LOS ANGELES - Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" took in $51.4 million in its second weekend to remain the top movie, racing past the $200 million mark in just 12 days.

Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson's action comedy "Starsky & Hutch" debuted in second place with $29.05 million, while Viggo Mortensen's horse-racing adventure "Hidalgo" opened at No. 3 with $19.6 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"The Passion," Gibson's bloody re-enactment of Christ's crucifixion, has grossed $212 million so far in the United States and Canada. The movie is expected to top $300 million, said Bob Berney, president of Newmarket Films. The independent distributor was hired by Gibson to release "The Passion" after Hollywood studios passed on it.

"The Passion" propelled Hollywood to a second straight weekend of rising revenues after a prolonged slump. The top 12 movies grossed $131.5 million, up 39 percent from the same weekend last year.

The Academy Awards gave a solid bounce to best-picture winner "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," which climbed back into the top 10 with $3.2 million, raising its total to $368.3 million.

In the next week, "The Passion" will climb past the $228 million total take for "Signs," the top-grossing movie Gibson has been connected with. Even adjusting Gibson's "Lethal Weapon" grosses for inflation, "The Passion" will be his biggest hit.

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"Starsky & Hutch," an update of the 1970s TV show, stars Stiller and Wilson as buddy cops hunting a cocaine dealer. "Hidalgo" stars Mortensen as an Old West cowboy who becomes the first Westerner invited to compete in a horse race across the Arabian desert.

Here are estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Passion of the Christ," $51.4 million.

2. "Starsky & Hutch," $29.05 million.

3. "Hidalgo," $19.6 million.

4. "50 First Dates," $7.7 million.

5. "Twisted," $5 million.

6. "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen," $4 million.

7. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," $3.2 million.

8. "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights," $2.85 million.

9. "Miracle," $2.6 million.

10. "Monster," $2.25 million.