Today is the day fans all over the world have been waiting for, with Matt Reeves’ The Batman finally being unleashed into theaters, where it’s expected to score a global opening weekend that could easily surpass a quarter of a billion dollars.
Warner Bros. didn’t enjoy the best of financial years in 2021, with the majority of the simultaneous HBO Max releases that weren’t big budget blockbusters flopping at the box office, but Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight is poised to give the studio a guaranteed (and massive) success at the beginning of March.
However, some lucky viewers have already had the chance to see The Batman, with the latest reboot for the Dark Knight setting pandemic-era records as part of the bargain. In Korea, Belgium and France, the gritty superhero story landed WB’s best launch day since the age of COVID-19 began, which is a hugely encouraging sign.
Of course, there was no other outcome besides The Batman dominating the cultural and commercial conversation, but the top brass will nonetheless be pleased they’ll be able to tout record-setting debuts in multiple nations spread across several continents as part of the marketing push.
On the domestic front, The Batman‘s first frame may have been revised down significantly from initial estimates that pegged it as having a genuine shot at $200 million, but it’s still going to be just the second film released since the end of 2019 that brings in a three-figure haul from its first three days in theaters.
