On Sunday, as is the routine, world-famous Hollywood number comparer Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracking firm Media by the Numbers, received a telephone call from his friends at the Associated Press who needed the weekend success of The Dark Knight explained to them in the most simple and banal possible terms. "The average opening gross of the last five Batman movies is $47 million," said Dergarabedian, presumably beaming. "This tripled that." Then, after the customary round of thanks and congratulations, he hung up the phone, patted himself on the back, and set out on another glorious six-day weekend — or so he thought!

But this week, regular people didn't stop going to the movies like they usually do when their measly two-day weekends are over! Variety reports that Knight earned an astonishing $24.5 million ON MONDAY. We're reasonably sure that this figure means that it made more than the $4 million that Mamma Mia! did — but how will anyone know for sure? We certainly hope Paul D. brought his phone with him to the beach!

'Dark Knight' heads to $200 million [Variety]

Earlier: ‘The Dark Knight’ Breaks All Records; Paul Dergarabedian Miraculously Survives