Jul 18, 2008 6:21 pm US/Central
'The Dark Knight' Boosts Local Economy
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
The makers of the new "Batman" movie really burned through the bucks in Chicago. "The Dark Knight" was filmed here, of course. The movie makers purchased tons of steel, lots of glass and they even blew up a building. It all adds up to a real boost for our local economy.
CBS 2's Anne State reports that the caped crusaders swooped into Chicago bringing millions of much-needed business to grateful local firms.
"The bottom line was $190,000," said Jack Napoli.
The Napoli family runs Napco, a small steel supplier in the Western suburbs. Napco was key to a number of action scenes in "The Dark Knight."
"Look for the tractor-trailer, the one they flip over," Napoli said. "They frame it in, so the truck and the cab do not cave in."
According to Warner Bros., "The Dark Knight" brought a total of $35.6 million to the local economy and $17 million to local companies.
"As long as they cut us a check at the end of the month, that's what I'm happy about," Napoli said.
The other firms that can thank "Batman" for beefing up their bottom line include glass companies for all the broken windows, woodworkers for all the sets and the Chicago Police Department for all the security and traffic control.
Jack Napoli now says he can spot a blockbuster film.
"I give it two thumbs up," Napoli said. "It was absolutely fantastic. The people, the acting, and yes, Heath Ledger should get some type of an award."
The movie opened at 12:01 this morning. It set a box office record for a midnight debut. A tracking firm says "The Dark Knight" brought in $18.5 million.
And those figures do not include the 3 a.m. or 6 a.m. shows.
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