The Dark Knight in Mach-4 Mode, Races Past $400-Million Mark

Warner Bros’ The Dark Knight is cruising in Mach-4 mode, breaking records by the dozen and becoming the first to hit the $400-million mark in 18 days flat, the entertainment giant announced Tuesday. Ever since the movie hit the screens, records have been tumbling like the proverbial nine-pins.

The newest Batman adventure from the Warner Bros. stables hit the $300-million mark within just 10 days of its release. The opening weekend also hit a record of $158.4 million.

Shrek 2, released in 2004, held the previous record for the $400-million barrier, breaking it in what now seems a slow-mo 43 days after its release.
Speaking about The Dark Knight’s new record, Jeff Goldstein, general sales manager for Warner Bros said the movie took less than half the time Shrek 2 took to reach the magical figure.

The Dark Knight is the top comic-book adaptation in movie history. Starring
Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger, it is slated to be named No. 7 this week among all-time box-office hits, superceding the original 2002 Spider-Man, which made $403.7 million.

Other top names in the list of box-office all time greats are (in ascending order) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, $423.4 million; Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, $431.1 million; E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial, $435 million; Shrek 2, $437.2 million; Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, $461 million; and Titanic, $601 million.

Warner Bros. expects The Dark Knight to bypass the original Star Wars in about two weeks’ time, placing it at No. 2 on the all-time domestic hit list, just behind Titanic.

Taking into account the higher admission prices today as compared to the days of the Titanic, a realistic estimate shows that the present Batman film cannot derail the older film from its top position in the popularity charts. In today’s dollars, The Dark Knight would have to take in about $900 million to rival the number of tickets sold for Titanic.

The Dark Knight has been acclaimed by critics and fans alike. Especially, Heath Ledger’s histrionics as Batman’s enemy, the Joker, brought in widespread appreciation from audiences globally. Ledger’s sudden death in January from a prescription drug overdose also sent people flocking to the theatres.

“There’s no question Heath Ledger’s performance has made cinematic history. It’s one of the most important or memorable villains ever. That added to it, but I think you have to look at a film in its entirety. It’s the marvelous job the filmmakers and the actors did,’’ remarked Goldstein about Ledger’s performance as well as the film’s extraordinary results at the box-office.