Chapter 619

The Black community, a major but untapped demographic, won't catch Hollywood's attention for another two years.

For now, Hollywood film companies have little interest in the lower class, gang members, or creators of "zero-dollar purchases." They haven't yet begun groveling with no bottom line.

But Martin knows the box office potential of this group.

[GodOfReader: I just erased two paragraphs here—FUCK! If the author were in front of me right now, I swear I'd smash his face into the ground and fuck his wife in front of him or maybe bully his son for being chinese ching chong! Alright, i admit that i often said the N-Word and the Hard-R in front of my friend, but that doesn't mean that i'm racist or am i? but still to outright hate the blacks? that's mad crazy. If i have the unlimited money system, the first thing i'm gonna do is fucking destroy the economy of China. (Nope, that would be the start of WW3)]

As the war of words heats up, several TV networks aren't backing down. Their ratings are climbing.

The Dark Knight isn't losing either—the box office is surging.

Thanks to the publicity stirred up by this "war," the film triggered a massive movie-going craze among the Black community.

Gang members, street thugs, drug dealers—these guys rounded up their friends and rolled into theaters in groups to see The Dark Knight.

Even rival gangs managed to keep their cool when running into each other at the cinema—no fights broke out.

Martin didn't lose either. The Joker has become Nico's Godfather.

Only Tom Cruise took a hit. Mission: Impossible 3 lost. Fan wallets were drained by the competition—naturally, there was less left for him.

———

A busy, lively week.

The Dark Knight's first full week has passed.

With $152 million this week, plus the opening weekend's numbers, the total box office surpassed $280 million.

The trend is even stronger than Spider-Man's was back then.

As the New York Times put it:"From week one, to week two, to week ten—The Dark Knight will dominate the box office."

Martin doesn't dare predict that far out, but he's confident that for at least three weeks, no film can threaten The Dark Knight's grip on the market.

———

Marvel Studios Office

Stan Lee dropped a copy of Premiere magazine on Avi Arad's desk.

"Look—he's done something incredible. I think this movie's going to break Spider-Man's superhero box office record."

"I've already seen it."

"So, have you made a decision?"

"Of course. I've already drafted a proposal and sent it to Meyers Films. Take a look."

Stan Lee took the stack of documents Avi handed over and read through them carefully.

After a moment, he set the pages down and said, "You're still playing it too safe. Give Martin more power. Don't limit him—I think this kid can make miracles happen."

———

"Tom, the three major theater chains have cut Mission: Impossible 3 screenings again."

"Fuck! Those bastards!"

Bang!Beep… beep… beep…

Hearing the busy tone from the phone, Brian Kyle calmly hung up.

Clearly, his boss had just smashed another phone.

In the original timeline, Mission: Impossible 3 was already the weakest in the franchise. Even though Tom Cruise personally completed most of the dangerous stunts—the cross-sea bridge ambush, the skyscraper jump—the high difficulty and danger of the action scenes still couldn't stop audiences from complaining about the weak plot.

Back then, the global box office was just $389 million. With a $150 million budget, that was considered a mild loss.

Now, in this timeline, The Dark Knight's dominance may cost the film another $35–40 million in box office revenue.

This is a major loss.

Per the contract, Mission: Impossible 3 was a 50/50 investment between Cruise Pictures and Paramount. That means Tom Cruise himself could lose around $15 million.

He's not as big as Paramount. Fifteen million is enough to break his bones.

———

And it's not just Mission: Impossible 3 feeling the pressure. DreamWorks' animated film Flushed Away also took a hit.

20th Century Fox's Eragon.MGM and Columbia's co-produced Casino Royale.Flushed Away, which had been in theaters for three months, was yanked outright.Eragon and Casino Royale, released just two months ago, were pushed to post-10 p.m. slots.

AMC and the other big theater chains weren't subtle. They increased The Dark Knight's screening share by 8%—on top of what was already massive coverage.

Unless something drastic happens, this dense screening schedule will remain in place through next Friday. After that, everything depends on how sharply The Dark Knight's numbers drop—and whether any upcoming films are strong enough to take the stage.

But after reading the list of upcoming releases, Martin said calmly: "None of them can compete."

By Friday morning of its second week, The Dark Knight was practically the only film showing in primetime slots at all major commercial theaters in North America.

Each screening started within ten minutes of the last one ending—The Dark Knight took over completely.

Such an insane schedule was almost unheard of for theaters at this time.

But five years from now, it'll be common.

Right now, all the major film studios are just watching and waiting.

Several films originally slated for December or January releases have had their release dates shifted.

The Dark Knight is too hot to handle.

Nobody wants their film to be the one that gets trampled under this runaway horse.

They can only wait patiently for it to tire itself out.

———

The miraculous Dark Knight has shattered record after record since its release:

Highest single-day box office in history: $67.16 million

Highest opening weekend in IMAX history: $6.21 million in 94 theaters

Highest Sunday box office in history: $43.59 million

Fastest film to cross $200 million: five days

It's no exaggeration to call The Dark Knight the most ambitious and refined film of its genre to date. In terms of concept, script, acting, and direction, it surpasses not only the entire Batman franchise—but even its own stunning predecessor.

This sequel to Nolan's Batman Begins is darker, more complex, and more unsettling—not least because it draws on real-world archetypes instead of simply reinventing a comic book hero in spandex. Whether or not that distinction matters to fans awaiting the Caped Crusader's return, one thing is certain: The Dark Knight is the first comic book adaptation to truly achieve monumental artistic success.

The difference between Nolan's two Batman films is stark. In Batman Begins, he opened a new chapter for the franchise—reimagining the mythos, exploring how and why billionaire industrialist Bruce Wayne became the vigilante Batman.

But in the more daring The Dark Knight, Batman is fully formed from the start. The long, psychologically charged finale of Begins hinted at greatness to come. This new film delivers on that promise in full.

In tone and structure, The Dark Knight is closer to Fincher's Zodiac than to Burton's gothic, stylized Batman. It draws directly from Bob Kane's original comics and Frank Miller's 1986 reinterpretation. The film is heavy—almost Wagnerian at times—but thanks to Martin's magnetic performance and the film's breathtaking visuals, it remains endlessly thrilling.

It's clear: the record-breaking numbers are matched only by the glowing reviews.