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The Batman soars to biggest box office debut of 2022

The Batman starred Robert Pattinson as Batman and grossed more than $1billion worldwide.

The Batman starred Robert Pattinson as Batman and grossed more than $1billion worldwide. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

Robert Pattinson’s The Batman has finally hit theatres, claiming vengeance on the global box office with the biggest international opening of 2022.

The much-anticipated latest venture of the Dark Knight generated $US248.5 million ($377 million) in 75 markets in its opening weekend, with Australians among those flocking to catch the three-hour superhero flick.

The Batman had its best turnout at home in the US, with a mighty $US128.5 million ($175 million) box office debut, while the film collected $US18.4 million ($25 million) in Britain.

Australia was the Warner Bros movie’s fourth most successful territory, with the new version of the Caped Crusader earning a reported $12.5 million from box office sales at the weekend.

Overall, The Batman pulled $163 million from 74 countries outside the US, with other top ticket sales coming in Mexico ($16 million), France ($11.5 million) and Germany ($6.9 million). The release excluded Japan, China and Russia.

The film will hit the world’s biggest theatrical market, China, on March 18, while Warner Bros confirmed in February it would halt the release of the DC adaptation in Russia as a result of its invasion of Ukraine. It will open in Japanese cinemas on March 11.

The gritty look at Bruce Wayne’s early days earned the second-biggest cinematic pandemic debut to date, behind Spider-Man: No Way Home, which grossed $US260 million ($353 million) from US theatres during its December debut last year.

Spider-Man: No Way Home crushed its opening weekend at the global box office, netting an eye-watering $US587 million ($826 million).

Warner Bros’ decision to opt-out of its release in Russia following the country’s deadly invasion comes as a growing number of multinational businesses cut off Russia from vital financial services, technology products and media platforms.

On Monday, streaming service Netflix and social media app TikTok suspended most of their services in Russia, in response to Western sanctions and global outrage against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his invasion.

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