After years of anticipation, The Batman is finally in theaters. To no surprise, the film is already off to a huge start, as it has racked up an impressive $21.6M during its preview showings.
The Matt Reeves film was originally slated to release back in the summer of 2021, but due to the COVID-19, it was delayed several times. With moviegoers now more comfortable returning to cinemas knowing of the availability of several vaccines, The Batman is looking to become one of the highest-earning films during this pandemic era.
Deadline reports that The Batman earned approximately $21.6M during its preview showings, which began Tuesday night. The film garnered $4M from its Tuesday and Wednesday showings, which means $17.6 poured in from its Thursday showings after 3 pm. The Thursday numbers have put it ahead of other DC projects such as Justice League ($13M) and Wonder Woman ($11M).
Compared to the previous caped crusader live-action films in terms of Thursday showings, The Batman only ranks behind The Dark Knight's $18.5M, The Dark Knight Rises $30.6M, and Batman v. Superman's $27.7M. Considering those films were all big sequels or also featured many other iconic heroes, it will be interesting to see what The Batman 2 can accomplish at the box office. But for now, there's no doubt The Batman will have a very successful theatrical run.
In a time when superhero films are relying heavily on big crossovers and cosmic/multiverse storylines, The Batman feels like a breath of fresh air. While it certainly feels epic with its three-hour runtime, the film's grounded, more realistic approach due to its focus on Batman's detective side is already resonating well with fans. Other than its box office success, the film currently has an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, as critics are praising the performances, cinematography, action sequences, and story. With Reeves sharing that Warner Bros. Backed his vision for the story, it will be interesting to see how much creative freedom studios will grant directors for future comic book projects, especially since The Batman is already proving to be a massive hit.
Other than Robert Pattinson donning the cape and cowl this time around, the film stars Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Peter Sarsgaard as district attorney Gil Colson. The film is the start of a new trilogy, while two other The Batman spin-off series are in early development as well.
The Batman is now playing in theaters and will be available to stream on HBO Max on April 19, 2022.
Source: Deadline