Superhero/action film "The Dark Knight" has become the third-biggest box office movie of all time as it extended its reign over the North American box office for a fourth weekend on Sunday.

The sequel based on the DC Comics character Batman cashed in an estimated $26 million from Friday until Sunday according to distributor Warner Bros. Pictures. The fourth weekend takes the “Dark Knight’s” total earning to $441.5 million after 24 days.

The film clinched the No. 3 spot behind "Titanic" with $601 million and "Star Wars" with $461 million. However, if adjusted for inflation, the film, which is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins, ranks more modestly at No. 49, according to tracking form Box Office Mojo.

The No.1 movie after the inflation adjustment is still the 1939 epic "Gone With the Wind" with $1.4 billion in today's dollars.

Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Bros. estimated that “The Dark Knight” will surpass the $500 million milestone and settle around $520 million. Over this weekend, it was followed by the new Columbia Pictures release "Pineapple Express" which earned about $22.4 million.

The "Pineapple Express" would have earned more than “The Dark Knight” if the unit of Sony Corp wouldn’t have opened the picture two days earlier than usual on Wednesday. The five-day total earnings for the Seth Rogen film reached $40.5 million. It was followed in the Top 5 by “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor;” $16.1 million; “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2,” $10.8 million; and “Step Brothers,” $8.9 million.

“Mamma Mia!” was sixth with $8.1 million, just enough to put it over the $100-million mark.