Worthy of the perennial treatment?

Product Mini Profile The Dark Knight in: Action Movies links » p/reviews user reviews

The Polar Express has long held the title of the biggest selling film in IMAX theaters, but, at least for now, The Dark Knight has taken the title.

Thus far, the film has made over $925m worldwide, which includes $55m in revenues from IMAX screenings (nearly 17%). IMAX said it took in about $400,000 per screen on the 139 it has worldwide. Comparatively, The Polar Express, released in 2004, has raked in $45m with its IMAX sales.

"The Dark Knight has shown the power of the Imax experience when partnered with a filmmaker and a studio that get it," IMAX Filmed Entertainment chief Greg Foster said.

It's important to note The Polar Express has been re-released every year at Christmas time, giving it a two-fold advantage (it's a holiday movie, and is re-released yearly). It's impressive, then, that despite this, if only for a time, The Dark Knight has surpassed it.

This begs the question: should The Dark Knight also get the perennial treatment? Having seen it twice (once in IMAX), and with plans to see it again during its initial run, I, for one, think it certainly deserves it, and would be successful. Especially in IMAX, it's just something I don't see myself getting tired of, and I imagine many others feeling the same.

Foster is up for the idea, too, saying, "That sounds like a really great idea. Ultimately, it's a decision that Warner Bros. has to make. We'd certainly support that."

Well, Warner has commented on it already, its distribution president Dan Fellman having said there was "a real possibility" of such a thing. IMAX is currently converting many of its venues to a digital format, which would make the re-release more feasible, though the man stressed nothing has been decided.

So? Shall we have another go, then?