Mumbai: Warner Bros. Pictures’ The Dark Knight made new box office records with its first weekend gross of $158,411,483. The announcement was made by Warner Bros. Pictures Domestic Distribution President Dan Fellman.

The weekend box office total broke the previous overall industry opening weekend record by more than $7 million. Earlier in the weekend, The Dark Knight had broken records with its first 12:01 a.m. showings, totalling $18.5 million; its opening day total of $67,165,092; and its Sunday gross of $43,596,151. The Dark Knight also enjoyed a record-breaking North American opening in IMAX theatres, earning $6.3 million in 94 locations, for a per-screen average of $67,000.

In making the announcement, Fellman said, "We knew The Dark Knight was something remarkable and it is incredibly gratifying that critics and audiences wholeheartedly agree. Regardless of the anticipation leading up to this weekend, the fact remains that this level of success could not have been achieved if the film did not deliver."

On the international front, The Dark Knight, launched in 20 countries, including Australia, Mexico and Brazil, grossed an outstanding $41.3 million, almost tripling the opening of Batman Begins in the same markets.
Warner Bros. Pictures International Distribution president Veronika Kwan-Rubinek said, "We are delighted with this spectacular start and look forward to a long and successful run." The film will continue to roll out internationally over the coming weeks, including Italy on 23 July, Holland on 24 July, the UK on 25 July, Korea on 7 August, Japan on 9 August, Spain and France on 13 August, and Germany on 21 August.