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Actor Heath Ledger as the Joker in Dark Knight. (Reuters) |
Nothing dark about Batman’s first night at the box office. The Dark Knight lit up cash registers during its midnight debut, stealing away with a record $66.4 million, distributor Warner Bros said yesterday.
That improved the 2005 performance of Star Wars Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith, which took in $16.9 million during its midnight debut in 2,915 venues. And while Batman only strikes at night, all indications are that The Dark Knight will keep landing blows: advance ticket sales were booming.
The early numbers mean The Dark Knight will likely join the ranks of 10 other films that debuted on non-holiday weekends and cleared more than $100 million from Friday to Sunday, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of tracking firm Media By Numbers LLC.
“'There is an unbelievable demand for this movie,” he said. “The Heath Ledger factor is a major part of this. Beyond that, the movie is so good, it’s worthy of all these accolades.”
The movie directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale as Batman cost $185 million to make, excluding money spent marketing, said Dan Fellman, Warner’s head of distribution. Critics have heaped praise on the movie — especially the late Heath Ledger’s turn as the Joker, which has already generated whispers of a posthumous Oscar nomination.
“We’re very proud of the film,” Fellman said. “It’s the magic of the movie business, how one film just stands out above the others.”
Australian honour
Ledger is to be posthumously honoured for his contribution to the Australian film industry at the Brisbane International Film Festival next month. The Perth-born actor will be given the 2008 Chauvel Award in recognition of his dedication to Australian cinema.
Rod Welford, the Queensland arts minister, said Ledger was an obvious choice because he supported the local entertainment industry throughout his career. Ledger made his film debut in Australian production Blackrock and also played the lead role in acclaimed Australian drama Two Hands. It will be the first time in the award’s 16-year history that it will be granted posthumously. The award presentation will take place in August.