RichC2

Amazing that there's a slight tone of disappointment to a movie only making over $160m opening weekend.

majorjoe23

I had planned to see the movie this weekend, but ended up not going. Not because of the shooting; my brother broke his ankle, which kept me in the hospital yesterday. My friend and Ioved our plans to today, then his dad had a stroke.

So the total should be like $20 higher at least.

Matthew Chmiel

Here's the kicker, before the incidents of Friday, the film was projected to do anywhere between $180 million to $215 million. Polling has indicated that TDKR could've possibly lost anywhere from 20-25% of its audience this weekend due to the shooting in Colorado. That's not saying that audience could show up for it for it later during its theatrical run, but devastating numbers nonetheless.

... and the film did less on Saturday and Sunday than The Dark Knight (which had a $158M opening weekend in 2008).

Shannon Nutt

Of course, we'll never know for sure, but I doubt the events in CO had much to do with this weekend's take....showings were already sold out for the weekend in a lot of places, so those figures go into the weekend box office regardless of whether those people came to the theater or not. For every moviegoer that did stay away, there was probably one who decided to go just because of morbid curiousity about the movie (although the film has nothing to do with the tragedy).

It's still going to wind up being the third-biggest weekend opening of all-time. It WILL be the largest non-3D opening of all-time.

Superboy

I went to an Imax showing last night at 12:30. The theater was filled to capacity.

It was a good audience too. No talking, no clapping, none of that shit.

My Other Self

What I would give to have a theater experience like that again.

I wish we had the Alamo Drafthouse out here.

I can also see $165m being disappointing. I remember the $158m TDK brought in 2008 dollars so I was expecting this to come significantly closer to Avengers money than anything. It sounds like it depends where you see this movie that there's an after-effect of the shootings since some people are saying this is jam-packed and others saying they're at showing that are 20% full.

The lines and the crows for TDK were just unbelievable, it really doesn't sound like this is going to come close to its numbers though.

Supermallet

Heaven forbid people should show their enjoyment of something with applause. What insensitive beasts!

JumpCutz

davidh777

Talking sucks, but communal clapping and laughing was one of the fun parts of The Avengers

Jules Winfield

When someone laughs at a movie, I rip out their tonsils. Intolerable!

Jules Winfield

It can also be the fun part of other movies as well.

bluetoast

I'll never forget the applause after every showing of Fahrenheit 9/11. Packed for every show, even the lobby was hard to navigate, managers had to add extra times. I still go back as a customer and nothing has been as big as that.

superdeluxe

original estimates had it at over 200 million, but that was before the shooting.

Paul_SD

If the shooting is being considered a factor at all, then I would suggest it is more than just the shooting but the cumulative effect of the absurd behavior of fans prior to the opening (death threats over critical reviews that also made news) which seemed to culminate in a shooting rampage.

these things have probably tainted the 'brand' a bit (and I expect the studio to make sure the reboot distance itself from the 'dark knight' moniker just as they made sure this film retain it).

But 'normal people' also might not fancy sitting for 2 1/2 hours in a movie in the height of summer either for what the trailers have sold as a so full of itself, downer of film (whether it actually is or not).

PhantomStranger

People are not being realistic if they think the shooting had no effect on the box office this weekend. Casual people stayed the hell away from movie theaters this weekend as a reaction to cope with the traumatic event. All news channels basically ran the story for 24 hours a day on Friday and Saturday. Warner was expecting somewhere around $200 million this weekend if no massacre occurs, and now the reports say the box office will be lucky to break $160 million.

The Cow

If it had any effect, I would guess it's minimal in the big picture. I haven't heard anyone say they aren't going because of the shooting. More likely an overestimated BO.

Hokeyboy

It's all anecdotal, but I've heard tons more people (simpletons, morons, etc.) who have insisted they weren't going to see the movie this weekend -- for some, ANY weekend -- because of the shooting. People who give in to sensationalist fear like that probably should be shot, the more I think of it...

Hokeyboy

Patently absurd. This culture THRIVES on media-driven fear. A decade ago, people routinely cancelled travel plans with the government started issuing bullshit "Orange Alerts", just to whip up a little intimidation frenzy (not to mention obedience and compliance). Given the nonstop media coverage of the shooting, it's REALLY easy to see people clutching themselves madly in the faux safety of their homes, forgoing any cinematic activity whatsoever.

The Cow

Yeah, there is no way of knowing, there may be some. I just doubt there is $40mil worth of people staying away for that reason, but people are weird, who knows. On the flip side there are probably people going just for the hype factor as well.

Paul_SD

I wouldn't have known this was at the top of the news cycle and getting squeezed for every last drop of blood they can get out of it if not for this thread. Things like this are why I got rid of my TV several years ago and haven't looked back.

Hokeyboy

If it bleeds...

Solid Snake

People are fucking idiots to let shit like this control there logic.

Artman

I just don't see how you figure that... Batman Begins increased the momentum of a series more than any other film had (or has since)... TDK's insane box office increase proved that. And even if strictly going by box office numbers...BB was still a significant improvement over the previous three. Superman Returns as you correctly pointed out, wasn't well received and the studio knew it.

Anyways, it looks like we'll be doing this all over again...only this time it won't be seven years, it'll be three or four. And the new start will have the advantage of coming off of these films...but chances are it'll still make less - and that won't mean it's a failure imo.

Regarding this wknd... I'd say the shooting maybe cost 20mill...who knows if it'll recover that in the coming weeks or not...it might just play out how everyone assumed it would before the Avengers escalated things - 450mill or so.

shadowhawk2020

Dragon Tattoo

No doubt. Personally, I see no point in ever seeing a Batman film again.