The Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises" made $64.1 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters in its second weekend, leading the box office despite a slow market due to Olympic television coverage and the Colorado shooting. The final installment in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, starring Christian Bale, earned an additional $122.1 million internationally, bringing its total overseas earnings to $248.2 million since its release on July 20. With domestic ticket sales totaling $289 million, the film has now made $537 million globally. Despite a 60% drop in sales from its opening weekend, "The Dark Knight Rises" still outperformed its predecessor "The Dark Knight" and other superhero films. This year, the summer blockbuster "The Avengers" saw a 50 percent drop in sales the weekend after its May release, while "The Amazing Spider-Man" experienced a 44 percent decline in June. Despite being one of the top grossing movies of the year, "Dark Knight Rises" did not meet pre-release sales forecasts due to the tragic shooting in Aurora, Colorado, which overshadowed its opening weekend. Sales for "Dark Knight Rises" in North America were lower than its predecessor, "Dark Knight," which made $313.8 million in its first two weekends. The impact of the Olympics and the shooting in Aurora likely contributed to lower turnout for the Batman film and other movies, according to industry analysts. Warner Bros. officials declined to comment on the box office numbers and their connection to the shooting. The Olympics and the Aurora shooting have been receiving a lot of media attention recently, possibly causing many people to stay home on Friday night. Lackluster reviews for this weekend's new movies may have also contributed to lower theater attendance. However, it is predicted that next weekend will see an increase in moviegoers as there will be more time since the Aurora shooting, the Olympics will be less of a novelty, and some exciting films like "Total Recall" and "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days" will be released. Domestic ticket sales for the weekend were 25 percent lower than the same weekend last year, according to Hollywood.com Box Office. The second spot at the box office this weekend was taken by the animated children's movie "Ice Age: Continental Drift," which earned $13.3 million. It outperformed the comedy "The Watch" and the dance film "Step Up Revolution," both of which also premiered in theatres this weekend. "The Watch" came in third place, making $13 million in domestic theatres. The movie features Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, and Jonah Hill as men who form a neighbourhood watch group to combat aliens. Despite its star-studded cast, the film received mostly negative reviews, with only 14 percent of critics giving it positive feedback on Rotten Tomatoes. "The Watch" was also impacted by actual events. In response to the fatal shooting of black teenager Trayvon Martin by Neighbourhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in Florida, 20th Century Fox changed the movie's title from "Neighbourhood Watch" in May. Prior to the weekend, the $68 million production was projected to earn $13 million to $15 million. Fox's executive vice president for domestic distribution, Chris Aronson, expressed uncertainty about the box office performance following the shooting, calling it a unpredictable weekend. Aronson expressed optimism for a rebound in the general market, believing it would positively impact all films. "Step Up Revolution" earned $11.8 million domestically, ranking fourth at the box office. The film, part of a franchise that has made over $400 million globally, follows a group of flash-mob dancers in Miami. The distributor had anticipated an opening in the low- to mid-teens. Comedy "Ted" secured the fifth spot with $7.4 million. The movie "Step Up Revolution" was distributed by a subsidiary of Lions Gate Entertainment. "The Watch" and "Ice Age" were both distributed by 20th Century Fox, a subsidiary of News Corp. Sony Corp's film division released "Spider-Man."