Knight Opening Sold Out? Try Morning

(AP) - Just because Batman landed in Hong Kong doesn't mean The Dark Knight will. Warner Bros. has decided not to release the film in China in part because of "cultural sensitivities," the studio said. Warner Bros. did not elaborate, but company execs are apparently concerned that the film's scenes in Hong Kong, where Batman nabs a gangster, would offend censors. Bootlegs have been available there for months. More»

$66.4M first day for 'The Dark Knight' shames last Spidey's $59.8M

(NEWSER) - Batman sequel The Dark Knight raked in $66.4 million in its first 24 hours, easily sweeping past the previous mark of $59.8 million opening day set last year by Spider-Man 3, the AP reports. With a showing like that, Dark Night is poised to surpass Spidey’s opening weekend record of $151.1 million. Heath Ledger’s much-buzzed-about turn as the Joker is helping lure fans. More»

Times looks at how Batman has evolved from first flick in 1940s

(NEWSER) - With The Dark Knight set to open in the US at midnight Thursday, Batman will see another reinvention in the series of makeovers that accompanied the character to the silver screen beginning in 1943. The Times of London takes a look:

• Low-budget Batman (1943) and Batman and Robin (1949) lacked flair and special effects.
• Tim Burton's Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) came complete with supervillains such as the Joker and Catwoman.

Ledger's death forces Warner Bros. to reconsider viral campaign

(NEWSER) - Heath Ledger’s untimely death is a major problem for Batman—or, more accurately, his marketing people. Warner Bros. has built an entire advertising campaign for the upcoming Dark Knight installment around Ledger’s Joker performance, a tactic that’s now fairly awkward, the Wall Street Journal reports. Fans have spent months deciphering clues to find pictures of the creepy, makeup-caked visage of the now-dead actor. More»

Fans want studio to hang up clown suit as tribute to killer performance

(NEWSER) - A group of Heath Ledger fans are calling for the Batman movies to hang up the Joker's purple suit for good as a tribute to the late actor's last role, CNN reports. Supporters at website "The Ultimate Joker" say no actor could ever nail the killer clown as well as Ledger did, and are aiming to get 50,000 people to sign their petition. More»