LOS ANGELES - "The Passion of the Christ" was the top film for a third straight weekend, taking in $31.7 million and pushing its total beyond a quarter of a billion dollars.

Mel Gibson's dramatization of Christ's final hours climbed to $264 million in the United States and Canada after 19 days in theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday.

With solid receipts expected through Easter on April 11, "The Passion" is on track to gross between $350 million and $400 million, said Rob Schwartz, head of distribution for Newmarket Films, which handled the release.

That would put it on par with "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," which took in another $2.05 million over the weekend to push its total to $371.2 million.

1. "The Passion of the Christ," $31.7 million.

2. "Secret Window," $19 million.

3. "Starsky & Hutch," $16 million.

4. "Hidalgo," $11.7 million.

5. "Agent Cody Banks: Destination London," $8 million.

6. "50 First Dates," $5.3 million.

7. "Twisted," $3.1 million.

8. "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen," $2.4 million.

9. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," $2.05 million.

10. "Spartan," $2 million.