"The Batman," the latest attempt from Warner Bros. to reimagine the Dark Knight of Gotham, grossed nearly $130 million at the North American box office over the weekend, invigorating pandemic-battered multiplexes.
The movie, starring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader, captured $128.5 at theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. International markets delivered $120 million more for a worldwide debut of $248.5 million.
"The Batman" scored the best opening of 2022 and the second-best debut of the pandemic era, coming in more than $100 million shy of the staggering $260 million that "Spider-Man: No Way Home" collected when it premiered in December.
"The Batman," co-written and directed by Matt Reeves ("Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"), features supporting performances from Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Colin Farrell as the Penguin, Paul Dano as the Riddler and Andy Serkis as the loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth.
The nearly three-hour movie puts a darker spin on Gotham, focusing on the hunt for a serial killer against a backdrop of corruption and decay. The film has been compared to 1970s conspiracy thrillers and David Fincher's twisted potboiler "Se7en."
"This is a truly monumental debut for 'The Batman' and for Warner Bros., who have continued to support their filmmakers through every evolution of the character," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, which tracks box office data.
"The Batman" opened exclusively on more than 12,5000 screens in 4,417 domestic theaters, where fans of the 80-year-old comic book character crammed into sold-out screenings that kicked off Thursday with pre-shows in about 3,300 locations.
The film earned largely positive reviews from professional critics, notching an 85 percent "fresh" rating on the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Christy Lemire, a critic for RogerEbert.com, hailed Reeves' vision as "breathtakingly alive and new."
In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Warner Bros. decided to "pause" the release of "The Batman" in Vladimir Putin's country.
"In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its feature film 'The Batman' in Russia," a WarnerMedia spokesperson said last week.
"We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves. We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy," the spokesperson added.
"The Batman" is the first installment in what many film industry observers expect will be a new franchise. Farrell is reportedly set to reprise his role in an HBO Max series that follows the Penguin's rise through Gotham's criminal underworld.
