Box Office Results Out Despite Ban: “The Dark Knight Rises” Sets New Record

After the shootings at the Aurora Mall in Aurora, Colorado on Friday, which claimed the lives of 12 people and put another 50 in the hospital, Warner Bros. decided not to release the box office results for the opening weekend. Even so, they're still out.

Warners and various other movie studios decided that the best way to honor those who died and to keep the memory of the tragedy alive was by not distracting from them with box office results as is customary.

The North American box office results of TDKR would have constituted the most anticipated piece of news in movie this year, confirming – or denying – the popularity of Chris Nolan and his version of Batman.

They would have been released, analyzed, challenged and compared to those of other movies, encouraging fans and non-fans to discuss and debate.

Warners chose to be considerate of all those involved in the tragedy, both survivors and the victims' families.

Nikki Finke of Deadline is sidestepping the so-called “ban” and releasing unofficial numbers, which she claims to have from very reliable sources.

She notes that the figures are solid, better than those of any other 2D digital release ever, but still under expectations.

Because Warners' wish is not to have the numbers out, we'll not be posting them. Should your curiosity get the best of you (Warners will be releasing the first stats in a few hours' time, as the “ban” over the “dark” weekend is lifted), just follow the link above.

In other TDKR-related news, both Anne Hathaway and Christian Bale have issued statements to express their sorrow and shock at the events of this past weekend.

Before them, director Chris Nolan did the same, calling the gesture of the gunman both “savage” and “senseless.”

As we also informed you at the time, the gunman who attacked moviegoers at the Aurora Mall during a midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” is now in police custody. Reports say he seems to believe himself The Joker, part of a movie.