THE MARKET: “Dark Knight” goes into wide release on Friday, July 18, 2008. How much will it gross in its opening weekend as first reported by Variety 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 on July 18 at 9 a.m. ET.
THE LOWDOWN: Even under normal circumstances, “Dark Knight” might well have been the most anticipated film of the summer. But that anticipation has risen even higher with constant reminders that the late Heath Ledger will play his final role as The Joker. The last installment of the latest Batman franchise, “Batman Begins,” was praised by critics and eventually racked up more than $200 million at the domestic box office. Roger Ebert called it “the Batman movie I’ve been waiting for.” Can Christian Bale and director Christopher Nolan repeat their success?
THE PR: Check out Scott Collura’s interesting piece at IGN on the behind-the-scenes machinations that led to “Batman” sequel, aptly titled “The Road to ‘The Dark Knight.’”

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