The Dark Knight Rises Could Make $200 Million In Its Opening Weekend

When The Avengers opened in the first week of May, it completely shattered a seemingly-endless number of records, the biggest one being the highest three-day gross in history. In just one weekend the movie made $207 million, crushing the previous record holder, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, which made $169 million in its opening weekend last year. But for how long will it stand as the only movie to ever make $200 million that quickly?

According to HitFix, it may not last long. The site has been analyzing the tracking numbers for The Dark Knight Rises and is now reporting that there is a chance the Christopher Nolan-directed Batman film could enter the $200 million club as well. As of now, conservative estimates are saying that it will fall between $150 and 170 million, but there are some saying that The Amazing Spider-Man and Ice Age: Continental Drift, which are expected to be the big openers during the two weekends prior to The Dark Knight Rises' release, could leave things open enough for Nolan's film to approach the $200 million mark. The big variable, of course, is 3D. While The Avengers was insanely popular, it also benefited from the additional money that came with 3D screenings, which The Dark Knight Rises won't get. IMAX will provide some boost, but the format isn't nearly as ubiquitous.

The Dark Knight, Nolan's previous Batman film, set the opening weekend record back in 2008 with a three-day gross of $158 million and currently sits at number three on the all-time list.