'Avengers,' still strong, sinks 'Battleship' at box office

Superhero movie "The Avengers" topped box office charts for a third straight weekend with $55.1 million, sending action movie "Battleship" into second place and toppling comedy "The Dictator," according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Avengers," from Walt Disney's Marvel Studios, has amassed more than $457 million in domestic ticket sales since its debut earlier this month and another $723 million internationally for a worldwide total of $1.18 billion, according to Disney.

"Battleship," which had high hopes of becoming a summer blockbuster, mustered only $25.3 million over the weekend in the face of the “Avengers” juggernaut.
Sacha Baron Cohen’s satirical comedy “The Dictator” finished in third place for the weekend with $17.4 million. Since its debut last Wednesday, it has taken in a total of $24.5 million in domestic ticket sales.