Pineapple Express took some strong puffs against a burning box office this weekend, but couldn't inhale enough to beat out The Dark Knight. With a staying power very few movies enjoy these days, the Batman sequel dropped only 40% from last weekend, bringing in $26 million and holding on to the number one spot for a rare fourth weekend in a row.
The Dark Knight is within firing range of shooting down Star Wars as the second all-time money maker and will likely top its $461 million total this week. Rumblings that the film, now sitting at $441 million, will match or beat Titanic's number one $600 million record are still far-fetched, but not impossible.
Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen's pot-filled action/comedy flick opened on Wednesday, not making many waves but starting out as strong as some of their other ventures like Superbad and Knocked Up. With $22 million stashed on the weekend and just over $40 million since opening, Pineapple Express has covered its budget and is all set to line the studio's pockets for the next couple of weeks.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 saw a lukewarm reception. It took fourth place this weekend with $10 million, bringing the total to $19 million since Wednesday's opening. Like Pineapple Express it managed a low $27 million budget, putting it within range to make its bank by Wednesday and making it another easy winner for the WB this summer.