Box Office: The Dark Knight Beats The Mummy

Posted on Sunday, August 3rd, 2008 by Peter Sciretta

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor will end the weekend well behind industry expectations with $42.5 million. This means once again, The Dark Knight is #1 at the box office with $44.8M, pushing the film’s domestic total to $395.88 million. The Dark Knight currently stands as the #8 biggest grossing film of all time domestically, and on Monday it is expected to overtake Spider-Man to become the biggest comic book movie adaptation of all time.

Steve Mason predicts a $480 million lifetime gross for the film, which would put it shy of Titanic’s $600 million record. But $480 million would be enough to overtake Star Wars for the #2 spot. To give you an idea, it took Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace 8 weeks to earn the same as The Dark Knight did in three. Other comparisons: It took Spider-Man 9 weeks, E.T. more than 52 weeks, and The Dark Knight has already outgrossed Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Comments

kevin

WOOO!!

Joe

The only reason analysts are putting their predictions low is because they don't want to get ahead of themselves.

DK will demolish 500m. If it's still making 44m in its third weekend, it'll have legs, and long ones at that. It'll look like a praying mantis when we're done. It'll make 5m per day this week, another 22-25 next weekend, 3m that week daily, 15-18m in its fifth weekend...

I know I'm paying to see it again in late August, because I'll be at the beach and there's nothing to do when there's a rainy day.

skaught

i dont understand why they say 480 lifetime when its surpassed star wars in only 3 weeks?

Eric

This film is this millenniums Titanic!

Does that make sense? Yeah, yeah it does.

andy

i applaud the.

gocitizen

I have the itch to see it again already, so will probably catch another show this week.

I've been listening to the Zimmer/Howard score daily and I really want to go again to take in the film's score and sound design while it's still in theaters. Just another thing that makes the film so good.

The score may feel a little inaccessable for CD at first, but after you listen through several times it just grows on you. Those two composers have created a great piece of work.

Joe

I think it's great that the Dark Knight is doing so well. Of course, I want to see the side by side comparisons to Titanic (and Star Wars, GWTW and all those other blockbusters) when you adjust for inflation.

sp

gocitizen, I totally agree with you. The score is amazing, and it really does bring the whole film together.

Just out of interest, does anybody know how long it took Titanic to make $400 million?

El Bart-O

It's all.....part of the plan.

StarBlazer101

eh, not surprised.

charles

I felt it would. The Mummy 3 was just too bad, I mean BAD. Lol, that's funny.

Captain Awesome

"Iâ€™ve been listening to the Zimmer/Howard score daily and I really want to go again to take in the filmâ€™s score and sound design while itâ€™s still in theaters. Just another thing that makes the film so good."

I love both scores immensely. It's in my heavy rotation for film soundtracks. Also good to see it's number 1. Which means I win 40 bucks!

Woooooo! :)

AEC

I dont know how long it took Titanic to get to 400 million but I heard Titanic was in theatres for 9 months thats why it got 600.8 million. If The Dark Knight stayed that long I think it would shatter Titanic's record. But, I hope not because I want the DVD right now.

Tippit

Also The Dark Knight should technically (I dont know about inflation) have beaten Starwars because according to boxofficemojo Starwars reached 460 million because it was released in theatres 3 times. Once in 77', 82', and 97'. If The Dark Knight did that it probably would surpass gross estimates. So in my book The Dark Knight has surpassed expectations.

ezekial

Any box office predictions for Wednesday now?

Gary

Peter,
Where does the Dark Night rank when they compare the price of the movie tickets among the other films? Whwn ET came out I think it was only about $5.00 a ticket.

Exobuster

Way to go!! I plan on seeing this in IMAX for the second time. I defenitely recommend anyone who hasn't seen it in IMAX to do so. It is a whole other movie experience.

Bob

Hopefully this keeps ongoing. I only can imagine how a third Batman film would be with Nolan back unrestricted and with a insane production budget. Maybe we can finally have a 3rd movie thats better then a second and first.

Aeghast

"This film is this millenniums Titanic!" â€” Only TDK is actually good :D

Zinc

Babies were conceived and born during the time Titanic made the 600 million it made. But this isn't 1997-1998 anymore, and TDK won't be able to stay in theaters for that long. But for what it has accomplished, it is truly amazing.

Peter Sciretta

Gary: Adjusted for inflation and ticket price increase, The Dark Knight would currently place #66 of all time. But to be fair, the market place isn't what it was. The marketplace is a lot bigger. There are a lot more choices - more movies on more screens. And yes, ticket prices have gone through the roof. To give you an idea. Gone with the Wind made $198 million at the box office in it's day. Adjust that film for ticket inflation and it made $1.9 billion. Even Phantom Menace, which made $431 million nine years ago, would equate to over $600 million.

Matty H-C

If you want a really cool breakdown of all the box office info (including what Peter just gave you), check out http://www.boxofficemojo.com/

It has all the various records with and without inflation plus information on the weekends, etc.

Ricky

I think TDK still has a chance to put the beat down to Titanic and I really hope it does and if it doesn't it'll be really close. I know word of mouth will escalate this film throughout the coming weeks. I do plan on seeing it again for the third time.

Pete

I've seen it twice, once on Imax. I would still like to see it at least one more time before it leaves the theatre. Some friends of mine have seen it four and five times already.

Adam B.

count me in for another showing as well.

BFFredo

I'm sure that TDK will break the $500 million mark. But to go over $600 mil? I'll hold out on that.

