How successful was Tim Burton's Batman at the box office and in merchandising?

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Batman Heath Ledger (seated) as the Joker and Christian Bale as Batman in *The Dark Knight* (2008).

Director Tim Burton's 1989 film Batman was a massive success at the box office. The film's popularity also triggered a significant surge in merchandising, resulting in a wave of Bat-themed products that had not been seen since the 1966 television series.1