WB Won't Show Dark Knight in China

(NEWSER) - Warner Bros. is tiptoeing around the possible Oscar nomination for Heath Ledger, the late star of Dark Knight, writes Rachel Abramowitz in the Los Angeles Times. Hollywood insiders contend that a nod for Ledger is almost certain, but the studio must tread the line between boosting his chances and exploiting popular sympathy for the actor. The company line is that it is promoting all the film's actors equally. More»

Caped crusader movie goes 5 for 5 as chosen by online voters

(NEWSER) - The Dark Knight swooped in to collect all five trophies it was nominated for at last night's People's Choice Awards, reports the AP. The flick's awards included favorite movie, best cast, and best on-screen match-up, for Christian Bale and Heath Ledger. "On behalf of all of the cast from the movie, thank you very much to the fans," said Bale. "Here's to Heath." More»

Batman blazes way to $155.34M opening weekend

(AP) - Batman has sent Spidey packing as king of Hollywood's box office superheroes. The Dark Knight took in a record $155.34 million in its first weekend, according to Warner Bros., which released the Batman Begins sequel. That figure topped Hollywood's previous best of $151.1 million, set by Spider-Man 3 in May 2007. 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.