'Dark Knight Rises' Expected To Top Box Office Again In Wake Of Tragedy

Box-office analysts are predicting a second weekend of at least $60 million for the last entry in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy.

"The Dark Knight Rises" is expected to top the box office this weekend, even as a sizable portion of moviegoers remain hesitant to return to theaters in the wake of the recent national tragedy. Just last week, 12 people were killed and 58 wounded during a midnight showing of the new Batman movie in Aurora, Colorado.

Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises

Research firm NRG reported that roughly 20 percent of people polled said they were reluctant to head back to the movies. Box-office watchers still predict a second weekend of at least $60 million for Christopher Nolan's last entry in his Batman trilogy, on the heels of its $160 million three-day debut.

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"Theatrical exhibition has never witnessed a tragedy like this inside a movie theater, so it is extremely difficult to gauge the ramifications of this nightmare scenario," Jeff Bock, box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations, told MTV News. "This was mindless violence at its worst. One thing is for certain: Families will be much more cautious about bringing their brood to the theaters [for a while]. It's a natural reaction to do everything you can as a parent or guardian to protect the ones you love.

"In that respect, this tragic event may hurt [the box office], although even discussing that seems a bit trite when we're talking about the loss of lives," he added. "Hopefully, the fear and sadness this creates will not override the joy we take out watching movies and living our lives."

Last weekend, Warner Bros. opted not to release opening numbers until the following Monday. The other major studios followed suit. Earlier this week, "The Dark Knight Rises" star Christian Bale visited some of the victims of the Colorado shooting in the hospital while various folks associated with the film expressed their sympathy.

Bock pointed out that audiences looking for comedic escapism will have "The Watch" — starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and Richard Ayoade — as a new choice this weekend, in addition to the mega-hit "Ted."

"The Watch" stars the ensemble as a group of neighbors who stumble upon an alien invasion. The new R-Rated comedy had some unfortunate challenges of its own due to real-life gun violence. The film's original title, "Neighborhood Watch," was changed following the alleged shooting of Trayvon Martin by self-appointed Neighborhood Watch captain George Zimmerman. Bock predicted a $28 million debut for the flick.

For "Step Up Revolution," the first in the "Step Up" series to not be financed by Disney, Bock predicted a modest $13 million debut. "Without the distribution muscle of Disney, it's doubtful this fourth incarnation will offer up any new moves," he explained.

Whatever the longterm impact of the tragic mass murder in Denver on theaters, industry folks were optimistic that movie fans will prove resilient.

"My heart — and everyone's, I'm sure — goes out to the victims and families," Bock said. "I still can't believe this actually happened as it will take quite some time to fully comprehend this tragedy."

By Ryan J. Downey

'The Dark Knight Rises' reportedly earns $160 million, record for a 2D film

Los Angeles: 'The Dark Knight Rises' was on track to earn $160 million, which would be a record for 2D films, over the weekend following a mass shooting at a Colorado screening of the Batman film.

Citing box office insiders, The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times, New York Times and other media outlets reported Sunday that the latest Batman sequel earned $160 million to $162 million.

That amount would best the $158.4 million debut of 'The Dark Knight' in 2008 and give 'Dark Knight Rises' the third-highest domestic weekend opening ever, after the 3D films 'The Avengers' with $207.4 million and 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2' with $169.2 million.

The Hollywood Reporter also cited box office sources who said 'Dark Knight Rises' earned $70 million from nine of the 17 countries where it debuted over the weekend, including the United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea and Spain.

Movie Review: The Dark Night Rises


Tickets for 3D films cost a few more dollars than 2-D screenings, netting extra cash at the box office. Movies released in 3D typically earn under half of their income in 3D screenings, sometimes as little as a third.

Sony, Fox, Disney, Paramount, Universal and Lionsgate joined 'Dark Knight Rises' distributor Warner Bros in publicly withholding their usual revenue reports out of respect for the victims of the deadly shooting early Friday and their families.

Box-office tracking service Rentrak also did not report figures following the Aurora, Colorado, shootings that killed 12 and injured 58 at a midnight screening of the new Batman sequel on Friday.

"This tragedy did not seem to impact the box office in a major way," said Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst for Hollywood.com who specializes in box office. "For this film to still be in the rarified air of the top-three openings of all time is phenomenal, given the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the release of this film."

