The Dark Knight Rises has pulled off the second largest opening weekend in Australian box office history despite the dark shadow that’s been hanging over the film after the Aurora Cinema Massacre. Locally the film made $15.1million in its first weekend, leagues ahead of second place runner Ted ($2 million).

In the US, where box office figures really count, TDKR pulled in approximately $160 million, falling short of the $175 million that was predicted. The fall below predictions was expected after the massacre that occurred on the films premiere evening in the Aurora, Colorado.

In terms of opening weekend records for the US,  TDKR came in third overall behind The Avengers ($207 million) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 ($169 million). The film however did claim the title of the largest grossing 2D film ever.

In a movie industry first, Warner Bros. delayed the release of box office figures for The Dark Knight Rises out of respect for the Aurora victims. The Hollywood Reporter is also reporting that the studio will be donating a “substantial” sum of money to a charity established for the victim’s families.

The film itself has done well with critics though, the long-term results of the film simply depends on time, the time needed for movie goers to return to the cinema in the wake of an unprecedented tragedy.

via Box Office Mojo