Transformers banked another $20.5M, according to estimates, and saw its total soar to $263M. Off 45% in its third weekend, the Paramount/DreamWorks production climbed to number 34 on the list of all-time domestic blockbusters passing the $262M of 2002's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

The animated rodent film Ratatouille dropped 39% to fifth place with an estimated $11M in its fourth outing to boost the cume to $165.6M. Although the acclaimed comedy is on its way past the $200M mark, it will end up being Pixar's lowest-grossing film since 1998's A Bug's Life. Fox's action sequel Live Free or Die Hard followed in sixth with an estimated $7.3M, off 35%, lifting the total to $116.5M. By Tuesday the new installment will become the top-grossing Die Hard film edging past the $117.3M of 1990's Die Hard 2, however ticket prices were much lower when all previous John McClane pics were released.

The Warner Bros. comedy License to Wed fell 49% to an estimated $3.8M and gave the Robin Williams film $38.7M to date. The hit thriller 1408 scared up an estimated $2.6M, down 47%, giving MGM a cume of $67.5M.

Universal rounded out the top ten with a pair of comedies from the men behind The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Steve Carell's Evan Almighty grossed an estimated $2.5M, down 50%, for a $93.5M sum. But director Judd Apatow has been the bigger winner with Knocked Up which slipped 37% to an estimated $2.3M raising the stellar total to $142.7M and counting. Final domestic grosses should be roughly $100M and $150M, respectively.

In limited release, Fox Searchlight's sci-fi thriller Sunshine opened well with an estimated $235,000 from only ten locations for a scorching $23,548 average. The Danny Boyle-directed pic expands on Friday to over 400 theaters nationwide. Also posting a solid average was Don Cheadle's Talk to Me with an estimated $342,000 from 36 sites for a commendable $9,491 average. The total sits at $895,000 with an expansion set for Friday as well.

A pair of films fell from the top ten over the weekend. Michael Moore's health care documentary Sicko dipped 26% to an estimated $1.9M pushing the overall cume to $19.2M. A final take of about $25M seems likely for the Lionsgate release. The caper sequel Ocean's Thirteen grossed an estimated $1.1M in its seventh heist, down 47%, for a $114.6M cume to date. A final North American tally of approximately $118M seems likely which would be just 6% less than the $125.5M of 2004's Ocean's Twelve.

The top ten films grossed an estimated $144.7M which was up 5% from last year when Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest remained at number one for the third time with $35.2M; and up 17% from 2005 when Johnny Depp also ruled with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which took in $28.3M in its sophomore session.

Author: Gitesh Pandya, www.BoxOfficeGuru.com