The Dark Knight, which took in about $531 million domestically, topped the 2008 box office rankings, whose total will fall short of 2007's records, the wire services reported.

Through New Year's Eve, 2008 domestic revenues are expected to come in just shy of 2007's record of $9.7 billion.

The Dark Knight shattered the record for best opening weekend and was far and away the year's biggest success. Iron Man came in second, with $318.3 million.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull followed closely with $317 million.
The year's other big hits encompassed animation, fantasy and science fiction: Hancock, Quantum of Solace, Wanted and WALL*E, as well as Twilight.