Entertainment Movies 'The Batman' Nabs $128 Million in U.S. on First Weekend, Marking Second-Biggest Pandemic Debut Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz's superhero movie earned the second-biggest domestic box office debut amid the COVID-19 pandemic behind 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home By Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice Instagram Twitter Nicholas Rice is a Staff Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. He began working with the brand as an Editorial Intern in early 2020, before later transitioning to a freelance role, and then staff positions soon after. Nicholas writes and edits anywhere between 7 to 9 stories per day on average for PEOPLE, spanning across each vertical the brand covers. Nicholas has previous work experience with Billboard, POPSUGAR, Bustle and Elite Daily. When not working, Nicholas can be found playing with his 5 dogs, listening to pop music or eating mozzarella sticks. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 6, 2022 06:31 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Jonathan Olley/Warner Bros. The Batman triumphed over its competition at the United States box office this weekend. The recently released film, which sees Robert Pattinson star as the caped crusader, earned $128.5 million in its domestic box office debut from 4,417 theaters across the country, according to Variety. The feat marks the second-best opening for a film amid the COVID-19 pandemic, following Spider-Man: No Way Home, which debuted at the end of 2021 and garnered $260 million in its opening weekend. The Batman's impressive earnings also mark the biggest film opening for director Matt Reeves, per The Hollywood Reporter. It's now the second film since December 2019 to earn more than $100 million at the box office during its first weekend. New Action-Packed The Batman Trailer Debuts During NBA All-Star Weekend: WATCH Overseas, meanwhile, Deadline noted that the film earned $120 million at the international box office, bringing its total global launch to $248.5 million. Alongside Pattinson, 35, in the titular role, The Batman also stars Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Peter Sarsgaard as District Attorney Gil Colson, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon. Joe Maher/Getty While recently chatting with PEOPLE, Wright, 56, explained that he's looking forward to the nearly three-hours, action-packed superhero film — which faced production delays due to the coronavirus pandemic. Want to get the biggest stories from PEOPLE every weekday? Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday. "We made a film that goes back to the beginnings of the detective comics of it all that's focused on Batman as the world's greatest detective and focused on mystery and crime-solving," he said. "It's a thriller, it's a movie that is plot-driven, it comes with all the adrenaline and the dynamic things that you would expect from an action movie. And it's Batman." "Rob really puts on the cowl and claims it and makes it his own," Wright noted. "He brings such a range of things to this portrayal, it's really wonderful. I think he brings certain dynamics that we haven't necessarily seen before. His Batman is fierce, ferocious, everything you would expect." Alter ego Bruce Wayne, however, "has a kind of vulnerability to him that is quite new," explained the Westworld star. "It's that vulnerability, I think in some ways, that explains the need for the cowl and the cape because it's inside all of that, that he finds the strength to be this hero in the midst of this decaying city that is Gotham." Robert Pattinson's Batman Is 'Fierce' and 'Ferocious,' Says Costar Jeffrey Wright "There's a lot of trauma at Bruce Wayne's core, and it's that trauma that I think, as Rob plays it, we see propelling him to become the Batman and do what he does," Wright added. "It's a really wonderful performance." The Batman is currently playing in theaters.