'The Batman' tallies $128.5 million at the domestic box office, second-highest opening haul of the pandemic era

“The Batman” swooped into theaters this weekend, tallying the second-highest domestic opening of the pandemic era.

The Warner Bros.’ film generated $128.5 million in ticket sales over the weekend, coming in above the studio’s expectations of $110 million.

“[The 2022 box office] got its official start got its official start this weekend with the spectacular performance of ‘The Batman,’ a dark, brooding masterpiece of a crowd-pleaser,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “[It] proved that audiences enjoy their superhero movies not only when they are lighthearted and fun, but also when they provide a deeper emotional experience.”

“The Batman” is only the second film released after March 2020 to see opening weekend ticket sales in excess of $100 million. “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” a co-production between Disney and Sony, was the first, generating $260 million during its domestic debut in December.

“No Way Home” also holds the title of the highest opener of the pandemic era and second-best in cinematic history, according to data from Comscore.

Franchise-based films, particularly those about comic book characters, have been some of the few to break through and generate significant gains at the box office during the pandemic. Movie theaters have seen families with young children and adults aged over 50 be more reluctant to turn up at cinemas, even for big films.

Box office analysts expected “The Batman” to draw fewer moviegoers compared to “No Way Home” because of its darker, more mature themes and PG-13 rating. The film will likely benefit from repeat viewings in the coming weeks.