Despite Warner Bro's decision to not released box-office numbers this weekend, it's been leaked that "The Dark Knight Rises" took in about $160 to $162 million despite the Aurora, Colorado shooting tragedy that occurred early Friday morning.
"Out of respect for the victims and their families, Warner Bros. Pictures will not be reporting box office numbers for 'The Dark Knight Rises' throughout the weekend. Box office numbers will be released on Monday," the company said in a statement.
James Holmes, 24, is accused of opening fire on unsuspecting moviegoers in the early hours of Friday morning during a sold-out midnight screening of the new "Batman" film at a mall in Aurora, Colorado. The tragic event killed 12 people and injured 59. Police said the alleged shooter was wearing a gas mask and dressed in all black. Holmes will appear in court on Monday.
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Weekend Box Office
"The Dark Knight Rises" will likely still finish north of its predecessor "The Dark Knight" for its first weekend, with receipts totaling $162 million, possibly more, according to several reports in the New York Times and the Hollywood Reporter. This is based on a Friday gross in the neighborhood of $77 million, the third largest Friday in box office history.
That amount would best the $158.4 million debut of "The Dark Knight" in 2008 and give "Dark Knight Rises" the third-highest domestic weekend opening ever after the 3-D films "The Avengers" with $207.4 million and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 2" with $169.2 million.
The Hollywood Reporter also cited box office sources who said "Dark Knight Rises" earned $70 million from nine of the 17 countries where it debuted over the weekend, including the United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea and Spain.
Hollywood Outcry
"Words cannot express the horror that I feel," Christian Bale, who stars as Batman in the film, said in a statement. "I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them."
"The Dark Knight Rises" director Christopher Nolan said in a statement ""I would like to express our profound sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community."
"I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime. The movie theatre is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me."
Nolan concluded: "Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families."
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