Look at it this way: the first real test for TDK's #1 spot comes this weekend with Pineapple Express, followed by Tropic Thunder, Clone Wars and Death Race. If it's still pulling $20 million a weekend by the end of August, then its chances will be realistic.

vadmspartan

TDK definitely has legs. IMAX showings are still selling out a couple days in advance, standard theaters are also still full of people. I saw it for the second time last Thursday and judging by the shocked reactions of some of the people there, there are still those who are curious but haven't seen it yet. Repeat business is good too. It can make $500 mil.

egroe

This film is ok. The music is great. I only like it cause I may be working with maggie g so I better put in a good word for it.

UEV

Im down for another showing. Especially IMAX. This movie was awesome. My only complaints are some bad editing where scenes didn't finish resulting in quick cuts. And music in wrong places like dialogue and lack of music in the big chase scene. But, still one of the best movies I have seen in the past 5 or 10 years in theatres. Deserves every penny I have.

Captain Awesome

egroe,

Ah yes. As it's known she visits this site regurly...

Captain Awesome

Regularly too.

carg0

we've been embarrassed long enough watching Titanic sit at the number 1 spot for this long. the Dark Knight must not fail! see it again.

do it for the children!

A Better Class of Criminal

I agree with Carg0... For the Children!

I'm seriously shocked it stayed in the #1 spot this week, but then again... as is regularly mentioned in the film itself... everybody hates Mummys.

Phillip

'adjusting for inflation' isn't an exact science, fyi. Sure, tickets did cost less in '97 and even less in '77... but, was gas $4/gallon? Was a can of spaghetti o's 2 bucks? TDK is selling tremendous amounts of tickets at $7-10 a pop when people can't even afford to fill their tanks to drive to the theatres in the first place. That is trule amazing.

Anomaly

CNN is reporting that due to the ticket price increases, The Dark Knight would have to make $900 million domestically in order to match the amount of people who went to Titanic.

So even if it beats Titanic's gross, it really can't beat the sheer amount of people who went to Titanic.

Captain Awesome

Anomaly,

That's the dumbest thing I've heard all week. Well that, and Chen's liking for Mummy 3.

Rosario

@Gary and Peter

I was just over at yahoo news and they were talking about TDK and Titanic and they said that even if TDK passes the $600 million mark Titanic would still hold the record for amount of tickets sold. Supposedly in order for TDK to get the amount of tickets Titanic sold it would need to reach the $900 million mark, which i think insane. But either way, I think just reaching the $600 million mark is an accomplishment in itself.

evanz

The other thing going against TDK - the 800 pound gorilla in the room - that nobody is talking about is the advent of DVD and much more widespread adoption of home theater. Sure, it's great to see TDK in the movie theater, but many people will see it in DVD. Of course, the flip side is that TDK will make buckets of cash when it comes out on DVD.

Charles D.

Well remember Titanic was #1 for 15 straight weeks, it took it like 12 weeks to gross less than $20 million in a weekend..Thats what was crazy about that movie, plus adjusted Titanic would have made like $930 million..Dark Knight will make more than 480, they love to undershoot....Remember after the huge opening they kept "estimating" it would make 420...

IronMan

Two proper nouns...Heath Ledger.

If Heath was still alive, his role as the Joker would be adored by TDK fans and maybe some bad-boy loving teenie boppers, but definitely not as an Academy Award hopeful. He was entertaining and quirky, but a joker nontheless. Nolan did a great job with TDK...very Bourne Ultimatum looking and the science/high-tech stuff was great.

BUT...without Heath's passing, TDK would statistically be right around where Iron Man was at the same time (post opening)...both are great movies, but Iron Man was better.

Oh, and The Godfather should NEVER be used in the same breath as TDK. You can't compare apples to trees.

JAPPO

TDK was better than Iron Man, no question...

JAPPO

By the way Peter, what's the point of the gravatar icons to the left if it doesn't work? I know I have a gravatar but it never shows here.

Anomaly

@Captain Awesome
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/08/0...

'Even if it edged past that mark, "The Dark Knight" would lag behind "Titanic" in terms of actual tickets sold. Admission prices are up more than 50 percent since "Titanic" came out in 1997, according to Media By Numbers. "The Dark Knight" would have to take in about $900 million to match the number of tickets that "Titanic" sold.'

How is that stupid?

Dan

I plan on seeing TDK for the second time tonight.

It took E.T. over 52 weeks? Wait... so that movie was in theaters for more than a year?

maremagnum

The market is not only bigger, but it has more competition for your entertainment buck. You don't just have more movies in theaters simultaneously, but you also have more options in the DVD market, free video and music downloads for your computer, movies on pay-per-view, and so forth. I think what TDK is accomplishing is phenomenal.

gah

There are so many layers that TDK just gets increasingly better with each viewing. Okay, it's not the Godfather, but it is probably the greatest "comic book", "action", "genre", "summer", "popcorn" film ever made. No doubt.

krackajap

Everyone should buy tickets for Dark Knight no matter what movie they are planning to see just so it beats Titanic.

Pentarix

Iron Man doesn't hold a candle to TDK and whether Heath died or not, the movie would still have destroyed the OW record, without a doubt. It may not have made as much money in it's entire run, but I think you under estimate just how big Batman is. 4 of the 6 Batman movies have set box office records upon release, that's proof enough. Look it up yourself: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/

Brandon

I'm not clear as to why we do not yet track or have available number of seats sold vs gross dollar amounts. I made a short film last week, i charged myself 1 billion dollars to see it. The check has not yet cleared, however the ticket was purchased. I assume my film is not the top movie of all time by the movie industries logic.

790

Suck on that Jet Li, Brendon Fraiser, and China !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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