New York (CNN Business)Theaters needed a hero, and this weekend they got one in grand style.
The Batman — starring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader and Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman — grossed an estimated $128.5 million at the North American box office this weekend, according to its studio Warner Bros. (Warner Bros., like CNN, is a unit of WarnerMedia.)
The opening exceeded industry expectations, which took the film to the $100 million mark. It is the best opening of 2022 so far.
The total also represents one of the biggest openings for The Dark Knight. And that’s saying something considering Batman is one of cinema’s most beloved brands. Movies based on the character have grossed more than $5 billion at the global box office since 1989’s Batman.
On a symbolic level, this type of opening is exactly what both Warner Bros. and theaters need right now.
For the studio, The Batman marks a return to the cinema-exclusive experience after a year of releasing films on its streaming service HBO Max and in theaters simultaneously. This weekend’s numbers show that there’s still plenty of power to bring a movie to theaters exclusively.
As for the theater industry, The Batman box office is another step toward normalcy after two years of stopping and starting because of the pandemic.
“The Batman,” which grossed $128.5 million, is also impressive considering the film was both lengthy — and downright gritty.
At two hours and 56 minutes, it is one of the longest superhero films ever made. This extended run time makes it difficult to maximize screenings and therefore ticket sales. Also, the film’s violent, dark tone isn’t exactly family-friendly, which likely discouraged some ticket buyers from bringing kids to the film.
Despite all that, it clearly found an audience, probably helped by the excellent reviews.
“The Batman” earned an 85% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an “A-” CinemaScore from audiences.
CNN’s Brian Lowry wrote in his review that the film was “a dark and serious epic”.
“‘The Batman’ presents a muscular vision of the Dark Knight that hardcore fans have long wanted,” he said.
So what’s next for the box office adventures of The Batman? Probably more money.
March is open for the film as there isn’t much competition for the rest of the month. The next potential big buck, Sony’s Morbius, doesn’t hit theaters until April 1.
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