The Dark Knight : 'Knight' shows could bring record??

The Dark Knight : 'Knight' shows could bring record??
An Oscar-worthy performance by an actor who died in his prime, a critically acclaimed script and round-the-clock showings all could team up to propel the latest entry in the "Batman" film series to new box-office heights this weekend.

"The Dark Knight," which features a showdown between Batman and the Joker, a villain reportedly played to perfection by the late Heath Ledger, is evoking whispers that filmgoers will propel it at least past the $100 million mark for the three-day, Friday to Sunday period.

But many say it's likely to go well past that threshold. Though it could be a tall order, "Dark Knight" might even approach the record of $151.1 million set last year by "Spider-Man 3."

"The advance-ticket sales are among the best of any film," according to Gitesh Pandya, editor of BoxOfficeGuru.com. "The anticipation could not be higher."

One key to "Dark Knight's" success this weekend may be that the film's distributor, Time Warner Inc.'s (TWX:

time warner inc com

Last: 14.650.000.00%
4:01pm 07/17/2008

TWX 14.65, 0.00, 0.0%) Warner Bros. Pictures, and theater chains aren't afraid to screen the movie across a record swath of theaters -- 4,366 to be exact -- and, well, deep into the dark night.
The Dark Knight : 'Knight' shows could bring record??