In a made-up word: Bat-tastic.

The Dark Knight pulled in an astonishing $66 million Friday, and looked to be on pace for a record opening weekend, Exhibitor Relations Co. estimated today.

Spider-Man 3, we hardly knew ye.

As of Dark Knight's $66 million debut, Spider-Man 3, which opened with $59.8 million last year, lost its titles as the biggest-ever opener and biggest-ever single-day grosser.

By Sunday, Exhibitor Relations said, The Dark Knight could boast a three-day, weekend take of $155 million, a number that would best Spider-Man 3's $151.1 million, and trump the latter movie's last remaining glamour record.

Big business for Batman is meaning big business for all of Hollywood, with Exhibitor Relations calling for the weekend's top 12 films to cumulatively top $250 million, well above the record $218 million that Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Superman Returns led the Industry to in 2006.

Wow!

It's official. It broke the all time record.

Tidbit.

When Jack Nicholson heard that Heath was going to play the Joker, he said No.

There seems to be a curse with that part. Jack gets weird stuff happening to him and you know Heath's suicide.