Crowded 'Dark Knight' theaters break records

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By staff and wire reports

Sold-out midnight screenings of “The Dark Knight” packed Lincoln movie theaters and theaters across the country as the long-awaited Batman superhero sequel debuted.

Even on opening day, several records — official or otherwise — have already been broken, and more could be on the way.

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Lincoln fans, including at least one in costume, line up for the 12:01 a.m. screening of "The Dark Knight" Friday morning at The Grand. (Micah Mertes)

Lincoln fans, including at least one in costume, line up for the 12:01 a.m. screening of "The Dark Knight" Friday morning at The Grand. (Micah Mertes)

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“The Dark Knight” lit up cash registers during its midnight debut, stealing away with a record $18.5 million from 3,040 theaters, distributor Warner Bros. said Friday.

That bested the 2005 performance of “Star Wars Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith,” which took in $16.9 million during its midnight debut in 2,915 venues.

“The Dark Knight” figure did not include any of its 3 a.m. or 6 a.m. showings.

And while Batman only strikes at night, all indications are that “The Dark Knight” will keep landing blows: Advance ticket sales were booming.

The early numbers mean “The Dark Knight” will likely join the ranks of 10 other films that debuted on non-holiday weekends and cleared more than $100 million from Friday to Sunday, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of tracking firm Media By Numbers LLC.

“There is an unbelievable demand for this movie,” he said. “The Heath Ledger factor is a major part of this. Beyond that, the movie is so good, it’s worthy of all these accolades.”

Critics have heaped praise on the movie — especially the late Heath Ledger’s turn as the Joker, which has already generated whispers of a posthumous Oscar nomination.

“We’re very proud of the film,” said Dan Fellman, Warner’s head of distribution. “It’s the magic of the movie business, how one film just stands out above the others.”

Fandango.com was selling an average of about 10 tickets per second. It was its second best-selling movie ever in pre-sales — ``Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith'' was No. 1 — and made up 94 percent of this week's Fandango ticket sales.

Another record Hollywood is watching is the $151.1 million in opening weekend grosses racked up by Sony Pictures’ “Spider-Man III” in May 2007. Consumer tracking indicates that Bruce Wayne could knock Peter Parker off his perch, but a crowded market that also includes the new musical “Mamma Mia!” stacks the odds slightly against him.

“The Dark Knight" was the first pick of 66 percent of this weekend’s likely moviegoers in one tracking survey.

The fact that moviegoers have so many choices this weekend is what could keep “The Dark Knight” under $120 million. “Spider-Man III” and most of the other top openers, including the first “Spider-Man,” came out in May rather than the heart of summer, giving them clearer sailing. “The Dark Knight” faces not only “Mamma Mia!,” which could open to $30 million or more in the U.S., but also such holdover films as “Hancock” and “Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” which appeal to much of the same young male audience.