Weekend Box Office: NOBODY PUTS BABY IN THE CORNER

On Friday, we announced that The Dark Knight Rises delivered the 2nd highest grossing midnight debut of all time —30.6 million. It trailed only Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which did a whopping $43.5 million and went on to earn $169.2 million in its opening weekend. This comparison made us curious about how additional BIG time blockbusters fared in their midnight openings versus overall weekend earnings…and whether or not, Batman’s box office legacy would be forever changed by the midnight travesty in Colorado?

We are proud to report, that one man’s senseless acts were NOT given any more power. The Dark Knight Rises achieved the 3rd highest grossing debut weekend of all time; behind The Avengers and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, and just ahead of its own 2008 prequel The Dark Knight. Once again—we Americans let it be know that “nobody puts baby in the corner!” (Dirty Dancing reference meaning: we will not hide in the shadows.)

Below are totals for The Dark Knight Rises in comparison to recent box office competitors with midnights openings; clearly showing that Batman held his own all weekend long:

Film / Midnight Debut / Opening Weekend
The Dark Knight Rises / $30.6 mill / $160.9 mill
The Avengers $18.7 mill (not in as many theaters) / $207 mill
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2) / $43.5 / $169
The Hunger Games / $20 million / $153 mill
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn (Part 1) / $30 mill / $138 mill

Below are the Top 5 box office performers this weekend:

1-  The Dark Knight Rises again earned $160.9 million in its debut weekend.

2-  Ice Age: Continental Drift pulled in $20.4 million ($88.8 million during its 2-week run in theaters).

3-  The Amazing Spider-Man snatched $10.9 million this weekend ($229 for its 21-day total).

4-  Ted took in another $10 million ($180 million 4-week total).

5-  Brave added $6 million ($209 million 5-week total).