Celebritista: Dark Knight Rakes in Record-Breaking Weekend Sales

Dark Knight Rakes in Record-Breaking Weekend Sales
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nyles on 21 July, 2008 12:23:00
 
Batman has set a new record, making it the new king of Hollywood’s box office
superheroes.
The Dark Knight earned $155.34 million during its initial weekend run and
bested Spider-Man 3’s $151.1 million record set in May 2007.
According to Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., which released
the new Batman sequel, "We knew it would be big, but we never expected to
dominate the marketplace like we did.”
Fellman added that The Dark Knight should reach the $200 million mark by the
end of the week.
The movie’s release was heralded by months of talks and rumors over the
performance of Heath Ledger, who portrayed the role of Batman’s archenemy, the
Joker.
The late actor died in January this year due to an accidental overdose of
prescription drugs. His Joker portrayal is such that many are making predictions
that he will win a nomination for a posthumous Academy Award.
According to the Associated Press, the sequel, which cost $185 million, also
sets a new record for best debut in IMAX large-screen theaters, earning a record
$6.2 million compared to $4.7 million, the opening figures for Spider-Man 3.
The Dark Knight, which also stars Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllenhall and Michael
Caine, earned $40 million in 20 countries, including Australia, Brazil and
Mexico.