'Dark Knight' Swings Past $500 Million at Box Office

LOS ANGELES - "The Dark Knight" crossed the $500 million mark at the North American box office this weekend, becoming only the second film in history to reach that figure — and it isn't done yet.

The Batman sequel took in an estimated $10 million over the weekend, its seventh in theaters, lifting its domestic total to $502 million. Only "Titanic," with $601 million, has gone higher.

Distributor Warner Bros. said the film should overtake "Titanic's" pace on an inflation-adjusted basis within weeks, and a re-release in January — prime Oscar season — is already being discussed.

The film's run has been powered by rave reviews, repeat viewings and the shock of star Heath Ledger's death in January, months before the film opened. Ledger's performance as the Joker is considered a near-lock for a posthumous Oscar nomination.

"It's the rare blockbuster that plays like a tragedy and plays four times to the same audience," said a box-office analyst. "Every few weekends you think it's finished, and it isn't."

The summer season ended as the second-highest grossing on record, though attendance was essentially flat — higher ticket prices, not bigger crowds, drove the total. "Iron Man," "Indiana Jones" and "Wall-E" rounded out the year's hits.

The mood was less bright elsewhere in Hollywood, where DVD sales — the industry's cash engine — continued to flatten and studios braced for a possible actors' strike next year.

___

Associated Press writers contributed to this report.

RECOMMEND THIS STORY