Universal’s feel-good musical ‘Mamma Mia’ has totaled an eye-popping $307 million outside the United States, dwarfing its $139 million domestic take. And with back-to-back first-place finishes, it has kept overall foreign business decent at a time when moviegoing often lags.

The Ben Stiller comedy “Tropic Thunder” was the most-watched movie across North American over the long US Labor Day weekend, but it was “The Dark Knight” that made news by breaking the 500-million-dollar mark, industry figures showed Sunday. Debuting at second place was Babylon A.D., a sci-fi action thriller starring Vin Diesel and Michelle Yeoh which earned 12 million dollars.

DreamWorks and Paramount’s holdover comedy “Tropic Thunder” continued to dominate at the Labor Day box office with three-day take of $11.5 million from 3,473 theaters, while 20th Century Fox’s Van Diesel sci-fi actioner “Babylon A.D.” grabbed the No. 2 spot with $9.7 million from 3,390.

Twentieth Century Fox’s Vin Diesel sci-fi actioner “Babylon A.D.” and holdover DreamWorks/Paramount comedy “Tropic Thunder” were in a dead heat as the Labor Day weekend got underway at the US domestic box office.

‘Tropic Thunder’ is a send-up of Hollywood, actors, acting, agents, directors, writers, rappers, trailers and egos, much enhanced by several cameo roles, the best of which I will not even mention. It’s the kind of summer comedy that rolls in, makes a lot of people laugh and rolls on to video.

The $90 million Ben Stiller sendup of Hollywood had a stellar Saturday, jumping 25% over its Friday level to gross $6.5 million. That propelled it past Sony’s female-skewing “The House Bunny,” which finished second at $15.1 million.

Even though Warner Bros.’ “The Dark Knight” took third yesterday with $5 million at 3,590 sites, the superhero pic only weathered a 35% dip in its fifth Friday. Having accumulated $459.7 million to date, “Dark Knight” is on the verge of overtaking 1977’s “Star Wars” and its 1997 reissue on the all-time domestic grossers list.