The Dark Knight destroyed the competition at the weekend to consolidate its ranking as the second biggest overseas release of the year-to-date behind Indiana Jones thanks to an estimated $34m haul that boosted the running total to $381.2m.

The Warner Bros Pictures International release was in action on more than 7,700 screens in 62 markets and led the way with a $9.2m German debut on 955 screens that soared to the top of the charts despite a fairly prohibitive 16 rating.

This was approximately 316% higher than the launch of Batman Begins and in five days has already exceeded the lifetime total of its predecessor by 10%.

The Dark Knight held on to number one in its second weekend in France ahead of local title Babylon A.D. and dropping 38% to $5.8m from 820 screens to raise the tally to $17.7m. The crime saga ranks second in Spain after two weekends on $2.1m from 570 for $11.9m and held on to the top spot in Russia in its second weekend as $1.6m from 611 elevated the running total to $6.4m.

Latest results indicate the extent of The Dark Knight's impressive run: it has taken $11.1m in Japan and $18.4m in South Korea after three weekends; $13.9m in Italy, $19.4m in Brazil and $85.9m in the UK after four; and $24.8m in Mexico and $40m in Australia after five.

Spy spoof Get Smart grossed $4.3m from 1,445 screens in 52 WBPI markets to reach $82.8m, fired up by a number three UK launch that produced $3.1m including previews from 450 sites.

WBPI's Lucasfilm release Star Wars: The Clone Wars added $5m from approximately 3,955 screens in 31 markets for $15.3m. The key launch was Japan, where the animated feature grossed $1m from 451 screens. After two weekends it has grossed $3.6m in the UK, $2.1m in Mexico, $1.9m in Australia, $1.5m in Germany and $779,000 in Brazil. The film is set to debut in France on August 27 and Spain on August 29.

Universal's The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor consolidated its status as a $200m-plus release as $12.8m from 6,200 sites through UPI (including Japan) took the tally to $222.4m.

The adventure yarn grossed $2m from 326 sites in Japan in fifth place for $12.6m. It added $1.1m from 400 in the third weekend in the UK to rank seventh after a 58% drop on $18.9m and added $1.2m from 590 in Germany to rank fourth on $13.3m after three.

Mamma Mia! added $12.5m from 2,800 locations for $232.5m; it opened in
second place in Argentina behind local title Un Novio Para Mi Mujer. The musical adaptation grossed $320,000 from 45 sites and opened at number one in Taiwan on $460,000 from 52.

The film raised its tally in its seventh weekend in the UK, where it is the biggest release of the year-to-date, by $3m from 480 to rank second on $98.1m. This is about to cross the £50m and ranks 11th on the all-time chart in the UK. Mamma Mia! grossed $2m for $28.2m in Germany and $1.8m for $9.4m in Spain. There are 17 territories to go including France, Russia, Mexico, Brazil and South Korea.

Hellboy 2 won the battle of the UK this weekend and launched at number one on $5.3m from 445, compared to Hellboy's $1.9m launch. Overall the film expanded into even further territories and grossed $7.2m from 990 sites in 20 for $33m.

The fantasy adventure also opened in the Netherlands on $280,000 (200% ahead of Hellboy in 2004), Norway on $167,000 (94% ahead of Hellboy), Portugal on $225,000 (33% ahead of Hellboy) and the UAE on $425,000. Hellboy 2 also opened in several smaller markets in the Middle East and in Lithuania. It opens next weekend in six including Spain, Australia and New Zealand.

Wanted grossed $4m from 1,630 sites for $133m. The action thriller was on fire in Latin America, where it opened at number one in Brazil on $1.1m from 178 sites and stayed top in its second weekend in Mexico on $1.3m from 379 sites for $4.6m. The film scored a $330,000 number two debut in Denmark in 40 cinemas and opens next weekend in Greece, Argentina and India.

The Incredible Hulk scored a $692,000 opening day in China from 800 prints for a record opening day for a Universal title. King Kong is now Universal's second biggest opening day in China on $580,000 while Miami Vice ranks third on $280,000. Weekend estimates put the launch on $2.9m for a $119m cumulative total through Universal and non-Universal markets. By comparison 2003's Hulk grossed $113m.

The prison action remake Death Race debuted in four territories in the Far East day-and-date with North America, where it opened in third place. The four markets produced just over $1m from 173 venues and the lead performance was Thailand's $310,000 from 43 cinemas for second place, followed by Singapore's number one launch on $280,000 from 29 cinemas.

