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"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" replaced "The Dark Knight" in the top spot at the foreign box office during the weekend after opening at No. 1 in 26 of its 28 markets.

The third film in the adventure series grossed an estimated $59.5 million, substantially outpacing comparable openings for 1999's "The Mummy" ($16.7 million) and 2001's "The Mummy Returns" ($21.5 million) in the same markets.

The film, starring Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello and Michelle Yeoh, opened at No. 2 in North America, as "The Dark Knight" extended its reign for a third weekend.

Top markets for "The Mummy" included South Korea ($13.3 million), Russia ($12.7 million), Spain ($6.7 million), Mexico ($5.1 million), and Brazil ($3.1 million).

"The Dark Knight," meanwhile, drew $37 million from 51 markets. The total for the Batman saga rose to $202.5 million.

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"The Dark Knight" fended off a strong challenge from the new "Mummy" sequel to lead the North American box office for a third weekend, and is on track to become the second-biggest movie of all time.

The Batman blockbuster earned $43.8 million for the three days beginning Friday, distributor Warner Bros. Pictures said on Sunday. Universal's "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" followed with $42.5 million.

The Walt Disney Co. political comedy "Swing Vote" came in at No. 6 with just $6.3 million, the latest disappointment for its star, Kevin Costner, who has not had a $100 million movie since 1992's "The Bodyguard."


The total for "The Dark Knight" rose to $394.9 million.