Box Office Charts: w/e 1 August 2008

In the US: The Dark Knight is the box-office champ for its second week with a very healthy $75m, as whispers begin that the Batman sequel (having taken $300m in 2 weeks worldwide) stands a chance of bettering Titanic (and in a far tougher release time, too)... Step Brothers, the latest Will Ferrell comedy, re-teaming him with Talladega Nights co-star John C. Reilly, does a very decent $30m considering Batman's shadow... but the X-Files sequel debuts at #4 with a very disappointing $10m haul, making it one of the bigger summer flops...

US TOP 10

(1) 1. The Dark Knight $75.2m [review]
(-) 2. Step Brothers $30.9m
(2) 3. Mamma Mia! $17.7m
(-) 4. The X Files: I Want To Believe $10m
(4) 5. Journey To The Center Of The Earth $9.72m
(3) 6. Hancock $8.31m
(6) 7. WALL•E $6.42m
(5) 8. Hellboy II: The Golden Army $5.1m
(7) 9. Space Chimps $4.54m
(8) 10. Wanted $2.74m


In the UK: Batman sequel The Dark Knight debuts at #1 with a big £11m haul... the two films brave/foolish enough to compete suffer as a result: Angus, Thongs And Perfect Snogging fails to break the £1m barrier, in at #4... and the fact Tina Fey and especially Amy Poehler aren't household names in the UK means their Baby Mama comedy crawls in at #10 with a piss-poor £111,000 take. That'll be the catering budget taken care of then. For the first week's shoot.

UK TOP 10

(-) 1. The Dark Knight £11.1m [review]
(1) 2. Mamma Mia! £2.8m
(2) 3. WALL•E £2m
(-) 4. Angus, Thongs And Perfect Snogging £929k
(3) 5. Hancock £703k
(4) 6. Kung Fu Panda £655k
(6) 7. Journey To The Centre Of The Earth £195k
(5) 8. Meet Dave £119k
(7) 9. The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian £118k
(-) 10. Baby Mama £111k

UK RELEASES THIS WEEK

THE LOVE GURU
An American, raised by Indian gurus, returns to his homeland in order to break into the self-help business. Comedy starring Mike Myers, Jessica Alba, Justin Timberlake, Romany Malco & Meagan Good.

SPACE CHIMPS
The grandson of the first chimpanzee astronaut is sent into space by an opportunity-seeking senator. Animated comedy adventure with the voices of Cheryl Hines, Jeff Daniels, Patrick Warburton & Kristin Chenoweth.

THE X FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE
FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully investigate mysterious disappearances, with the help of an allegedly psychic priest. Supernatural thriller based on the TV series, starring David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Billy Connelly, Amanda Peet, Xzibit & Mitch Pileggi.