Batman soared to the top of North America's box office last weekend, but the caped crusader failed to smash the opening record set by rival superhero Spider-Man, final figures showed.
The fifth film in the revived franchise, Batman Begins, starring British actor Christian Bale, reaped US$48.7 million between last Friday and Sunday, according to box office trackers Exhibitor Relations Co Inc.
The picture, which co-stars Tom Cruise's fiancee Katie Holmes and which opened simultaneously in 73 other countries around the world, has taken in a total of US$72.8 million in North America since its opening on Wednesday.
PHOTO: AFP
But it failed to come close to the opening weekend record set by fellow comicbook hero Spider-Man, which netted US$114.8 million when the first film in that web-slinging series opened in May 2002.
But the new incarnation of the dark-loving crusader did beat out the performance of its 1989 forerunner, Batman, starring Michael Keaton, which took US$40.5 million 16 years ago.
The highest three-day domestic gross for a Batman film was the US$52.7 million generated by the 1995 debut of Batman For-ever, starring Val Kilmer as Batman and Tom Cruise's ex-wife, Nicole Kidman, as his love interest.
The romantic spy adventure Mr and Mrs Smith, starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie dropped into second place at the US box office from the top position a week earlier, grossing US$26 million.
The animated animals of Madagascar finished third with US$10.7 million, while the sixth and final film in the Star Wars space odyssey series, Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith slipped from third to fourth place with US$10 million.
In fifth position at the weekend was the remake of the American football film The Longest Yard, starring US comedians Adam Sandler and Chris Rock, which hauled in US$8.2 million.
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D was in sixth spot with ticket receipts of US$6.6 million, followed by Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger's boxing drama Cinderella Man, with US$5.5 million.
The romantic comedy The Perfect Man, starring Heather Locklear and Hilary Duff, was eighth with ticket sales of US$5.3 million in its opening weekend.
The teen flick The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was ninth with US$3.1 million, while The Honeymooners was 10th with receipts of US$2.6 million.
The dozen top-grossing films earned a combined US$129.5 million last weekend, down from the US$130.5 million generated by the top 12 films over the same period a year earlier.
The weekend results are the 17th in a row to show a dip in gross receipts, compared with the same period a year earlier -- tying a record set in 1985.
Oscar chiefs were set to consider creating a new category to honor stunt coordinators, as the unsung movie heroes put intense pressure on organizers of cinema's top awards.
The board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was set to meet to consider the proposal that could result in another "golden guy" being handed out at the annual awards show.
"The board will consider a proposal for a new category that would recognize stunt coordinators," Academy spokeswoman Leslie Unger said.
The move by the Academy chiefs to ponder the creation of a new category in the 77-year-old awards show came as the Hollywood stunt community demanded it be recognized when movie's top prizes are awarded each February.
"Stunt coordinators are an integral part of the filmmaking business yet we are totally overlooked by the Academy," said stunt coordinator Jack Gill, who has been lobbying the Academy for 15 years to get a new category added. -- agencies
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