A week after the Colorado massacre and its shocking total of 12 dead and 58 wounded, what is the correct measure of audience interest in seeing “Batman: The Dark Night Rises” in a theater?
On the one hand, there is the caution clearly reflected in a poll, which shows that one in four viewers in the United States expressed some fear or reservation about going to the movies this weekend to see the final episode of the Batman trilogy, directed by Christopher Nolan. This 25 percent figure comes from a poll carried out by the firm NGR, an information source customarily used by Hollywood studios to obtain advance figures on audience interest in their new projects.
On the other hand, the international response matches the expectation set several months ago that this would be one of the most successful cinematic debuts in modern times. In Argentina, “The Dark Night Rises” obtained the best opening day gross of any film this year. This was also true in France and Russia. The figures showed that as of two days ago the film had grossed $374 million in global ticket sales, and its commercial run has barely begun.
However, at this time less attention falls on the number of tickets sold than on the possible after-effects of the tragedy that took place a week ago in Aurora, Colorado. In the U.S., at least, the discussion during the last few days has been about the inevitable consequences of the event, and how it affects the behavior of audiences and actors. The debate on movie violence has returned to the foreground and has drawn in many leading actors. To begin with, after Warner stated in a press release that it would make “substantial donations” to the victims of the tragedy, Christian Bale, who plays Batman in all three parts of Nolan’s trilogy, went to Colorado to visit the victims.
For now, in addition to increased audience security measures — the powerful theater chain AMC has prohibited entry by spectators dressed as characters from the film — studios have to deal with dilemmas related to scenes in their upcoming releases which may appear controversial in light of the tragedy.
The most significant example is “Gangster Squad,” a movie about the Los Angeles police department’s battle with organized crime in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Warner Brothers studios decided to postpone the film’s launch until January 2013. Nothing has been officially announced yet, but it is widely believed that the final version will not include a scene in which a group of criminals fires indiscriminately on an audience in the famous Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood. This key moment in the film will either be re-edited or removed completely.
Something similar occurred with “The Watch,” a science-fiction comedy, whose original title was altered from “Neighborhood Watch” after an urban vigilante in Florida killed an adolescent. Fox studios feared that the incident would affect audience interest in the film, and immediately decided to alter the trailers and advertisements prior to release, which is scheduled for October 11, in Argentina.
The same thing happened with “Step Up Revolution,” a movie in support of street dance, which removed from its previews a short scene in which a group occupies a room wearing gas masks before beginning its dance routine.
The debate is still in flux, and analysts have not yet reached agreement about the short- and medium-term effects. The Hollywood Reporter says that at least 10 to 20 million dollars have been lost, due to the reticence of parents — this weekend, at least — to take their children to the movies. Ticket sales for “Ice Age 4” and “Brave” have gone down significantly in the U.S. in the last few days.
Other observers, in contrast, assert that the public quickly forgets these types of incidents and that it will not be long before Hollywood returns to business as usual. But for now this has not yet happened, and each day brings new repercussions from the tragedy. A few hours ago, Warner’s animation division decided to postpone the launch of a new animated Batman series on Cartoon Network, and will take its time deciding what weapons will be shown and how they will be used. It will not be the last decision of this nature to be made in this highly sensitized environment.
Over 100,000 Tickets Sold in Argentina
Far away from the controversy, the Argentine public submitted their initial verdict. The day before yesterday, “Batman: the Dark Night Rises” reached on its opening day the highest ticket sales of any 2012 release. According to Ultracine this reached 104,109 in 254 theaters, a figure which handily beat “The Avengers” with just over 80,000.
Christopher Nolan’s film — which in some cinemas includes an intermission, due to its duration of 164 minutes — could reach half a million tickets sold by the end of the weekend according to some projections. These figures could make a significant contribution to overall ticket sales, further improving what is an exceptional season for our local film industry, according to sources.
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