WhatCulture has an interesting article/poll on the potential gross “The Dark Knight” could have. At the center of the article is the question, “Can ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ make $1 billion worldwide?”

The main thrust behind the question is the fact that the hype surrounding the movie and everyone’s excitement about what the movie could be might not be able to live up to what the film actually is. There’s always that possibility, but personally, I don’t think there’s much to worry about.

I have brought this point up a lot when I talk about the Nolan-verse “Batman” series, but when the late Heath Ledger was cast to play the Joker, almost everyone thought it was a mistake. People knew he was gifted, but they didn’t know if he could play a twisted mastermind. Well, he shut everyone up once we all saw his riveting performance, and the movie became more than a blockbuster–it became something of a phenomenon. I say all this to say that everyone had a similar question about “The Dark Knight,” wondering if it would be any good. It was better than great, and it made tons of money.

So, can “The Dark Knight Rises” make $1 billion? I think it’s in the realm of possibility. The film series has shocked and entertained audiences over and over with intense, realistic stories, gritty reinventions of characters, and solid filmmaking. I don’t think “The Dark Knight Rises” will be any different.

You can read the article here at WhatCulture.