Aquaman hits $1 billion at global box office, is bigger than The Dark Knight

The blockbuster is expected to become the most successful DC film of all time

Aquaman has made a staggering DC achievement after passing the $1 billion mark at the box office.

The feat – the third DC film to reach the milestone – sees James Wan’s film surpass the takings amassed by The Dark Knight in 2008 ($1.004 billion).

This puts Aquaman as the eighth highest-grossing live-action superhero film ever made behind Marvel’s Avengers films, Black Panther, Iron Man 3 and Captain America: Civil War. Just ahead, at $1.084 billion is The Dark Knight Rises, which was released in 2012.

It’s the global takings that’s putting Aquaman ahead. Compared to a US domestic gross of $286m, it’s taken $713m overseas which exceeds its nearest challenger – Batman v Superman – but just under $200m.

Aquaman was surprisingly dethroned from the US box office by The Upside, a new comedy-drama starring Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart. It scored $19.6m in its opening weekend.

Marvel president Kevin Feige recently revealed he’d seen Aquaman and gave it a positive review. The film stars Jason Momoa, Amber Heard and Patrick Wilson.