The teen romance Wild Child added $1.1m from 360 in its second weekend in the UK for in the UK following a 52% drop for $5.6m in sixth place. The international running total stands at $6.4m from 410 venues.

The comedy Baby Mama opened in Australia and New Zealand this weekend. In Australia in fifth place on $630,000 from 197 sites and launched in New Zealand in ninth on $50,000 from 40 sites for a $1.7m international running total. Horror title The Strangers ranks seventh in Australia after grossing $375,000 from 122 sites in the second weekend for $1.4m. It opens next weekend in the UK.

The comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall opened in four territories led by an eighth place launch in Italy on $80,000 from 100. Universal's international cumulative total stands at $39.1m and the worldwide total tally is $102m.

Sony Pictures Releasing International's comedy You Don't Mess With The Zohan has shown some spark in recent weeks and grossed $10.5m from 1,985 screens in 30 markets for $56.6m.

The highlight was a number one launch in Spain that delivered $3.4m from 334 screens for the biggest launch of Adam Sandler's career there. Zohan opened in third or fourth in Belgium on $380,000 from 30 screens in another Sandler opening record and opened in third place in Colombia on $130,000 from 60 and launched in fifth in Finland on $70,000 from 22.

In the second weekend the comedy added $3m from 600 in Germany to rank second on $10m; $1.5m from 371 in the UK to rank fifth on $7m; $640,000 from 125 in Brazil to rank third on $1m; and $445,000 from 78 screens o rank second in Australia on $2m. Holland generated $135,000 from 40 screens to rank tenth on $965,000 after three.

Hancock added $1.9m from 1,745 screens in 54 markets for $343.1m. The superhero tale added $630,000 from 319 in its seventh weekend in France for $28.7m and stands at $26.2m after six in Spain, $39.5m after eight in Germany and $4m after seven in Belgium. Hancock is set to open in Japan next weekend.

The stoner comedy The Pineapple Express inhaled a further $400,000 from 191 screens in Australia, where it has taken $3m and ranks eighth.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International's Wall-E added $8.7m for $163.1m. The film added $2.7m and finished fourth in its fourth weekend in France after a mere 1% drop for $12m, and added $1m to rank in the top five in its third weekend in Spain, where it has grossed a little over $7m. It is the biggest Pixar film ever in South Korea, where it added $872,000 in the third weekend for $6.9m.

The UK stands at $40.9m and there are still German-speaking Europe, Australia, Italy, Japan and Scandinavia to go of the major markets.

The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian added $3.7m for $269m and currently ranks as the fifth biggest international release of the year-to-date behind Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, The Dark Knight, Kung Fu Panda and Hancock.

Leading the way was Italy, where the fantasy adventure sequel stayed top in its second weekend on $1.6m for $7.3m. It opened at number one in Greece, its final market, on $702,000.

DreamWorks-Paramount's comedy Tropic Thunder grossed an estimated $4.8m from 803 locations in eight territories through PPI for an early $8.7m.

There were openings in five territories, including Australia, where it launched top on $2.6m from 224 sites, and New Zealand, where the film grossed $222,000 from 49 locations. Tropic Thunder took $1.3m from 419 sites in Russia, where it has amassed $4.6m.

Elsewhere, the largest contribution came from Russia, where the film grossed $1.3m from 419 locations, a fall of 39% on last weeks opening weekend, to take the cume to $4.6m.

Kung Fu Panda added $3.8m from 3,285 venues in 61 territories for $372.1m. The most significant contribution came from France, where the animated release added $1.1m from 608 after a mere 8% drop for $26.4m.

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull added $266,000 from 371 sites in 62 territories and is still the biggest overseas release of the year-to-date by far on $465.8m.

Fox International's comedy Meet Dave added $3m from approximately 1,330 screens in 26 markets for $27.2m. The film opened in Ital on $1m from 313 screens.

The kidnapping thriller Taken grossed $3m from approximately 1,100 screens in four for an early $10.2m tally through Fox markets. The film launched in second place in Mexico on $1m from 350 screens and added $1.1m from 226 in its second weekend in Australia to rank third on $3.5m.

Horror title Mirrors added $1.5m from approximately 440 screens in 14 markets for $2.6m, powered by a $1m Russian launch on 240. The X-Files: I Want To Believe added $1.2m from roughly 2,000 screens in 46 for $39.6m, while the romantic comedy What Happens In Vegas grossed $524,000 from 195 screens in Japan for $2.5m. Overall the film has amassed $134.9m.

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