( CNN ) -- As `` The Dark Knight 's '' crusading District Attorney Harvey Dent vigorously tries to combat Gotham City 's crime spree , he quotes the old saying : `` The night is always darkest before the dawn . '' The late Heath Ledger plays the Joker in `` The Dark Knight , '' a performance already garnering raves . But the dawn may have been the brightest time for `` The Dark Knight , '' which was scheduled to have about 3,000 late-night showings , including almost 100 showings at 3 and 6 a.m. Friday , according to Fandango.com spokesman Harry Medved . Medved said he could n't remember the last time there were more than two or three such showings in the middle of the night -- usually in New York or Los Angeles . `` Is n't that when people are just thinking about waking up and going to Starbucks ? '' Medved asked . `` I predict coffee sales will increase tomorrow . '' With the film 's running time of two and a half hours , Medved is declaring `` The Dark Knight 's '' opening day Dark Friday , predicting that attendance at work could be dramatically down . During a survey given to people who buy tickets through Fandango.com , 38 percent of those who are working said they would be taking either some time or the day off to see the movie . According to MovieTickets.com , `` Dark Knight '' sold out more than 150 performances in Los Angeles and New York alone . The midnight show times were not just for major movie centers , either . Medved said cities such as Fresno , California ; Orlando , Florida ; and towns in Minnesota are hosting early-morning showings . Enthusiasts showed up in groups , some dressed head to toe in costume to celebrate the movie 's release . The midnight showing at the 428-seat Henry Ford IMAX theater in Detroit sold out in less than a week , according to the Detroit Free Press . One group attending the showing , which was preceded by a costume party , showed up with a homemade version of the Batmobile and outfits representing nearly every major Batman character . The film also opened Thursday in Australia and Wednesday in Taiwan . It will be released in Japan on August 9 . See when the film is opening around the world . `` The Dark Knight '' has risen to second place on Fandango.com 's all-time list of advance tickets sales , second only to `` Star Wars Episode III : Revenge of the Sith . '' `` The Dark Knight '' tickets represent 94 percent of Fandango 's sales , Medved said . Interest is high at IMAX theaters , too , especially because six film sequences were shot with IMAX cameras . And it 's not just the movie business that were looking to cash in on the blockbuster . Corporate America hopes to capitalize on the hype , too , with Dominos offering a Gotham City pizza and Comcast showing behind-the-scenes movie footage and interviews with the cast and filmmakers via its On Demand service . As fans left the midnight screenings , the hype surrounding the movie has only continued to build . The film is even earning Oscar buzz , thanks to the late Heath Ledger 's performance as the Joker . Moviegoers purchasing tickets on Fandango echoed those sentiments , with 53 percent saying his performance was their main motivation for seeing the film . Ledger 's performance has been hailed as `` indelible '' ( Los Angeles Times ' Kenneth Turan ) , `` powerful '' ( The Washington Post 's Stephen Hunter , in an overall mixed review ) and `` mesmerizing '' ( CNN.com 's Tom Charity ) ; clips of his character have dominated the movie 's marketing campaign . See how Ledger made the joker his own » . His absence was conspicuous Monday at the New York premiere , his co-stars noted . `` He should be here , should n't he ? Because this is his big moment ; because he is the most amazing thing in the picture , '' said Michael Caine , who plays Bruce Wayne 's butler , Alfred . `` And it 's not because he 's dead or something and everyone 's concentrating on him . He would have been the most amazing thing in the picture anyway . '' Caine also praised the late actor 's commitment to immersing himself in a character , something he says is evident from Ledger 's opening monologue . `` It 's one of the finest close-ups I 've ever seen , '' Caine said . Other members of the cast praised Ledger for redefining the character brought to life in the past by Mark Hamill ( `` Batman Beyond : Return of the Joker '' ) and Jack Nicholson ( `` Batman '' ) . See members of the cast praise Ledger » . Aaron Eckhart , who plays District Attorney Harvey Dent , said it was tragic that Ledger was n't around to celebrate his achievement . `` It 's hard to talk about ; this is his . He created the Joker , '' Eckhart said . `` He did it in his own way , and it 's sad , but on the other hand , I am proud to be able to honor him tonight . '' Director Christopher Nolan also praised the rest of the cast , including Christian Bale as Batman , Gary Oldman as police Lt. Jim Gordon , Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes and Morgan Freeman as tech wizard Lucius Fox . Nolan , who directed `` Batman Begins '' three years ago , said he was glad he was able to take a step back and opt for a different approach . See the cast on the `` black carpet '' » . `` I think we 've tried to expand the scope of the story , to tell a grander , more epic tale , '' he told CNN . `` We 've tried to really take the character and take it to darker territory by introducing it to the Joker . '' Nolan seems to have made believers even out of those who were not die-hard fans of the Batman series , including Gyllenhaal , who said she was `` never a superhero movie kind of girl . '' `` I watched a Batman here , a Batman there , but this is different , '' she said . `` Chris [ Nolan ] wanted us to play everything for truth . It 's about real people in the midst of this wild crazy Batman world . And I became a Batman fan shooting it . I mean , have Batman sweep you up and save you from certain death . It converts a girl , you know ? '' The movie was expected to be shown on a record-breaking 9,200 screens in its opening , according to its studio , Warner Bros. ( Like CNN , Warner Bros. is a division of Time Warner . ) Hollywood columnist Nikki Finke said that insiders at the studio are being conservative , predicting a weekend opening of between $ 90 million and $ 100 million -- strong but not record-breaking . But box office experts , according to Finke , are saying the movie could make as much as $ 130 million , which would make it a narrow third for best opening weekend , behind `` Spider-Man 3 '' ( $ 151 million ) and `` Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man 's Chest '' ( $ 136 million ) . Regardless of how much money the movie grosses , by far the biggest anticipation may be whether the Academy Awards agree with those -- including Oldman -- who say Ledger should earn an Oscar . `` I just wish that he was here to talk about his performance , '' he said . `` I really feel that there is at least an Oscar nomination , if not a win for him . He really is that good . '' CNN entertainment producer Doug Ganley contributed to this report .
`` The Dark Knight '' will open with about 3,000 late-night shows . Fandango.com : http://www.fandango.co/ Cast praises Heath Ledger 's performance as the Joker .