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‘The LEGO Batman Movie’ Sets Box Office Record With $92M Opening Weekend

By Glenn Hadley
Published on: 15:59 PST, Feb 12, 2017

The LEGO Batman Movie was released in theaters this weekend, and it apparently did not disappoint.

Starring an ensemble voice cast led by actor Will Arnett, who stars as Bruce Wayne and the Dark Knight/Caped Crusader, the movie racked up high numbers at the box-office during its opening weekend.

According to Batman News, the movie made $92.6 million — an impressive feat considering the tough competition that was fighting against the family-friendly comedy in the theaters this weekend.

How exactly did the movie set a box office record? Within the United States alone, The LEGO Batman Movie generated more than $55 million at the box-office. Therefore, it set a record for the biggest U.S. opening of 2017 so far. To put things into proper perspective, it is important to remember that the movie was released on the second weekend of the second month of the year. However, it is still an impressive accolade that the studio will more than likely use in its follow-up marketing campaign to draw even bigger crowds to the theaters in the weeks to follow.

Based on the official synopsis of The LEGO Batman Movie, according to Collider, it was crystal clear that moviegoers looking for a hilarious, family-friendly comedy this weekend were in for a treat – especially if they were big fans of the 2013 LEGO Movie in which Will Arnett’s LEGO Batman made his big-screen debut.

“In the irreverent spirit of fun that made ‘The LEGO Movie’ a worldwide phenomenon, the self-described leading man of that ensemble – LEGO Batman – stars in his own big-screen adventure. But there are big changes brewing in Gotham, and if he wants to save the city from The Joker’s hostile takeover, Batman may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up.”

Will Arnett did an amazing job breathing life (and impressive comic timing) into LEGO Batman as a supporting character/bad boyfriend in The LEGO Movie. When it was first announced that he would reprise his role in a solo standalone movie, there were not very many people (if any) that were disappointed by the decision.

As mentioned above, however, Arnett had plenty of help from other first-class actors and actresses within this LEGO Movie spin-off film:

  • Michael Cera – Robin
  • Channing Tatum – Superman
  • Jonah Hill – Green Lantern
  • Adam Levine – The Flash
  • Ralph Fiennes – Alfred Pennyworth
  • Rosario Dawson – Barbara Gordon/Batgirl
  • Jenny Slate – Harley Quinn
  • Billy Dee Williams – Two-Face
  • Conan O’Brien – The Riddler
  • Zoe Kravitz – Catwoman
  • Mariah Carey – Mayor of Gotham

Director Chris McKay was definitely one of the most qualified people to direct The LEGO Batman Movie primarily because he was a co-director of The LEGO Movie. With an estimated production budget of $80 million, according to Box Office Mojo, it is clear that The LEGO Batman Movie is set to be a huge hit for Warner Bros., possibly becoming the first installment of a highly-profitable blockbuster franchise.

If you think about it, it should not be very surprising at all that Warner Bros. may consider building a franchise around LEGO Batman. Look at the vast number of live-adaptation reboots that Warner Bros. has supported over the years when it came to the Caped Crusader, including the growing list of animated movies and animated franchises.

The LEGO Batman Movie would be right at home and in good company at Warner Bros. as a franchise. However, even if it remains a standalone film that is cherished by Batman fans of all ages for years and years to come, it is still more than likely going to be a game-changer when it comes to the studio greenlighting other LEGO superhero movie concepts in the future.

[Featured Image by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images]

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