While Spider-Man sits upon the pandemic throne, The Batman has claimed early rule over 2022 with its debut performance. The $128 million total is the highest opening number to be generated by any 2022 film, beating the year’s previous highest earner, which was Tom Holland’s Uncharted. The treasure hunting adventure earned $51 million by the end of its weekend and currently sits at $100.2 million after three weeks. The Batman is shaping up to be a significant achievement for Warner Bros. and director Matt Reeves, making the most of the $200 million it cost to produce the film.

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The Batman ended its Friday opening with a $57.1 million total but saw its Saturday performance bring in a slightly lower $43.2 million total. Sunday saw another dip as the film accumulated $28.2 million by the weekend’s closure, bringing the official domestic box office total to $128 million. Despite the regression throughout the weekend, the Robert Pattinson-led film performed well and showcased the pulse still present within the movie-going experience. Internationally, The Batman ended the weekend with a $120 million total, bringing its official global number to $248.5 million.

Anticipation drove audience fever to be immersed within the experience, resulting in the outstanding opening numbers, but the positive reception the film received equally played a part in attracting moviegoers to theaters. The film obtained an 85% from Rotten Tomatoes, not far removed from the audience’s score, which currently sits at 90%. CinemaScore gave the film an A- grade, which is enough to get most interested to see Robert Pattinson’s take on the iconic hero. Many were skeptical about the casting of Pattinson, fearful that the Twilight heartthrob would not be able to tackle such a heralded role, but it’s clear that his performance has been more than satisfactory.

The Batman has quickly posted the best opening for Warner Bros. during the pandemic, and the best for Reeves, beating his previous high Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which earned $73 million. The Caped Crusader handily won the weekend, toppling Uncharted from the throne it held the previous two weeks. The Tom Holland-led adventure ended its third box office week in second place, generating $11 million. Dog, also on its third box office week, finished in third with a $6 million total. Spider-Man: No Way Home ended its twelfth box office week in fourth, accumulating $4.4 million, followed by Death on the Nile, which ended its fourth box office week with a $2.7 million total.

Despite the hesitation around casting and the film’s PG-13 rating, The Batman has exceeded expectations and has lit a fire the box office hasn’t seen since Spider-Man: No Way Home. Alongside Pattinson, the project stars Paul Dano, Zoe Kravitz, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, and Jeffery Wright. It will be interesting to see how well the film performs in the coming weeks, especially with the release of other notable films looming on the horizon. Nevertheless, The Batman has provided a spark and pushed Warner Bros. down a path to make some significant noise this year.

The Batman is currently playing in theaters.

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Source: Deadline