Our Standings: “Avengers” Bests “Battleship”

Three weekends at No. 1 puts "Avengers" further into the record books

Each week we run the box office numbers through our proprietary formula that tabulates receipts, the film's budget, the number of screens and critical response to see not just who made the most money, but who's leading the PopcornBiz Championship Series.

"The Avengers," apparently Earth's mightiest heroes, won the weekend for the third time in as many tries. Not only that, but the film put up the second-best third weekend of all-time, bringing its total take to $457 million, good enough for sixth place of all-time. The film is now just $4 million short of passing "Star Wars" for fifth place, and later this week will pass "Phantom Menace" to move into fourth. "Avatar" is still along way off.

"Battleship" with a budget of roughly $209 million, opened to a paltry $25 million.

Here's the week's top 10, via Box Office Mojo:

1. The Avengers - $55,057,000
2. Battleship - $25,300,000
3. The Dictator - $17,415,000
4. Dark Shadows - $12,770,000
5. What to Expect When You're Expecting - $10,500,000
6. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - $3,250,000
7. The Hunger Games - $3,000,000
8. Think Like a Man - $2,700,000
9. The Lucky One - $1,765,000
10. The Pirates! Band of Misfits - $1,450,000

While most of the new films underperformed, "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" made a strong showing. Running the box office numbers, budgets and critical responses through our proprietary formula, the film managed to finish No. 2 in the PBCS:

1. The Avengers - 624
2. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - 422
3. The Dictator - 56
4. Think Like a Man - 46
5. The Hunger Games - 28
6. Dark Shadows - 13
7. Battleship - 12
8. What to Expect When You're Expecting - 8
9. The Pirates! Band of Misfits - 5
10. The Lucky One - 3

For a British romcom set in India and starring a bunch of over-60s, we have to say that is stunning--well played, Dame Judi.

Last week we thought that "Battleship" was going to knock "The Avengers" off their pedestal. This week we wouldn't dare suggest that "Men in Black 3, starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin, has a chance of doing so.

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