Dergarabedian noted that the box-office ranking of director Christopher Nolan's final installment of his Batman trilogy would not be official until Warner Bros. and other studios release their final weekend box-office tallies Monday.

Anne Hathaway, who plays Catwoman in the film, became the third member of "The Dark Knight Rises" cast and crew to express her condolences after arriving home in the United States from Paris, where Warner Bros. quickly canceled a premiere Friday night.

"My heart aches and breaks for the lives taken and altered by this unfathomable senseless act," the actress said in a statement. "I am at a loss for words how to express my sorrow. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families."

Photo Gallery: Cast of 'The Dark Knight Rises'

Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle / The Cat Woman

Selina Kyle is a cat burglar described as "an associate" of Bane who establishes a relationship with Batman that "takes some of the somberness away from his character."

Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth

Bruce's trusted butler and confidant. Alfred has acted as a father figure to Bruce, and continues to aid Bruce on his missions as well as supplying him with useful advice. 

Gary Oldman as Commissioner James Gordon

city's few honest police officers. Actor Oldman likens Gordon to a soldier who leaps at the chance to be on the front lines.oner James Gordon

Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox

Fox runs Wayne Enterprises on behalf of Bruce Wayne and serves as his armorer, providing him with high-tech equipment.

Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises is also not just a movie, it's a moviemaking miracle and a buffet of eyeball orgasms - one that contains enough visceral thrills and proof of Chris Nolan rising as the superhero of the movie industry.

The Dark Knight Rises
Starring: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy
Dir: Christopher Nolan
U/A; Action
Rating: **** (out of Five)

In the four years since 'The Dark Knight' the fandom for Nolan’s Batman trilogy has grown to astronomical levels - you’d have to live on a different planet to not be familiar with these films. Nolan’s lavishness in imagination and passion for real emotions has made the first two parts transcend from mere films to spiritual experiences. The Dark Knight Rises is also not just a movie, it’s a moviemaking miracle and a buffet of eyeball orgasms – one that contains enough visceral thrills and proof of Chris Nolan rising as the superhero of the movie industry. It’s a sprawling epic, the darkest, most complex segment of Nolan’s Batman trilogy.

The first two were character triumphs on their own, but it is obvious that Nolan was saving all the goodies for last. The Dark Knight Rises obliterates the bar with gritty physical effects sprinkled with CGI. The effects are so realistic it’s impossible to distinguish between real and CGI, and are seamlessly woven into the sweeping exhilaration of Wally Pfister’s cinematography. It is in your best interest that you keep away from story details before watching the film – know that the plot takes eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, and Bruce Wayne has turned into a recluse, as the villainous Bane not-so-silently plots an apocalypse.

At a mammoth two hours forty five minutes, The Dark Knight Rises tends to have a slightly bloated middle section. The film shifts to a cave under the sands of Jodhpur and fast forwards three months without much consistency. I foresee complaints along the lines of Bane not being as awesome a villain as Heath Ledger as the Joker, but that complaint becomes irrelevant, because no one can possibly be as awesome as the latter. To make up for the choppy middle section, the third act of The Dark Knight Rises is an hour-long post-apocalyptic action set piece and is one hell of a rousing stretch of eye and ear candy.

The recurring cast including Gary Oldman holds a more poignant resonance this time, and Bale is particularly excellent as the tormented superhero. Michael Caine is unforgettably haunting as the distraught butler seeing his surrogate son fall. Anne Hathaway isn’t as sexy as she is oddly endearing as the Catwoman, but Joseph Gordon Levitt is great as a Gotham cop. Bane may not be The Joker, but Tom Hardy does all he can to emote with his face covered. The only real problem is that Bane’s voice is still not completely audible, and watching the movie in a theater that doesn’t have very high quality speakers will make Bane almost entirely incomprehensible.

Even with its ginormous set pieces, scope and SFX, The Dark Knight Rises separates itself from other blockbusters because it rarely loses sight of its humanity and mission to meet insane expectations. It’s outstanding entertainment, a victory of mad passion and cinematic artistry, with a sly final payoff that gives you goosebumps and leaves you drooling for more.

By: MidDay