The Batman

Source: Warner Bros

‘The Batman’

UPDATED: Warner Bros’ The Batman starring Robert Pattinson has stormed the North American box office, launching at number one on a confirmed $134m that ranks as the second biggest opening of the pandemic.

By far the biggest debut of 2022 so far, the latest iteration of the Caped Crusader canon directed by Matt Reeves opened exclusively in 4,417 North American locations for a $29,092 per-site average that will instil confidence among studio and exhibition executives that the right tentpole can deliver a mighty launch that recalls pre-pandemic times. It lands on HBO Max in 45 days.

In fact The Batman is only the second film to open on more than $100m in North America since December 2019, the first being Sony’s phenomenon Spider-Man: No Way Home which arrived in December 2021 on $260.1m and has reached $786.5m in North America and $1.87bn worldwide.

Some $15m of The Batman’s weekend gross came from 405 Imax sites. Premium formats accounted for approximately 30% of the film’s business with solid results in addition to Imax from Dolby Cinema, PLF/Premium Large Formats, and Motion Seating.

The film’s top 10 markets were Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Houston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Toronto.

The North American haul contributed to a $248.5m global launch in 75 territories. Screen will have a full international report on Monday.