Comic book blockbuster 'The Avengers' continued its heroic box office run in its third weekend, surpassing three new releases to retain the No. 1 spot.

The Marvel Studios film, which was marketed and distributed by Walt Disney Co., grossed $55.1 million over the weekend, bringing its cumulative domestic gross to $457.1 million. Worldwide, the film has grossed nearly $1.2 billion since its debut.

The sci-fi action film 'Battleship,' from Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures, grossed a disappointing $25.3 million from 3,690 theaters. Based on the Hasbro board game, the film, which cost over $200 million to produce, appealed primarily to males, who made up 57% of the audience, and those over the age of 30, who made up 55% of the audience.

The film's domesticopening was 'disappointing,' says Nikki Rocco, Universal Pictures's president of distribution, but 'the picture marches on.'

Internationally, the film earned $6.5 million, bringing its international total to $226.8 million.

'The Dictator,' from Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures, grossed a soft $17.4 million over the weekend from 3,008 locations. The $65 million comedy, which stars Sacha Baron Cohen as a Middle Eastern tyrant who comes to the U.S., opened on Wednesday, bringing its cumulative earnings to $24.5 million.

The film appealed primarily to males, who made up 65% of the audience, and those under the age of 25, who made up 56% of the audience. Given Mr. Cohen's flavor of humor, the R-rated comedy also played better on the coasts than in the South and Midwest, says Paramount Pictures Vice-Chairman Rob Moore.

'The Dictator' played better internationally, earning a healthy $30.3 million from 29 markets and bringing the film's total worldwide gross to $54.8 million this weekend.

Director Tim Burton's campy period film 'Dark Shadows' dropped to fourth place in its second weekend of release, taking in $12.8 million for Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. Pictures.

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.'s ensemblecomedy 'What to Expect When You're Expecting,' based on the best-selling non-fiction book, grossed $10.5 million from 3,021 locations for fifth place.

In limited release, Fox Searchlight's 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' kept a firm grip on No. 6, earning $3.3 million from 354 theaters. The dramedy, starring Dame Judi Dench and Bill Nighy, has now grossed $8.2 million in limitedrelease after 17 days. By way of comparison, Sony Pictures Classics' summer of 2011 hit 'Midnight in Paris' had grossed $6.7 million at the same time.