voice cast includes Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, and Ian Abercrombie.
Meanwhile, 20th Century Fox's horror remake Mirrors opened in fourth place with $11.1 million. The Alexandra Aja-directed flick stars Kiefer Sutherland as a security guard who becomes obsessed with evil mirrors.
At No. 5, David Gordon Green's Pineapple Express earned $10 million in ticket sales, reaching a cumulative gross of $62.9 million. Sony's action-(stoner)comedy stars Seth Rogen and James Franco as two potheads on the run from a gang of ruthless killers.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor fell to No. 6 with $8.6 million. Directed by Ron Cohen and starring Brendan Fraser, Universal's third installment in the popular The Mummy series lifted its domestic total to $86.6 million after a three-week run.
Universal also took over the seventh spot with Mamma Mia!, which pulled $6.4 million and reached a total haul of $116.4 million. Following closely at No. 8 was The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, which collected $5.9 million and brought its cumulative to $32.1 million.
Rounding out the top 10 were Adam McKay's comedy Step Brothers, which reached a total of $90.8 million thanks to this weekend's earnings of $5 million, and Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona (above), starring Penélope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, and Rebecca Hall, which debuted with $3.7 million.
And just in case you were wondering, this week's other wide release (452 theaters), Fly Me to the Moon 3-D, only made it to No. 12, with $2 million.
Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)