Robert Pattinson’s turn as the Dark Knight is expected to become the second film since the pandemic began to open with over $100 million
Though Warner Bros.’ “The Batman” made Hollywood headlines as one of the films pulled from Russia in response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine, that withdrawal isn’t expected to stop the DC blockbuster from becoming the biggest box office hit since “Spider-Man: No Way Home”It was almost three months ago.
Robert Pattinson’s debut as Gotham City’s avenging crusader is an important film for Warner Bros., marking its return to releasing theatrically exclusive movies after all of the studio’s 2021 films were released simultaneously on HBO Max. It’s also the beginning of a much more blockbuster-intensive theatrical strategy for Warner as the studio will release just nine films this year, five of which are based on DC Comics.
All indications point to that slate starting strong, with opening weekend projections. “The Batman”It starts at $115 million It would be a great addition to any home. “No Way Home”The film was the second to be released since the pandemic. Its domestic opening exceeded $100 million. Warner Bros. is conservative, with a $90 Million studio projection.
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Nobody is anticipating. “No Way Home”Numbers at the -level “The Batman,”Over the past year, comic book movies have outperformed pre-release numbers. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see “The Batman”Similar results are seen in the $160 million to $160 million range. This is the same as the previous two. “Batman” films — “The Dark Knight Rises”($160 million in 2012). “Batman v Superman — Dawn of Justice” ($166 million in 2016) — landed in their opening weekends.
Globally, “The Batman”Projected for a global launch of more than $225 million, it already earned $1.7million on opening day in Korea. This sets a new post-shutdown record by Warner Bros.
Even though Warner’s decision to pull out of Russia will put a small dent in overseas grosses and force the studio to eat some sunk costs in marketing in that country, the simultaneous launch of the film in almost all other markets should be enough to allow this $200 million tentpole to shrug it off. The only countries that won’t receive “The Batman”This weekend, Japan and China will be released on March 11th and 18th, respectively.
Warner Bros.
There are many other factors that can help. “The Batman”This weekend’s positive developments include a rapidly decreasing COVID-19 infection rate worldwide and an increase in confidence in moviegoing. These factors should allow the film support from other moviegoers than the core audience of 18-35 men. Critics’ reviews are also strong with an 85% Rotten Tomatoes score and rabid social media praise from early fan preview screenings, which should secure strong word of mouth even with the film’s nearly three-hour runtime.
Also, look ahead “The Batman” will be the only big game in town as no other major blockbusters are set for release in March, giving the film four weekends to dominate theaters before Sony’s “Morbius”The movie will be released April 1. Warner Bros. will have ample time to make a strong showing at the box-office, but the lack of support from studios is likely why AMC Theaters announced dynamic pricing for blockbusters. It would offer weekend tickets and open weekend tickets. “The Batman” being sold at a higher price as the chain tries to maximize revenue from the year’s biggest tentpoles.
