2008-05-15T13:43:21-07:00 2008-06-19T00:00:00-07:00 false 11999 Mega Market: "The Dark Knight" Opening Weekend 2008-07-27T13:36:55-07:00 26379 2008-05-15T13:46:19-07:00 <span class="bodycopynowidth largetext" style="border: 0px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); padding-right: 0px;"> <b>NOTE: Mega Markets are designed to generate long-range forecasts and close one month before the currently scheduled opening weekend. All participants still in the market at the close of trading will immediately receive $200 in fantasy money for their participation.</b> <br><b>THE MARKET:</b> “The Dark Knight” goes into wide release on Friday, July 18, 2008. How much will it gross in its opening weekend as first reported by <i>Variety</i> on July 20? Each dollar of the share price represents millions of dollars in sales. Shares bought at $45, for example, would be worth $78 if the movie grosses $78 million. Trading closes a month before the opening, June 18, at midnight, PT.<br> <b>THE LOWDOWN:</b> Even under normal circumstances, “Dark Knight” might well have been the most anticipated film of the summer. <a href="http://www.hiphop-elements.com/article/read/4/24705/1/"> But that anticipation has risen even higher</a> with constant reminders that <a href="http://movies.hollyscoop.com/the-dark-knight/audience-upset-over-heath-ledger-scene-in-dark-night-screening_565.aspx"> the late Heath Ledger will play his final role as The Joker</a>. The last installment of the latest Batman franchise, “Batman Begins,” was praised by critics and eventually racked up <a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=batmanbegins.htm">more than $200 million</a> at the domestic box office. <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050613/REVIEWS/50525003">Roger Ebert called it</a> “the Batman movie I’ve been waiting for.” Can Christian Bale and director Christopher Nolan repeat their success? <br> <b>LEARN MORE: </b><br> See the <a target="_blank" href="http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/"> “The Dark Knight”</a> home page.<br> <br> <b> “THE DARK KNIGHT” CONTENT ON YOUTUBE:</b><br></span> <table style="text-align: left; width: 100px;" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5"> <tbody> <tr> <td> <object height="238" width="298"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q8PPh-C9pRU"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q8PPh-C9pRU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="238" width="298"></object></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> 15540 39982 "The Dark Knight" Debut 15540 10180 2008-07-20T12:12:00-07:00 4500 DKMEG