The Dark Knight Box Office: Down Goes the Midnight Record

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on July 18, 2008

The Dark Knight sets Midnight record

Going into this weekend, there was no question that The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan’s infinitely praised and super-highly anticipated follow-up to his 2005 Batman franchise reboot Batman Begins, was going to make a lot of money. In fact, I believe the proper metaphor would be that it is going to drive away with truck-loads of cash at the box office.

That said, it should come as no surprise to anyone that it is being reported this afternoon that the film has set the all-time box office record for a midnight opening, bringing in an estimated $18.5 million. This number, however, doesn’t include any of the 3:00 a.m. or 6:00 a.m. shows that were being run in theaters across the country. And as I experienced very early this morning as I exited one of the midnight shows in town, the 3:00 a.m. shows were filling up quite nicely as well.

For those keeping score at home, this marks two box office records thus far for The Dark Knight — the widest opening ever (4,366 theaters) and now the largest midnight opening gross, beating out Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, which made $16.9 million in its midnight release. That film, which opened on a Thursday, went on to make $50 million in its first day. The current all-time record for highest single day opening is Spider-Man 3, which made $59.8 million. While we will have to wait until sometime very late this evening or early tomorrow to see whether Batman can add another notch on his utility belt, for now we can safely say that things are going well for the caped crusader.

Did you go to a midnight screening of The Dark Knight? If so, did anything fun/crazy/interesting happen?

Photo courtesy of Flickr


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  • This is going to be the biggest movie event of the last 10 years, actually it may already be. If you want to see the first five minutes of the movie: http://themicrocosm.wordpress.com/2008/07/18/th...
  • I did and a funny coincidence happened. Back in 2005 when I went to see Batman Begins, there was like a twenty minute delay due to technical problems. I was in the theater for over three hours. Last night, there was yet again a lengthy delay and I didn't get home until like 3:30. Only delays I've ever encountered in a theater and they were both Batman movies. Oh well, they were both well worth the wait.
  • $18.5 million down... $6,915,000,000 to go for Neil's prediction of $7 billion on opening weekend...
  • er... rather... $6,981,500,000... goes to show what attending a midnight show does to your ability to do math.

    Why so serious?
  • Garrett
    Went to a midnight showing here in iowa and there was one kid dressed as joker and the other as batman and they pretended to fight in front of the screen
  • busterbros
    The theater I went to last night had Dark Knight playing on 25 screens and they were all sold out. That's easily the biggest midnight show I've ever seen.
  • Peter Boyle (Not That One)
    well, where I was there were a bunch of idiots who had haphazardly thrown on some kid's batman costumes. there was one guy who had near perfect joker make-up on. RIGHT before the trailers started, one of the batmen started yelling at the joker guy. he shouted a bunch of stuff, like "the joker? the joker is awful! and scary and villianous!". and then, the coup d'etat: "HEATH LEDGER'S DEAD!" he kept going as the theater went dark, after which everyone yelled at him.

    it was pretty funny.
  • mudywaters
    Christian Bale rules. That is all.
  • Adam Sweeney
    No blockbuster movie of the last decade is as deserving. I hope it knocks every record down like a hospital in Gotham. I thought Iron Man was a near perfect comic film. I stand corrected. The Dark Knight takes that honor.
  • Emily
    the movie was phenominal. i can't even begin to explain the excitement in the theatre when we went in to see this movie that's been made to perfection. the joker was amazing along with the rest of the cast. definately a must see for anyone that's ever been a fan of batman. excellent jobb!
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