Los Angeles ? “The Two Towers” has scored a triple.

“The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” was the top film for a third weekend, taking in $25.65 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The middle chapter of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy epic, “The Two Towers” pushed its 19-day total to $261.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

With no big new films, box-office rankings shaped up much the same as last weekend. Steven Spielberg’s “Catch Me If You Can,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks in a cat-and-mouse chase between a con man and an FBI agent, remained in second place with $21.3 million, lifting its 12-day total to $97.6 million.

Romantic comedies again had the No. 3 and 4 spots, with “Two Weeks Notice” grossing $11.6 million and “Maid in Manhattan” taking in $9 million.

In its first weekend of wide release after its debut in a handful of theaters last month, Jack Nicholson’s acclaimed black comedy “About Schmidt” climbed to No. 5 with $8.75 million. Nicholson plays a retired insurance actuary reassessing his life after his wife dies.

Also expanding was the musical “Chicago,” with Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere, which came in at No. 9 with $5 million.

“The Two Towers” has passed “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” which came out a month earlier and has reached a total gross of $252 million.

Worldwide, “Two Towers” has hit $560 million, and distributor New Line hopes it will top $1 billion and become the No. 2 film behind “Titanic,” which climbed to $1.8 billion.

“Two Towers” picks up where “Fellowship of the Ring” left off and leaves viewers hanging, awaiting the conclusion next December with “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

“The Hours,” starring Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore, grossed $326,000 in 11 theaters for a $29,636 average.

Spike Lee’s “The 25th Hour,” starring Edward Norton as a drug dealer on his last day of freedom before going to prison, earned $131,000 at five theaters to average $26,281.