'Dark Knight Rises' earns $162m on opening weekend amid tragedy

Washington, July 23 (ANI): Despite the mass shooting at a Colorado movie theatre during a midnight screening, 'The Dark Knight Rises' took in about 162 million dollars in North America.

According to the New York Times, Warner Bros. announced that it would hold off reporting the film's opening grosses until Monday, but the information was leaked to several media outlets.

"Out of respect for the victims and their families," ABC News quoted the studio as saying in a statement.

"Warner Bros. Pictures will not be reporting box office numbers for 'The Dark Knight Rises' throughout the weekend. Box office numbers will be released on Monday," it said.

This is an unprecedented move because the practice of releasing box office numbers for an opening weekend is standard for Warner Bros. and most major Hollywood studios.

Despite the tragedy, movie industry watchers said the film is likely to do well at the box office over the weekend.

Much of the weekend has been pre-sold. The movie made 30 million dollars in presale tickets and shows in many cities are sold out through Sunday.

Some box-office analysts previously believed the final instalment of director Christopher Nolan's trilogy could top the record-breaking, 207.4-million-dollar debut of 'The Avengers'.

'The Dark Knight', the second movie in Nolan's 'Batman' trilogy, made 158 million dollars during its 2008 opening weekend. (ANI)