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The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan's explosive Batman sequel, banked a massive $18.5 million during its opening run of midnight screenings Friday to set an all-time high, according to Variety.
"We have been thrilled by the response to The Dark Knight, first from the critics and now from audiences," said Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. Pictures' president of domestic distribution, in a press release Friday. "From our earliest screenings, the buzz on the film has been white hot and it hasn't let up."
The movie's impressive debut numbers easily topped the previous title holder, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, which grossed $16.9 million at midnight showings when it opened in 2005. Rave reviews for Heath Ledger's creepy portrayal of the Joker will no doubt fuel Dark Knight's box office fire.
The darkly compelling Batman movie is screening at 4,366 venues across the United States, for the widest box office opening ever. By comparison, Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End boasted an opening weekend theater count of 4,362. Sith screened in 3,663.
The bat signal is still on:* The* Dark Knight's record-setting $18.5 million sweep didn't include ticket sales from the 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. showings, according to Variety. Online ticketing hub MovieTickets.com is reporting more than 1,300 performances are sold out nationwide. Tickets are so hot that some people are trying to scalp them on Craigslist and eBay.
All eyes are watching the night sky to see if Dark Knight will dethrone Spider-Man 3*,* which garnered a whopping $59.8 million in 2007, for the highest single-day opening in box office history.
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Photo courtesy Warner Bros.*
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