"The Dark Knight Rises" netted $160 million in its opening weekend — a strong showing indeed, but one that was certainly impacted by the tragic shooting of more than 70 moviegoers at an Aurora, Colorado theater last Friday. Box office experts are now predicting that "Rises" will earn at least $60 million in its second weekend in the wake of last week's horrific events, but even then, however, the future is uncertain.
"Theatrical exhibition has never witnessed a tragedy like this inside a movie theater, so it is extremely difficult to gauge the ramifications of this nightmare scenario," Jeff Bock, box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations, told MTV News' Ryan J. Downey. "This was mindless violence at its worst. One thing is for certain: Families will be much more cautious about bringing their brood to the theaters [for a while]. It's a natural reaction to do everything you can as a parent or guardian to protect the ones you love."
"In that respect, this tragic event may hurt [the box office], although even discussing that seems a bit trite when we're talking about the loss of lives," he continued. "Hopefully, the fear and sadness this creates will not override the joy we take out watching movies and living our lives."
Read more at MTV News.
