Moviegoers in Austin, Texas, got to see more than one type of bat during a screening of The Batman at the weekend.
An actual bat was spotted swooping around inside the theatre, putting the movie on pause while management called animal control and tried — unsuccessfully — to get the creature out, KXAN reported on Friday.
Guests were offered their money back, but most chose to stick it out and watch the film, “bat and all”, one moviegoer said.
The Moviehouse and Eatery by Cinepolis says the bat was likely released into the theatre as a prank.
The theatre’s general manager Heidi Deno said they will be “adding additional security and checking all bags upon guest entry".
There were no reports of anyone being bitten during the incident. Less than 1 per cent of bats in the wild have rabies.
The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson in the title role, is the latest film featuring the Caped Crusader and centres on a murder case involving the mayor of Gotham and famous villains such as The Riddler, The Penguin and Catwoman/Selina Kyle.
It opened in cinemas in the US on March 1 and will hit cinema screens in other countries on March 4.
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AP contributed to this report
