The rumors that The Dark Knight might get a re-release in theaters have been confirmed. Warner Bros tells HR that they’re in talks with IMAX to bring 2008’s biggest movie back to theaters in 2009, probably in January.

Why January? Warner Brothers wants an Oscar. That’s Academy Awards voting season, and they want the film on the top of the Oscar voter’s brain. Every ticket you buy in January will serve as a reminder to them that, hey, this movie exists. Wait, it’s the second biggest movie of all time. It seems unlikely they’d forget it.

In addition to helping the WB’s Oscar bid, that re-release might actually be enough to make The Dark Knight the biggest movie of all time, instead of second place behind Titanic. It’s impossible for TDK to pass Titanic’s $600 million mark in its current run, the film has around $512 million in totals right now, but bringing it back could well earn it enough cash to push it past James Cameron’s romantic floater.