“THE DARK KNIGHT” ACHIEVES BOX OFFICE MILESTONE

Film Crosses $1 Billion Threshold in Worldwide Box Office Revenue

BURBANK, CA, February 20, 2009 – After an astounding, record-breaking domestic run and continuing success in the overseas markets, Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight” has crossed the $1 billion threshold in worldwide box office revenue with a staggering $1,001,082,160 gross to date. The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

In addition to becoming the highest grossing film for Warner Bros. Pictures worldwide, “The Dark Knight” is now the second-highest grossing film domestically of all time and the fourth-highest worldwide. In the film’s IMAX release, it’s the largest 2-D digitally re-mastered IMAX release of all time in both the domestic market with $49.6 million and worldwide with a gross of $64.9 million. “The Dark Knight” received eight Academy Award nominations, including a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Heath Ledger’s renowned portrayal of The Joker.

“From our initial record-shattering opening weekend to the unprecedented momentum of the film’s box office run, we could not be more proud of ‘The Dark Knight’s’ unparalleled success,” said Fellman. “We salute our filmmakers, cast and crew on making cinematic history.”
“Chris Nolan has taken the Batman franchise to a new level internationally,” said Kwan-Rubinek. “Audiences around the world have really embraced ‘The Dark Knight,’ which has more than doubled the gross of any of the prior films in the franchise.”

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Legendary Pictures, a Syncopy Production, a Christopher Nolan film, “The Dark Knight,” starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Morgan Freeman. Nolan directed the film from a screenplay written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan are the producers, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull serving as executive producers.

“The Dark Knight,” is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane. “The Dark Knight” is distributed worldwide in theatres and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The film has been rated PG-13 for “intense sequences of violence and some menace.”