The Incredible Hulk stormed into theaters this weekend, earning a box office take of $54.5 million. The film, which stars Edward Norton as the scientist who transforms into the Hulk, is the second in Marvel Studio’s Hulk series. Ang Lee’s “Hulk” opened five years ago with an impressive $62.1 million weekend, but then died in subsequent weeks.

Although the ticket sales for the new Hulk – which was shown at 3,505 locations across the nation — is respectable, the newest in the Marvel compendium is also overshadowed by its mega hit summer cousin Iron Man, which is closing in on the $300 million mark in ticket sales after just three weeks in theaters.

Kung Fu Panda, the animated tale of a panda who wants to be more than he is, fell to number two in ticket sales after earning the top spot last weekend. The film closed the weekend with an estimated $34 million taken from 4,136 locations.

Also premiering this weekend was M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening, which finished in third with $30.5 million in 2,936 locations. The thriller stars Mark Wahlberg as a schoolteacher on the run from a natural disaster that threatens the entire world.

Adam Sandler’s You Don’t Mess With the Zohan, which opened with Panda last weekend, fell 57 percent reaping only $16.4 million in sales.

Ticket sales were up for the second straight weekend, jumping 26 percent over the same weekend last year.

 

Box Office Grosses
Week Ending June 13, 2008

 

Rank Title Weekend Total Gross
1 The Incredible Hulk (2008) $54.5M $54.5M
2 Kung Fu Panda (2008) $34.3M $118M
3 The Happening (2008) $30.5M $30.5M
4 You Don’t Mess with the Zohan (2008) $16.4M $68.8M
5 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) $13.5M $275M
6 Sex and the City (2008) $10.2M $120M
7 Iron Man (2008) $5.13M $297M
8 The Strangers (2008) $4.1M $45.4M
9 The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) $3M $132M
10 What Happens in Vegas… (2008) $1.7M $75.8M