By KATHIANNE BONIELLO
Posted: 4:26 am
July 20, 2008
"The Dark Knight" already broke one box office record - and is on track for the highest-grossing opening weekend of all time.
Heath Ledger's eerie portrayal as the psychotic Joker helped the movie earn $66.4 million Friday, topping the $59.8 million record set last year by "Spider-Man 3."
Many analysts believe it will hit $160 million for the weekend, another new record.
Batman sailed into theaters Friday on 4,366 screens nationwide, more than any other film.
For now, Spidey is clinging to its weekend box-office record set last year with $151 million. But analysts say that thanks in large part to the spellbinding performance of the late Ledger , "The Dark Knight" is blazing an unstoppable trail.
"It's an absolute cultural phenomenon that's captured people's imaginations," said Paul Dergarabedian of Media By Numbers.
