BATMAN sequel The Dark Knight has set a single-day box office record in America by taking $66.4m (£33.2m) on its opening night, according to its delighted distributor Warner Bros.

The movie, which opened in US cinemas on Friday (July 18), easily surpassed the previous record of $59.8m (£29.9m) set last year by Spider-Man 3.

The film, which reunites director Christopher Nolan with Christian Bale, is notable for featuring the late Heath Ledger as The Joker. It cost an estimated $185 million to make (£92.5 million) and has attracted glowing reviews.

Commenting on the film’s emphatic first day figures, Dan Fellman, head of Warners’ distribution, said: “We have been thrilled by the response to The Dark Knight, first from the critics and now from audiences.

“We’re very proud of the film and it’s [part of] the magic of the movie business, how one film just stands out above the others.”

Indeed, the response has been so enthusiastic to Nolan’s film that many are hailing it as an instant classic, with some suggesting that Ledger should get a posthumous Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the iconic villain.

Ledger’s co-stars have already paid tribute to his performance at the world premiere of the film in New York, during which Bale said he was here to see the actor’s memory and talent remembered.

The Dark Knight will receive its UK premiere on July 21 ahead of its release on Thursday, July 24, 2008.

Read some US reviews

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