The box office results for the weekend of July 20th – 22nd sees Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy rising to new heights. The Dark Knight Rises quietly set a few records over a solemn few days. Here are the studio estimates:
1. The Dark Knight Rises ($160.9 million)
2. Ice Age: Continental Drift ($20.4 million)
3. The Amazing Spider-Man ($10.8 million)
4. Ted ($10 million)
5. Brave ($6 million)
6. Magic Mike ($4.2 million)
7. Savages ($3.3 million)
8. Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection ($2.2 million)
9. Moonrise Kingdom ($1.8 million)
10. To Rome with Love ($1.4 million)
Analysis
While there are a few things to note, much like the movie studios this weekend, we here will not “celebrate” the handful of records The Dark Knight Rises set this past weekend. All one needs to know is that the production budget was $250 million and the opening figure is good for 3rd all-time on the domestic chart, yet the best for Nolan franchise, edging out 2008’s The Dark Knight ($158.4 million). Only two flicks in The Avengers ($207.4) and the Harry Potter finale ($169.2) – both 3D products by the way, have higher opening weekends.
This Friday, Step Up Revolution and The Watch open wide in theaters.