Box office results are being put on hold for the moment following the tragic shooting at a midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colorado, a decision supported by the majority of Hollywood studios. Monday mornings are usually when movie-crazed individuals such as myself ravenously pour over figures in an attempt to see which motion picture dominated ticket sales over the weekend. However, given the events surrounding Christopher Nolan’s superhero epic, worrying about money seems a bit trivial at this point in time.
The Associated Press reports that Sony, Fox, Disney, Universal, Fox, and Lionsgate have all joined Warner Bros. in keeping last weekend’s box office results from the public eye out of respect for the victims of the Colorado shooting. Although executives at Paramount have not said whether they intend to do the same, one can only imagine the backlash the company would receive if it decided to reveal totals when everyone else is choosing to remain silent.
Of course, the decision to officially withhold the results hasn’t stopped others from speculating about the amount of money “The Dark Knight Rises” brought in over the past three days. Trade publications such as Variety and Hollywood Reporter stated Nolan’s trilogy-ending entry brought in anywhere from $75 million and $77 million on Friday alone. Midnight screenings across the country reportedly brought in $30.6 million. Analysts believe the flick could give be on track to overpower Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers” as the highest-grossing film of the summer.
The shooting in Aurora has impacted movie fans across the globe. In addition to canceling the film’s premiere in Paris, Warner Bros. decided to cancel Batman-related events in Mexico City and Tokyo. Additionally, the studio has opted to remove the trailer for the Ryan Gosling action flick “Gangster Squad” from theaters due to the gun-related violence contained within the clip.
Box office results are expected to be released later in the day.