Blockbuster Reality Check: 'Dark Knight' Only $1 Billion Off Record Pace [Beancounting]

'The Dark Knight' Erects Giant Pyramid Of Flammable Currency [Monday Morning Box Office]
Big ups to The Dark Knight, which surpassed the first Star Wars film over the weekend to become the second-highest-grossing film ever. Sort of, anyway: That number-two figure on which the industry has had its eye for the last month since TDK's release — $471 million, still a cruise ship shy of Titanic's $600 million — remains quite the impressive number domestically, but isn't really threatening anyone globally. It's a bit of an open, underreported secret, but after the jump, behold the only number that really matters: your 19th-highest-grossing film of all time — only $64 million behind Finding Nemo!

1. Titanic — $1,842.9*
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King — $1,119.3
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest — $1,066.2
4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone — $976.5
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End — $961.0
6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix — $938.5
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers — $926.3
8. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace — $924.3
9. Shrek 2 — $919.8
10. Jurassic Park — $914.7
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire —$896.0
12. Spider-Man 3 — $890.9
13. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets — $879.0
14. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring — $871.4
15. Finding Nemo — $864.6
16. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith — $849.0
17. Spider-Man — $821.7
18. Independence Day — $817.4
19. The Dark Knight — $800.1

(*Grosses in millions)

And this is after what's characterized as another strong frame for TDK at the international box office. But just in case the guy on the other side of the cubicle wall is trying to sway you with wagers with over-unders less than $1 billion from the No. 1 spot — it's a trick! Fire back with something involving a Roland Emmerich film in the Top 20; we wouldn't have believed it either, fancy house or not.
Published 8/18/08 by


Defamer

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