'Dark Knight Rises' Trounces 'Total Recall'; Batman Finale #1 For 3rd Straight Weekend; Low-Budget 'Diary Of Wimpy Kid 3' Third

FRIDAY 10:30 PM, 2ND UPDATE: Based on today's trends, it looks like Sony Pictures' reboot of 1990's iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger actioner Total Recall now starring anything-but-iconic Colin Farrell isn't giving Warner Bros' and Legendary Pictures' third-weekend-veteran The Dark Knight Rises the tight race Hollywood expected. (Nice to hear from my opinionated gurus again') But theatrical grosses are still not returning to normal. Instead of the Aurora shooting tragedy spooking box office, the red-hot London Olympics ('NBC Holds America Hostage: Day 8') is distracting filmgoers. Total moviegoing this weekend looks like $120M which is down yet again (-25%) from last year.

Right now it looks like the PG-13 rated TDKR (4,242 theaters) bounces back for $10.2M Friday and $36M for the weekend. PG-13 Total Recall (3,601 theaters) will gross $9.5M Friday and $26.5M for the weekend. But rival studios point out that won't be enough to make up its $150M cost unless it hits big overseas. On the other hand, Fox's PG-rated Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 3 (3,392 theaters) was made on only a $22M negative. This is the first time any installment in the successful Wimpy Kid franchise isn't opening in March. And while the original and sequels scored $22.1M and $23.7M respectively, the new one called Dog Days is opening for about $6M Friday and $17M for the weekend. Full analysis and refined numbers later. Here's the Top Ten based on Friday estimates:

1. Dark Knight Rises (Legendary/Warner Bros) Week 3 [4,242 Runs] PG13
Friday $10.2M, Weekend $36.0M, Cume $354.0M

2. Total Recall (Sony) NEW [3,601 Runs] PG13
Friday $9.5M, Weekend $26.5M

3. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 3 (Fox) NEW [3,391 Runs] PG
Friday $6.0M, Weekend $17.0M

4. Ice Age 4 (Fox) Week 4 [3,542 Runs] PG
Friday $2.3M, Weekend $7.8M, Cume $131.3M

5. The Watch (Fox) Week 2 [3,168 Runs] R
Friday $1.8M (-57%), Weekend $5.6M, Cume $24.6M

6. Ted (Universal) Week 6 [2,767 Runs] R
Friday $1.6M, Weekend $5.5M, Cume $203.4M

6. Step Up Revolution (Summit/Lgate) Week 2 [2,606 Runs] PG13
Friday $1.6M,Weekend $4.8M, Cume $22.5M

8. The Amazing Spider-Man (Col/Sony) Week 5 [2,425 Runs] PG13
Friday $1.3M, Weekend $4.5M, Cume $250.8M

9. Brave (Pixar-Disney) Week 7 [2,110 Runs] PG
Friday $750K, Weekend $2.5M, Cume $222.9M

10. Magic Mike (Warner Bros) Week 6 [1,202 Runs] R
Friday $500K, Weekend $1.4M, Cume $110.9M

Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.