"The Dark Knight Rises" Expected to Have Biggest Debut for 2D Movie

Warner Bros. Pictures/TM and © DC Comics Photo by Ron Phillips(LOS ANGELES) -- Box office observers believe that The Dark Knight Rises, the third installment in Christopher Nolan’s Batman film series, will outperform the 2008 opening weekend of The Dark Knight when it hits theaters on July 20, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Dark Knight opened with a box office take of $158.4 million on the same weekend in 2008, and it remains the top opener of all time for a 2D movie.  When also taking into account 3D films, recent release The Avengers claims the overall top spot, with $207.4 million.

The latest Batman installment features more than an hour of footage filmed with IMAX cameras, which should prove to be a lucrative addition to regular showings, as tickets for IMAX movies are sold at a premium.  Industry tracking numbers are strong for The Dark Knight Rises, which runs at 164 minutes, 21 more than The Avengers.

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