"The Dark Knight" to Pack Theaters Just Before the Dawn

Well, if we needed any sort of confirmation that The Dark Knight is one of the most anticipated movies of the year, this is it. Let’s face it. We’re hungry for good movies.

The minutes are ticking down until the Bat-flick opens in theaters next week. But according to Fandango.com, many of the pre-opening midnight shows on Thursday, July 17 are already sold out in cities across the country. Theaters are even adding 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. showtimes to meet demand.

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“‘The Dark Knight’ may be responsible for a lot of bleary eyes at work next Friday morning,” says Rick Butler, Chief Operating Officer for Fandango. “We’re seeing a record number of late-night showtimes selling out in advance, while theaters are adding new performances every day.”

I’m sure employers everywhere are excited about that news. And here are the results of an online survey of more than 3,000 “Knight” fans on Fandango.com:

• 37% plan to see the film at least once during one of the late night performances on Thursday night.
• 38% intend to take off a few hours or the entire day from work on Friday as a result of seeing the movie the night before.
• 60% of these moviegoers are male.
• 71% are under the age of 35.
• 39% plan to see the film in IMAX(R).
• 92% expect that the Academy will recognize Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker with a posthumous Oscar(R) nomination next year.

Image: The Dark Knight, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2008