Context
2005 was expected by industry experts to underperform compared to 2004. Many attributed the slump to be a result of high ticket prices, marketing costs, DVD sales hitting record levels, and new technologies creating an incipient demand for movies delivered directly via the Internet, over-the-airwaves, satellite dish or cable set-top box.[67] By the start of the theatrical summer in 2005 (May), the box office slumped for 11 consecutive weeks, with year-to-date ticket sales down 5.4 percent from last year even as ticket prices rose a moderate 3 percent, to around $6.40 on average, according to Exhibitor Relations. Theater attendance prior to the summer of 2005 declined about 8 percent.[67]
Several films were projected to not only perform well at the box office, but also reverse the slump at the box office. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith was expected by the industry to be the top-grossing film of the summer due to being the final live action Star Wars film at the time. Other films that were expected to do well were Batman Begins, Madagascar, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Fantastic Four, War of the Worlds, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.[68][69]
Batman Begins was expected by industry experts to help reverse the box office slump in June. However, there were concerns over a possible soft opening for the film. The previous film, Batman & Robin, was widely panned by critics and was credited with stalling the franchise since 1997. Bale's lack of star power at the time and a lack of iconic villains such as the Joker and Penguin that were portrayed by A-list celebrities were seen as possible detachments from audiences.[70][71] Some also expressed concerns that Holmes' involvement with the film could derail the film's financial prospect due to her high-profile relationship with Tom Cruise (whose film War of the Worlds opened the following weekend) after his controversial appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show.[71]
Theatrical
Warner Bros. held the world premiere for Batman Begins in Tokyo, Japan on May 31, 2005.[72] The film opened on June 15, 2005, in the United States and Canada in 3,858 theaters,[3] including 55 IMAX theaters.
Home media
The DVD of Batman Begins was released on October 18, 2005, in both single-disc and two-disc deluxe editions[73] and also released on VHS and UMD Video formats.[74] In addition to the film, the deluxe edition contained featurettes and other bonus materials. The edition contained a small paperback booklet, the first Batman story, featured in Detective Comics #27, as well as Batman: The Man Who Falls and an excerpt from Batman: The Long Halloween.[75] Batman Begins achieved first place in national sales and rental charts in October 2005, becoming the top-selling DVD of the fourth quarter of 2005. The DVD grossed $11.36 million in rental revenue.[76] The DVD held its position at the top of the sales chart for a second week, but fell to second place behind Bewitched on video rental charts.[77] The film had brought in $167 million in DVD sales by August 2006.[78]
Batman Begins was released on HD DVD on October 10, 2006.[79] A Limited Edition Giftset of the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 8, 2008, to coincide with The Dark Knight which hit theaters July 18, 2008.[80] Due to the successful box office performance of The Dark Knight, the Batman Begins DVD saw an increase in both sales and rentals.[81] Batman Begins was released on 4K UHD Blu-ray on December 19, 2017.[82] It received a novelization written by Dennis O'Neil,[83] and a comic book adaptation by Scott Beatty.[84]
