The Dark Knight Rises was an instant box-office smash when it was released in the United States on July 20, but its UAE release was delayed until last Thursday. Razan Alzayani / The National
The Dark Knight Rises was an instant box-office smash when it was released in the United States on July 20, but its UAE release was delayed until last Thursday. Razan Alzayani / The National
The Dark Knight Rises was an instant box-office smash when it was released in the United States on July 20, but its UAE release was delayed until last Thursday. Razan Alzayani / The National
The Dark Knight Rises was an instant box-office smash when it was released in the United States on July 20, but its UAE release was delayed until last Thursday. Razan Alzayani / The National

Dark Knight could rise above rest at box office


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The Dark Knight promises rising revenues for cinemas during Eid, with the new Batman movie tipped to be one of the UAE's highest-grossing films.

Director Christopher Nolan's epic is among six blockbusters competing at the box office over the holiday.

The Dark Knight Rises was an instant box-office smash when it was released in the United States on July 20, but its UAE release was delayed until last Thursday.

Gordon Kirk, the general manager of the Dubai-based Reel Cinemas chain, expects the film to rank among the UAE's top-grossing to date.

"As one of the most-awaited blockbusters of the summer, we expect full houses within the first week of The Dark Knight Rises release," he said. "It is safe to say that The Dark Knight Rises could be one of the highest-grossing films."

The film's local distributor, Shooting Stars, could not immediately provide the official box-office numbers for the opening of the Batman movie in the UAE.

But Kifah Ghraizi, the regional manager at Empire International Gulf, which distributes films on behalf of 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures, said he foresees healthy takings.

"It's a huge movie and it's going to break records, of course. Especially releasing on Eid," he said.

The film earned a reported US$160.1 million (Dh588m) in its first weekend in the US, the third-largest opening after The Avengers and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2.

John Chahine, the general manager of the UAE branch of the film distributor Italia Film, said,however, that he did not think the Batman film would enter the record books.

"Batman has very strong competition. It should do well and it should bring up the numbers. But so many other blockbuster movies are released at the same time," he said. "All these movies combined should hopefully make the number of Eid admissions really high. And that will make up for the slow season we had in July and August."

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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites

The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.

It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.

“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.

The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

If you go

The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.

The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.

The specs: 2019 BMW X4

Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800

Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km

'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra

Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa

Rating: 4/5

RACE SCHEDULE

All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm

Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm

Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm