It may not ever reach the domestic gross of its predecessor, but "The Dark Knight Rises" has already surpassed the $1 billion mark worldwide that gave "The Dark Knight" so much trouble.
The feat not only made it pass its predecessor in worldwide gross, but also put the film within range of the top ten highest grossing films of all time. Right now "The Dark Knight Rises" sits in 12th place with $1,010.9 billion with just "Alice in Wonderland" and "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" separating it from a top 10 placement. "Alice in Wonderland' grossed $1,024 billion during its 2010 theatrical run around the world while the Star Wars installment raked in $1,027 during its two releases in 1999 and early 2012. Both of those films also benefitted from being released in 3D, which undoubtedly inflated their gross. All signs point to Batman being able to surpass both films, but if it does, it will not vault itself past 10th place. The next film in line is Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides which sits comfortably at Number 9 with $1,043 billion.
The third installment in Christopher Nolan's Batman epic has grossed $433.2 million in domestic gross, $100 million less than "The Dark Knight" did in 2008. However, while the second installment was a hit at home, it was practically a disappointment worldwide where it only accumulated $469 million. Most blockbusters do better business in foreign soil when they make as much money as these films do, which made it all the more surprising. More importantly, during its initial run, the 2008 film failed to reach the $1 billion mark. It took a January 2009 re-release for the film to pass the billion dollar mark.
"The Dark Knight Rises'" tremendous gross however has not come without its fair number of issues. The film was favorably received by critics, but most felt it was not on par with its predecessor. Then the highly anticipated release was marred by the tragic shooting in Aurora, Colorado. The tragedy left the film unpopular for many movie-goers and all but secured that it would not be the highest grossing film of the year. To date, the film has grossed almost $200 million less than "Marvel's The Avengers." Finally, the film has actually sold less tickets than the 1989 "Batman" by Tim Burton, a sign that the movie has severely underperformed all expectations. According to boxofficemojo.com, the original 1989 film would have grossed $504 million if its gross were adjusted for inflation. That is a $60 million difference that "Rises" is never going to make up. "The Dark Knight Rises" is expected to gross another $10 to $15 million for the remainder of its theatrical run in the US, which should place in line with a lifetime domestic gross of $450 million.
Read the Dark Knight Rises Review HERE.