The new Batman movie tops the midnight opening of the final Star Wars chapter
Buoyed by excellent reviews and exceptional word of mouth, the Batman adventure The Dark Knight has set a box office record for any midnight debut, according to the tracking service Media By Numbers.
Starring Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger, the movie made $18.5 million on Friday from its showings in 3,040 theaters, topping the $16.9 million made by the debut of 2005’s Star Wars Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith, the Associated Press reports.
The Dark Knight figure excludes the box office from any of its 3 a.m. or 6 a.m. screenings. Some industry observers foresee the movie making as much as $130 million this weekend – another record.
– Stephen M. Silverman