The Batman Obliterates Box Office with $128.5M Opening Weekend Haul

MovieWeb

By Jeremy Dick

Published Mar 6, 2022

The Batman is a hit with the movie pulling in an astonishing $128 million domestically in its first weekend in theaters.

Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films

Bruce Wayne has done it again. The Batman has proven to be a smash hit at the box office with a total haul of $128.5 million, the second-highest opening of any film during the pandemic era behind only Spider-Man: No Way Home. This follows Friday's $57 million haul, which included $21.6 million in previews and fan screenings in Imax theaters in the days before. There had been some concerns at Warner Bros. that the nearly three-hour runtime and the higher ticket prices would deter turnout, but that is clearly not the case.

Let's compare that $128.5 million haul to last week's No. 1 movie, Uncharted, which earned $23.2 million during its second weekend at domestic theaters to get an idea of just how much of a hit The Batman has turned out to be. The film, directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson, introduces a new Batman continuity that's separate from the DCEU with other Batmen played by Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton. Though the filmmakers were confident in the movie, there was no guarantee it would be as well-received as it has been, given the reception of other Batman films like Batman & Robin.

Along with Pattinson, The Batman stars Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon. Co-written by Reeves and Peter Craig, the film picks up two years into Batman's life as a Gotham City crime-fighter as a serial killer known as the Riddler targets the city's elites, including Bruce Wayne.

Uncharted Falls to a Very Distant Second Place

Uncharted fell by 52% from the week before to earn $11 million, putting the video game adaptation into the second place spot. This was followed by Channing Tatum's Dog in No. 3 at $6 million, giving the film a 41% drop from the week before.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is still going pretty strong by winding up in the No. 4 spot at $4.4 million. Let's keep in mind that the film debuted in December and is just now losing its spot in the top three movies at the box office. Superhero tentpoles are clearly the most popular movies of the moment as has been reiterated by The Batman obliterating the box office in its opening debut. It's now probably safe to bet on the film getting a sequel.

After a strong opening weekend, it will be interesting to see how long The Batman hangs around in theaters as Spider-Man: No Way Home has been doing since its release in December. You can check out the full top 10 list below and see more detailed information at The Numbers.