Batman Forever is released in theaters and scores the highest-opening weekend of all time, generating a total of $52.8 million.[3]
Context
The theatrical box office of 1994 achieved record grosses, with nine films earning more than $100million and the highest attendance (1.29billion) since 1960 (1.3billion). By 1995, however, the average cost of making and marketing a film had doubled since 1990, reaching $50.4million, making turning a profit more difficult.[4][5] The rising salary cost of actors was a contributing factor; studios vied to secure popular actors such as Harrison Ford, Jim Carrey, Tom Cruise, and Arnold Schwarzenegger who could generally guarantee a minimum level of box-office success and held broad appeal outside of the United States and Canada.[5] If notable stars were unavailable, studios were forced to pay exorbitant salaries for less-well-known stars and pay other cast lower salaries to offset costs.[5] In 1995, theatrical box-office revenue was falling; the first quarter was about $90million lower than the same period in 1994. Markets outside of the U.S. and Canada were growing, accounting for 41% of a film's total revenue—including theatrical and home media profits—and outperformed the U.S. and Canadian box offices for the first time in 1994. Anticipated films such as Batman Forever, Crimson Tide, and Pocahontas were scheduled for release alongside Waterworld, the most-expensive film of its time.[6][4]
May 12 - Crimson Tide is released, kicking off the Summer box office season with critical and commercial success.
May 19 – Die Hard with a Vengeance is released in theaters and becomes the year's highest-grossing film (Toy Story overtook it in re-releases in 2014).
May 24 – Braveheart is released to critical and commercial success. Directed by and starring Mel Gibson, it will go on to win 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
May 27 – Actor Christopher Reeve injures his spinal cord after falling off his horse in an equestrian competition. The injury paralyzed him from the shoulders down, and he depended on a ventilator to breathe.
June 10 – Pocahontas has the largest premiere ever for a film, premiering in Central Park, New York City, with an audience of 100,000 and free admission. The film received mixed reviews but was a commercial success at the worldwide box office.
June 16 – Batman Forever is released in theaters and scores the highest-opening weekend of all time, generating a total of $52.8 million.[3]
November 17 – After a six-year hiatus, the James Bond film series resumes with the successful GoldenEye with Pierce Brosnan as James Bond.
November 22 – Toy Story is released, marking the first feature-length film created completely using computer-generated imagery. Toy Story was both a commercial and critical success, and is considered by film historians as a significant turning point in film history.
unknown date – Trash Video, a Finnish independent film production company is established.[9]
