The Associated Press: `Dark Knight’ grabs $43.8M more, nears $400M total
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Even an army of the undead could not dislodge Batman from his box-office perch.
The Batman blockbuster “The Dark Knight” hauled in $43.8 million to rank as Hollywood’s top movie for the third-straight weekend, fending off “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” which opened a close second with $42.5 million.
“The Dark Knight” has soared to a $394.9 million haul in just 17 days, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Warner Bros. release should sail past the $400 million mark by Monday or Tuesday, said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner.
That would be on the film’s 18th or 19th day of release, another record for “The Dark Knight,” which had an all-time high opening weekend of $158.4 million. The previous $400 million record-holder was “Shrek 2,” which hit that mark in 43 days.
“It’s a film that is just rewriting the record books every day and redefining our notions of what a blockbuster can be,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers.
“The Dark Knight” will top $500 million, predicted Fellman, who would not speculate on whether it could approach the all-time domestic revenue record of “Titanic” at $600.8 million.
LONDON: Director Michael, who is directing “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”, admits that the sequel is being rewritten to incorporate Shia LaBeouf’s injury in a recent car accident.
LaBeouf, who played Sam Witwicky in last year’s live action “Transformers”, was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving last Sunday following a collision between his car and another car in Hollywood. His hand was crushed in the accident.
Contactmusic.com quoted Bay as saying: “His two fingers are pretty smashed. But we’re figuring out a way to shoot around it, kind of write it into the story.”
LaBeouf’s lawyer Michael Norris also has admitted there is a chance the 22-year-old actor will not recover from the injury to his left hand.
“He will need regular medical supervision until his doctors clear him to return to work,” said Michael Norris.
“His doctors remain hopeful that he will fully recover, but due to extensive surgery and the nature of the injuries, there remains a substantial risk of both infection and other complications.”
LaBeouf’s passenger, “Transformers” co-star Isabel Lucas, and a female passenger in the other car both required minor hospital treatment following the incident.
But the Los Angeles county sheriff’s department has suggested it may not have been LaBeouf’s fault.
A spokesman explained that police believed the male driver of the other car had ignored a red light.
DNA - After Hrs - ‘Transformers 2′ rewritten to include Shia’s accident - Daily News & Analysis.