The Batman has been in theaters over a month now, but the Matt Reeves film continues to impress at the box office. The film has officially climbed past $735 million at the global box office. The film has also grossed $21.9 million in China where it is the first comic book movie to screen since Wonder Woman 1984. These latest numbers easily make The Batman as 2022’s highest grossing film (thus far) globally ahead of Water Gate Bridge and Uncharted. It’s also expected that The Batman isn’t going to slow down at the box office just yet, bringing in $6.6 million domestically in its sixth week of release.
The film’s strong performance at the domestic box office, particularly in the beginning where it had the second-largest opening since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, cold ultimately be a driver for the course of future DC Comics films for Warner Bros, as well.
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“The secret of the movie business is quality. It’s the best business strategy for both theatrical motion pictures and superhero movies,” Warner Bros. Pictures chairman Toby Emmerich said following the film’s opening weekend. “The movies don’t have to all have the same tone, or interlock with other DC movies, or have an Easter egg that sets up another film. Quality is the most important factor for a studio, and the biggest thing you can do to influence quality is the filmmaker that you hire.”
The Batman itself also has a promising future beyond the box office. Warner Bros. is already building a franchise around the film with spinoff series set in the world of The Batman are in the works for HBO Max, including Gotham PD, which has since evolved to focus on Arkham Asylum, and a series starring Colin Farrell as The Penguin.
“We are thrilled to bring audiences a new version of this iconic DC character that they have never seen before. It is incredible to be working with Matt, Dylan, and Lauren on continuing this story and to see Colin take his already exceptional performance in The Batman to the next level,” Sara Aubrey, Head of Original Content, HBO Max said previously.
The Batman is now playing theaters. The film will arrive on HBO Max on April 19th.
