heath ledger (19 posts)
No Such Thing as Bad News for Dark Knight
Warner Bros. Entertainment.com
Can anything stop the Batman?
With The Dark Knight having blown past $200 million on Tuesday, just five days into its release, the answer apparently is no.
Steve Mason, lead box-office analyst for FantasyMoguls.com, said he thinks the movie will pick up another $70 million-$80 million this coming weekend, helping it blow past $300 million in less than 10 days.
"There's never been anything like it," Mason says via email.
The seemingly endless record grosses are coming despite a pair of offscreen incidents that, individually, have helped kill lesser movies: (1) the shocking death of one star and (2) the criminal allegations against another.
Update
The Dark Knight Reigns: $155.3 Mil Weekend
Stephen Vaughan/Warner Bros. Entertainment
Spider-Man Batman forever.
The Dark Knight chased Spider-Man 3 from the record books with a $155.3 opening weekend gross, per Exhibitor Relations Co. estimates today.
The figure capped three days of eye-popping figures for the Christopher Nolan film. The highlights:
- The Dark Knight made more money in Friday midnight screenings ($18.5 million) than its predecessor, Batman Begins, made in any one day.
- The Dark Knight made more money in one day ($66.4 million on Friday) than Batman Begins made in any one weekend.
- The Dark Knight made about as much money in its second-biggest day ($48 million on Saturday) as Batman Begins made in its biggest weekend ($48.7 million).
Dark Knight's Record Midnight Madness
Stephen Vaughan/Warner Bros. Entertainment
So goes Plano, Texas, so goes the movie nation: The Dark Knight is one hot ticket.
The latest Batman movie, inspiring thousands of sold-out screenings and countless desperate hunts for seats, grossed a record $18.5 million at midnight screenings, studio estimates said today.
"That's just a portion of the day," marveled Media by the Numbers' box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
"I think this could break a lot of records," he said. "Yesterday, I was hedging my bets, but now all bets are off."
Dark Knight Rises; Will Spider-Man 3 Fall?
Warner Brothers
At midnight, it comes. With expectations fueled by hundreds of advance sellouts, glorious reviews and Oscar buzz.
The Dark Knight, box-office experts say assuredly, is a $100 million opening-weekend lock—a feat requiring a take of at least $1.4 million every hour for 72 straight hours, a feat accomplished by only 10 movies in Hollywood history.
So far.
"It's just a ripped movie," says Media by the Numbers's Paul Dergarabedian of the latest Batman adventure. "It's not just a superhero movie. It is a crime epic...It kind of transcends that superhero moniker."
Dark Knight Mania: Maggie Goes Deep, Talks Heath
Big week for Batman, and star Maggie Gyllenhaal has obviously thought about The Dark Knight even more than the rest of us. She tells me why the movie goes far beyond just "fun," and she shares what it's like filming one of the scariest scenes with Heath Ledger. Check the clip to get the full story.
And if you missed 'em, catch my interviews with the rest of the cast—and director Christopher Nolan—after the jump.
Beat Ben @ the Box Office: A Giant Gotham Gross?
Stephen Vaughan/Warner Bros. Entertainment
Finally! It's here! Starting tonight, The Dark Knight invades more than 4,300 screens—many of them IMAX—bringing the return of Batman, one of the most beloved characters in American pop culture.
After Christopher Nolan teamed with Christian Bale to relaunch the franchise in 2005, there's been new interest in the billionaire vigilante. And that, combined with the truly breathtaking performance from the late Heath Ledger as the Joker, has created a hysteria around the film. Midnight screenings are sold out and theaters are adding hourly showings from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m.
So look for The Dark Knight to pull in a weekend total of $112 million. Only reason I'm not calling it higher is because it's not a holiday, kids are still away at camp, and Hancock, Hellboy II and WALL-E will still put up strong numbers.
What do you think? Can Bruce Wayne close an even bigger deal? Drop your numbers in the comments!
Update
The Creepiest Movie Bad Guys: Our Top 9
Compass International Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Miramax Films
We get it, already: Heath Ledger's twisted turn as the Joker in The Dark Knight is so good it's disturbing. And we have to agree, this Gotham City thug is one of a very special breed of baddie—those sickos who go beyond freaky, beyond evil, beyond twisted. They're creepy.
Few movie villains have what it takes to truly make your skin crawl, but they're the ones you don't forget.
So who are the creepiest bad guys of all? Click in, if you dare.
Dark Knight Mania! Aaron Eckhart Talks Two-Face
You wouldn't know it from the marketing, but there are actually two villains in The Dark Knight—and Batman foes don't get more different than Heath Ledger's Joker and Aaron Eckhart's Harvey "Two Face" Dent. I sat down with Eckhart recently, and he dished about what brought him to Gotham and that thing Christian Bale's got that the rest of us don't. Hit the clip for the full story.
Get exclusive Dark Knight clips on Comcast.net
More Dark Knight Mania! Bale Gets Inside the Batbrain
Batman has some "serious issues," according to The Dark Knight star Christian Bale. No kidding! When I sat down recently with the intense actor, he dished on how real Gotham City looks, how Heath Ledger vanished onscreen and how he'd like to get totally fat for a role. Also, remember Treasure Island and American Psycho, you guys? Anyway, hit the clip and hear what the real Bruce Wayne has to say.
Get exclusive Dark Knight clips on Comcast.net
The Dark Knight Mania: Everybody Loves Heath
Obviously, topic A in movies right now is The Dark Knight, and much of the talk is about Heath Ledger's mind-blowing performance as the Joker. Same story when I sat down with the cast—they all had plenty to say about their late costar and his freaky villainous turn. Director Chris Nolan also explained what he saw in Heath before even casting him for the part.
Hit the clip to see what I mean, and keep checking back for plenty more Bat coverage this week.
Same Bat Time? Not Quite
Stephen Vaughan / DC Comics
Just call him the Crack of Dawn Knight.
Movie theaters are adding 6 a.m. opening-day showings of The Dark Knight to meet demand created by sold-out midnight and 3 a.m. screenings.
"It's normal for movies like to this start at midnight," says Chad Hartigan, a box office analyst for Exhibitor Relations Co.
But 6 a.m. screenings?
"That's not normal," Hartigan says.
Curtains Open on Heath's Hometown Honor
Ash Knotek/ZUMAPress.com
While excitable critics are abuzz about a possible posthumous Oscar nomination for Heath Ledger's Joker, there's a more immediate honor for the late star.
Ledger's hometown of Perth, Australia, has named an $88 million playhouse after the actor.
West Australian Premier Alan Carpenter, accompanied by Ledger's father Kim, this morning announced plans for the 575-seat Heath Ledger Theatre.
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