The Dark Knight
Scott Pilgrim is just the latest comic book to get the big screen treatment as it hits the big screen today. The movie is the latest movie from director Edgar Wright, who brought us Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, as he teams up with Michael Cera.
It seems that cinema go-ers are yet to tire of the comic book film as Iron Man 2 was one of the big box office successes of the summer. So we take a look back over some of the biggest grossing comic book movies in recent years.
1. The Dark Knight - $1,001,921,825
When The Dark Knight was re-released on the run up to the Oscars it broke through the $1 billion barrier to join the likes of Titanic, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.
The Dark Knight was the movie of 2008 which saw a career defining turn from Heath Ledger resulting in a Bafta, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Oscar being award to him posthumously.
2. Spiderman 3 - $890,871,626
Released in 2007 Spider Man 3 was the last time that we saw this superhero, played by Tobey Maguire on the big screen.
The film had the second biggest opening day gross of nearly $60 million in the U.S. and went on to enjoy even more success at the international box office. A fourth movie in the franchise is currently in the pipeline.
3. Spiderman - $821,708,551
The 2002 release of Spider man kicked off the big influx of superhero movies that have hit our cinema screens in recent years.
The $821 million gross that the global box office ensured that a sequel would be in the pipeline and this successful franchise was born.
4. Spiderman 2 - $783,766,341
And the sequel came in 2004 as both Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst reprised their roles of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson.
Although it didn't do as well at the box office as the first movie it easily made back it's $200 million budget and was a massive hit.
5. Iron Man 2 - $621,659,433
After the somewhat surprise success of Iron Man, a lesser known of the Marvel Comic characters, back in 2008 a sequel seemed rather inevitable... and it arrived in cinemas this summer.
Robert Downey Jr was back in the suit as billionaire playboy Tony Stark and was joined by Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke.
Despite not being as critically well received as it's predecessor fans flocked to cinemas to catch a glimpse of the sequel - topping the box office around the world.
6. Men In Black - $589,390,539
Men in Black was released back in 1997, yes it really was twelve years ago, and was based on the Men in Black comic book series by Lowell Cunningham.
The film cemented Will Smith as a leading man and comic star, after the success of Bad Boys and Independence Day. The sequel ,though not as well met by the critics, did well at the box office and a third movie is rumoured to be in the pipeline.
7. Iron Man - $582,030,528
Iron Man was one of the biggest theatrical releases of last year, which saw Robert Downey Jr tackle the blockbuster for the first time and it re-launched his career.
His primary character, weapons manufacturer Tony Stark, might have proved a bit of a metal-hearted rogue but once he’s learned the error of his ways and built himself an incredibly nifty super-suit.
8. X-Men: The Last Stand - $459,359,555
The Last Stand was the final movie in the X-Men franchise, a franchise that enjoyed major success at the box office.
However it was a movie that was plagued with issues after Bryan Singer dropped out to direct Superman Returns and was replaced by Brett Ratner.
9. 300 - $456,068,181
After the success of Sin City it wasn't long before the adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel 300 soon hit screens.
Starring Gerard Butler and directed by Zack Snyder the movie was a fictionalised retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae mostly with a super-imposition chroma key technique to recreate the comic on the big screen.
300 broke the record for the biggest opening weekend in the month of March, which was previously held by Ice Age: The Meltdown, grossing over $70 million.
10. Batman - $411,348,924
Despite development on a Batman movie starting back in the seventies it wasn't until 1989 that the DC Comic character made it to the big screen with Tim Burton in the director's chair.
Despite fans of the comic voicing their disapproval over the casting of Keaton the film grossed over $400 million at the worldwide box office, breaking the $100 million in just ten days.
The film was backed by the biggest marketing campaign in film history at the time, the film itself only costing $40 million to make. And Jack Nicholson's performance as the Joker became one of cinema's most iconic villains.
There have been a whole host of comic themed movies to grace the big screen in recent years including Wanted, Sin City, Watchmen, V for Vendetta as well as Hellboy and The Hulk
And it seems that we haven't got sick of the genre just yet with a whole host of projects in the pipeline. Captain America and Thor and Thor are the two big projects for Marvel next year before all the heroes band together for The Avengers.
Green Lantern is also on the horizon as is The Green Hornet.
Scott Pilgrim vs the World is out now.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Batman