"Transformer"' hits $300 million at U.S. box office

By Carl DiOrio

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" on Tuesday became the first film of the year to gross more than $300 million at the domestic box office.

The Paramount release passed the milestone after pushing its U.S. and Canadian coin to $299.8 million on Monday. That same day, the film's overseas box office topped $300 million. So the Michael Bay-directed blockbuster's worldwide tally stands north of $600 million.

Daily grosses remain strong as the Shia LaBeouf/Megan Fox-starring movie approaches its third weekend of global release. But 20th Century Fox's 3-D animated feature "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" topped the day's domestic box office Monday, with $6.5 million, compared with the "Transformers" sequel's $6.4 million.

Looming competition includes a pair of comedies set to open Friday -- the R-rated "Bruno," starring Sacha Baron Cohen. and high-school comedy "I Love You, Beth Cooper," rated PG-13.

(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)