MUMBAI: The intake of Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures' The Dark Knight Rises overlapped that of Ice Age: Continental Drift last Sunday to become the No. 2 release of the year with a global gross of $732 million. The latter grossed nearly $716 million till date. On the other hand, Disney and Marvel's The Avengers, with an intake of $1.46 billion ranks as the third-best showing of all time.

The big question now is whether Dark Knight Rises, the final film in Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale's Batman trilogy, can match the $1 billion grossed by The Dark Knight in 2008.

Domestically, Dark Knight Rises continues to trail Dark Knight at the same time during the latter's run - the difference is currently $38 million but it did decline less in its third weekend than its predecessor did.

Dark Knight Rises is making up for the difference overseas where it is pacing more than 30 per cent ahead of Dark Knight after having earned $378.1 million till date.

Till date, Dark Knight Rises has earned $353.9 million in North America, the third-biggest grosser of 2012 behind Avengers and Lionsgate's The Hunger Games.