A Texas movie theater will be checking all bags after a moviegoer “tried to pull a prank” by releasing a live bat during a showing of The Batman. Over the weekend, a viral video shared on Twitter captured the moment an actual bat interrupted a screening of the new Batman movie starring Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight. Now a spokesperson for Cinépolis, which owns the Moviehouse & Eatery movie theater in northwest Austin, Texas, is revealing more about what happened during the batty incident:
Videos by ComicBook.com
“Local animal control was immediately contacted, and they have been overseeing the situation to ensure guest, associate and animal safety,” Cinépolis spokesperson Annelise Holyoak told CBS Austin. “To ensure a prank like this does not again occur, we’ve added additional security and are checking all bags upon guest entry.”
“I’m at the Batman movie and there are real bats in the theater,” moviegoer @Jeremiah24_ wrote when sharing a video of the live bat on Twitter. That video has been viewed nearly two million times. In another video posted by Twitter user @sparty1211, staff can be seen trying to get the bat out of the theater.
“We will use the projector to turn that light off [the movie screen] and I’m gonna turn all these lights off and try and get it to go into this lighted area [an exit],” one employee tells guests still in their seats. “If you are uncomfortable being in the dark with a bat, please remove yourself now.”
Full refunds were offered but “the majority” of moviegoers chose to stay and watch the rest of the movie despite the bat, according to the theater. Opening weekend audiences gave The Batman an A- CinemaScore, putting the Matt Reeves-directed reboot in league with Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (A) and The Dark Knight (A).
The Batman is an edgy, action-packed thriller that depicts Batman in his early years, struggling to balance rage with righteousness as he investigates a disturbing mystery that has terrorized Gotham. Robert Pattinson delivers a raw, intense portrayal of Batman as a disillusioned, desperate vigilante awakened by the realization that the anger consuming him makes him no better than the ruthless serial killer he’s hunting.
Starring Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell, The Batman is now playing exclusively in theaters.
ComicBook CRAM Presents The Batman:
- Behind The Bat: The DC Comics That Inspired The Batman
- Back Issues: Batman Becomes DC’s Greatest Detective With a Vengeance
- Back Issues: Catwoman Steals (and Becomes) the Heart of the DC Universe
- Back Issues: Penguin’s Storied History With the Batman Takes Flight
- The Bat and the Cat: The History of Batman and Catwoman’s Romance
- Back Issues: The Riddler’s Most Puzzling Plots Solved by Batman
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