Take that Web head!
BY MIKE JACCARINO and LARRY MCSHANE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Updated Saturday, July 19th 2008, 11:34 PM
Vaughan/AP Heath Ledger as the Joker in 'The Dark Knight'
Holy box office, Batman!
"The Dark Knight" became the highest single-day grossing movie in Hollywood history, collecting a staggering $66.4 million in its first 24 hours of release, Warner Bros. said Saturday.
The much-anticipated flick, co-starring the late Heath Ledger as a particularly psychotic Joker, soared past the old one-day mark of $59.8 million set last year by "Spider-Man 3."
"Ledger was wonderful," said Belkys Padilla, 42, after seeing the movie in Manhattan. "It was so action filled. Every part of the movie was great."
Isaac Paredes, 38, of the upper West Side, echoed her review: "The action, the realism, the depth of the story - I liked all of it."
The huge one-day number indicates "The Dark Knight," the second installment with Christian Bale as a brooding Batman, could smash the all-time opening weekend record of $151.1 million held by "Spider-Man 3."
The movie - with a reported $180 million pricetag - appears a lock to leapfrog "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" as the biggest first weekend film of 2008.
"The Dark Knight" collected a record $18.5 million alone at midnight screenings, besting the old record of $16.9 million set by "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" in 2005.
"We have been thrilled by the response to 'The Dark Knight,' first from the critics and now from audiences," said Dan Fellman, head of domestic distribution for Warner Bros.
Ledger, 28, died of an apparent accidental overdose in his SoHo apartment just six months ago. His critically hailed turn as Batman's archenemy was his final completed movie role.
lmcshane@nydailynews.com
BY MIKE JACCARINO and LARRY MCSHANE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Updated Saturday, July 19th 2008, 11:34 PM
Holy box office, Batman!
"The Dark Knight" became the highest single-day grossing movie in Hollywood history, collecting a staggering $66.4 million in its first 24 hours of release, Warner Bros. said Saturday.
The much-anticipated flick, co-starring the late Heath Ledger as a particularly psychotic Joker, soared past the old one-day mark of $59.8 million set last year by "Spider-Man 3."
"Ledger was wonderful," said Belkys Padilla, 42, after seeing the movie in Manhattan. "It was so action filled. Every part of the movie was great."
Isaac Paredes, 38, of the upper West Side, echoed her review: "The action, the realism, the depth of the story - I liked all of it."
The huge one-day number indicates "The Dark Knight," the second installment with Christian Bale as a brooding Batman, could smash the all-time opening weekend record of $151.1 million held by "Spider-Man 3."
The movie - with a reported $180 million pricetag - appears a lock to leapfrog "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" as the biggest first weekend film of 2008.
"The Dark Knight" collected a record $18.5 million alone at midnight screenings, besting the old record of $16.9 million set by "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" in 2005.
"We have been thrilled by the response to 'The Dark Knight,' first from the critics and now from audiences," said Dan Fellman, head of domestic distribution for Warner Bros.
Ledger, 28, died of an apparent accidental overdose in his SoHo apartment just six months ago. His critically hailed turn as Batman's archenemy was his final completed movie role.
lmcshane@nydailynews.com
it's the first time i really looked forward to seeing a movie like this. christian bale imo has been getting nothing but better since empire of the sun. i haven't seem his work before then but i'm dling some. i'll go see this with my son at the theater though.
