The Dark Knight Rises breaks records

Batman fans have crammed cinemas to oust 'The Avengers' with a Midnight tally of $27 million. More than most films make in their first week.

The Dark Knight Rises opened in 3700 theaters Thursday amid a worldwide hype surrounding the final Batman movie. Unfortunately in the past few hours a terrible tragedy has outweighed the significance of the opening, which is becoming known as the Batman Massacre. In Colorado, 14 people were killed and 50 injured when a gunman opened fire on a crowd of cinema goers. We will wait to hear more about this developing story as it unfolds. The news of the massacre is dominating headlines around the world.

In total, The new Batman outing has out-earned 'The Avengers' by nearly $9 million. 'The Avengers' opened with an $18.4 million box office haul.

At the world box office, 'The Dark Knight Rises' hysteria has already led to a $67.4 million tally. Can the last Batman film beat all expectations and pass the $1 billion mark?