FRIDAY 10:30PM: It looks like The Dark Knight's Friday opening is even bigger than first thought, according to early numbers -- around $64M-$65M in North American gross from a record-setting wide release of 4,366 theaters. That includes the $18.5M in midnight-to-3AM shows from a smaller pool of 3,040 venues. Now Warner Bros is claiming the biggest midnight show ever (better than the $16.9M set by 2005's Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith then playing in 2,915 venues), and the biggest single day ever (better than the $59.8M set by May 4, 2007's Spider-Man 3 in 4,252 venues, including midnight shows).
NIKKI FINKE