As Batman Franchise Ends, Warner Bros. Seeks New Superhero

The release of Warner Bros.' movie "The Dark Knight Rises" brings to an end one of Hollywood's most enduring franchises, as the studio searches to find a new one capable of matching Batman's box office success.
Forecasts for opening weekend ticket sales were thrown into doubt following a Colorado shooting on Friday at a midnight screening of the film in which 12 people were killed.

In New York, police planned to deploy officers at screenings of the film throughout the city "as a precaution against copycats," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said in a statement. The Paris premiere of the film was canceled.

Warner Bros. said in a statement the studio was "deeply saddened" by the incident and extended sympathy to families of the victims.

The Time Warner-owned studio has been Hollywood's King of Franchises for years. Over the last decade it generated worldwide ticket sales of $12 billion from its "Lord of the Rings," "Batman," and "Harry Potter" films.

Eight of the 20 highest-grossing films of all time come from one of those franchises, according to website Box Office Mojo.

"The Dark Knight Rises" will be the last of the Batman series that began in 2005, director Christopher Nolan said.

"Harry Potter," Warner Bros.'s biggest franchise, ended last summer with the largest of eight films, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2," which generated $1.3 billion worldwide.

Franchise films are especially important to studios, amplifying their revenue by using the big-budget movies to create theme park rides, sell toys and spawn TV shows.

Warner Bros. is counting on a pair of "Hobbit" movies to rekindle the magic of "Lord of the Rings." The first installment hits theaters in December.

A reboot of the "Superman" franchise is also scheduled for next summer - "Man of Steel," made by "Dark Knight" producer, Legendary Pictures. Nolan, one of Hollywood's hottest directors, is a producer on that film.

The films could pave the way for Warner to unite Batman, Superman and other characters from its DC Comics stable in a "Justice League" movie, said Gitesh Pandya, editor of website Box Office Guru.

That would follow the strategy that brought staggering success to Walt Disney Co with "The Avengers," a movie that brought together a handful of Marvel superheroes and generated nearly $1.5 billion in worldwide sales.

Culled from Enstarz.com