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Will “The Dark Knight” Break Opening Weekend Box Office Records?

Started by Mike Olbinski · 11 months ago

A year ago I don’t think anyone would have thought that we’d be having this discussion.  Batman Begins did really well at the box office, but no one was expected The Dark Knight to be in serious contention for box office champion of the summer of 2008.  Not really.



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29 comments

  • jina

    11 months ago

    The Olbinski duo are going to do their part. Mike is going twice next weekend, and I will, of course, be seeing it too. That should help its numbers. Christian Bale, we're here for you.
    reply
  • daddyjason

    11 months ago

    Thank God someone is watching out for Christian Bale. Lord knows how difficult it is for him to get quality roles these days (Jason's eyes roll into the back of his head). :)
    reply
  • Mike Olbinski

    11 months ago

    Wow, that's quite a limb Jason...I was going to say between $120-130 million would be an easy goal...but I just don't know.

    Like you said, the longer running time hurts, but Spidey 3 wasn't like a 90 minute movie either. It ran 2 hours and 19 minutes.

    Toss in the IMAX sales, because the tickets I paid for are $12.75 each, and there is a potential for a record-breaking weekend.

    But if Spidey 3 did $151 million, then I really think TDK will break that. $160-175 looks likely.

    It will be awesome to see that happen too.
    reply
  • daddyjason

    11 months ago

    I think you actually talked yourself into my point of view - without me even making another argument. Good job, Mike!
    reply
  • Mike Olbinski

    11 months ago

    I like to talk to myself, so that tends to happen a lot :)
    reply
  • Cap'n Schwartz

    11 months ago

    Great write up Jason.... I love the poster up top!!!!
    Let me first squeeze in my anti- nikki finke comment of the day (Nikki is a tool).....

    I guess the one record I REALLY would like to see the dark knight topple is Titanic, the highest worldwide grossing film ever made.... c'mon Dark Knight!!!!!
    reply
  • daddyjason

    11 months ago

    Well, that ain't gonna happen. Morbid curiosity about Heath Ledger will only last so long and The Dark Knight just doesn't have the subject matter needed to do Titanic business worldwide (or even in the states). It might be the biggest opening weekend - maybe the biggest movie of the year even - but I wouldn't take it much further than that in my predictions.
    reply
  • Cap'n Schwartz

    11 months ago

    Never say never... titanic got highest grossing ever based on a made up story on an ending we all knew was coming.... could happen....
    reply
  • daddyjason

    11 months ago

    But Titanic had Leo. :)

    I applaud your optimism.
    reply
  • Mike Olbinski

    11 months ago

    Bale >>>>> Leo
    reply
  • ScottyDub

    11 months ago

    More than anything, I just hope it lives up to the hype. I think it will and this is prob the most anticipated movie of the summer for me.
    reply
  • Dadofiandi

    11 months ago

    Well since I never saw Titanic nor SP3 maybe my 7.50 will push it into new heights.
    reply
  • Mike Olbinski

    11 months ago

    Never saw Titanic??? OMG.
    reply
  • Dadofiandi

    11 months ago

    Never saw ET, Footloose, Dirty Dancing among others.
    reply
  • Mike Olbinski

    11 months ago

    Well, not seeing Footloose or DD is okay (Although DD rocks!), but ET??? Wow...
    reply
  • Dadofiandi

    11 months ago

    Did you have the time of your life? I have seen parts of ET. You know come
    to think of it I never saw Godfather I and II in their entirety either but I
    did see the Godfather III in the theater. Sad but true.
    reply
  • Mike Olbinski

    11 months ago

    Well, I've never seen Caddyshack all the way through, so I guess I can't make fun of you guys.

    But E.T.....wow.
    reply
  • R.A. Porter

    11 months ago

    I've never seen ET either. I used to feel bad about it, but I take it as a point of pride at this point.
    reply
  • scottydont

    11 months ago

    i promise tha tthe dark knight is going to break box office records i've been following the dark knight since filming started and have been to all the filming it was incredible imagine it all put together on screen
    reply
  • GY

    11 months ago

    170-200 is my prediction for 18-20 july TDK opening weekend
    reply
  • Mike Olbinski

    11 months ago

    Woh, now that would be awesome to see :)
    reply
  • Steven

    11 months ago

    Hey guys - remember me? Just bought our tickets to see it on MAX Saturday morning. I honestly can't remember being this excited to see a movie in a long time.
    reply
  • Mike Olbinski

    11 months ago

    Awesome! We're going to see it Friday morning at IMAX as well.
    reply
  • Mike Olbinski

    11 months ago

    By the way, yes, I remember you :)
    reply
  • SuperNerd

    11 months ago

    I think that a $160,000,000 opening weekend is quite possible. My only concern is that all of this "pushing PG-13 to the limit" stuff will prevent parents from taking their kids, thus eliminating a huge sorce of revinue. That would be totally unfair to the movie, which is garnering the highest critical acclaim of any movie this year.

    Who'd like to see "OSCAR WINNER FOR BEST PICTURE: THE DARK KNIGHT"? I know I would!

    And I don't know about y'all, but I KNOW I'll be there on opening day (I gots my tickets in my pants for safe keeping :-)

    (passes out from lack of sleep, having been up for 4 days thinking about "The Dark Knight"...)
    reply
  • Mike Olbinski

    11 months ago

    SN, four of us from this site are going Friday morning at 3:15 AM, so we'll be right there with ya!

    I'd love to see this movie actually turn out good, and then by up for an Oscar...I'm with ya.
    reply
  • daddyjason

    11 months ago

    I agree with your comment about the hard PG-13 keeping parents from taking kids to see the movie possibly eliminating a large source of revenue. In fact, that's been crossing my mind a lot and I'm thinking of re-evaluating my estimate to take that into account.

    However, I think you're getting WAY ahead of yourself (as many others are as well) by already calling for Oscars for the film (and others for Ledger in particular) when most people haven't even SEEN it yet.

    I think we all need to calm down and get a little perspective before we crown this the best film of all time before we've even seen it.
    reply
  • Mike Olbinski

    11 months ago

    I aint calming down! :)

    Richard Roeper has seen it and says it should be nominated. Heath too.

    Anyways, I think the PG-13 wont keep kids away...parents really don't care
    these days and it's friggin' Batman.
    reply
  • ScottyDub

    11 months ago

    Your last sentence says it all 'it's friggin Batman'. Let me just add:

    BATMAN ROCKS!
    reply

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