I’m not the first today to blog on The Dark Knight (Omar and Tammy did, too) but I’ll tell you what they won’t…
It’s going to be the biggest film of the year.
Already, in the overnight money game alone, TDK brought in $18.4 million, beating Star Wars III: Revenge Of The Sith by about $2 million dollars. That’s a lot of Bat-fans…or is it?
We’re getting reports that the tickets at Dallas’ local IMAX theater are sold out through Monday. That means a little more than 3 days of straight ticket sales for that single IMAX theater. Add in all the other IMAXs around the nation, and that cash alone should beat out 300’s $3.6 million opening weekend in IMAX format.
But wait, there’s more. Critics are lavishly praising the film, which is always a benefit for the longevity of the films run (Iron Man, for instance, has nearly topped half a billion dollars based on good review) and will likely be covered by more media entities than the average films, based on the heavy marketing blitz, this overnight development, and the fact that Heath Ledger has passed away.
It’s cruel to say, but Ledger’s death — as well as the Oscar buzz about his performance — will likely bring even more people to the theaters to see his final role. (Even though he was filming another movie at the time of his death, it’s still up in the air about it’s status.)
All in all, I think Dark Knight will likely beat Iron Man this year, beat last year’s Spider-Man 3, and possibly even enter the top 10 all-time grossing films. Especially when it’s playing in extended release 2 months from now…
