Jul 18, 2008 7:02 pm US/Eastern
Just A Movie? Fans Paying $150 For 'Dark Knight'
CraigsList Overflowing With Fans Desperate For Tickets
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Heath Ledger stars as the maniacal Joker in 'The Dark Knight.' (File)
Warner Bros.
With expectations that 'The Dark Knight' will soar into box office history this weekend, fans aren't holding back in their desire to see the most anticipated movie of the year.
Tickets are sold out just about everywhere in Manhattan for any showtime, leaving 'Batman' die-hards who want to see the flick forced to dish out top dollar for a showing.
CraigsList was flooded Friday with ads for buyers and sellers of weekend tickets. While most seem to be willing to spend around $50 for a ticket -- well above the $11 face value for many theaters -- others say they'll beat any offer as they expect theaters to be sold-out for an extended period of time.
"I'd shell out up to
$150 per ticket," city resident Saad Jafri tells WCBSTV.com. He posted an ad on CraigsList offering to pay whatever it takes to see the film.
Of course, Jafri says there's some other motivation involved as well. "I've never seen anything you can text a girl that'll get her to respond with a 'YES!' to meeting up more promptly than, 'Dark Knight IMAX tonight. You in?'" he says.
Meanwhile, others are willing to spend top dollar simply because they can't wait any longer.
"I dont think it will be a few day wait, I think it will be a few weeks wait," said Brooklyn resident Jack Harari, who told WCBSTV.com he'd spend up to
$100 for a ticket.
Harari posted an ad on CraigsList, but says the market is overflowing with people desperate for a ticket and not enough people selling them.
"Every date and time I plan on seeing the movie is sold out. However, I've noticed that most tickets that were bought in advance were not bought to be resold. They were bought by fans who genuinely want to see the movie," he says. "There is not a big resale market out there as there is for sporting events and concerts."
Hollywood experts say the demand nationwide will land this latest 'Batman' film among the biggest and best movies ever.
"There have only been in history 10 films that have opened with $100 million, and 'The Dark Knight' is poised to be one," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers.
The numbers tell the story.
"The Dark Knight" will be showing in 4,366 theaters in North America, on more screens than any movie ever.
More than 1,600 showtimes in 400 cities are sold out already.
And Fandango, one of the largest online ticket-sellers says "The Dark Knight accounted for 94 percent of all tickets sold this week.
"And some theaters are going to show this movie round-the-clock opening day. That's how much demand there is for this movie," Dergarabedian said.
Continuing the story set in motion with "Batman Begins" in 2005, this grimmer, darker sequel has Batman, a.k.a. Bruce Wayne, fighting his internal demons - and one in flesh and blood: The Joker.
"It's simple," the Joker says. "Kill the Batman."
"He's uncompromising as Batman is," said Christian Bale, who returns as Batman in this sequel. "But the problem is, Batman has rules and the Joker doesn't."
Heath Ledger plays the menacing, maniacal Joker, who says, "This town needs a better class of criminal, and I'm going to give it to them."
Ledger's last big Hollywood role before his death from an accidental overdose in January already is generating Oscar buzz and has fans buzzing with anticipation. Christopher Nolan directed "The Dark Knight."
"With Heath's portrayal of the Joker, though, it was apparent to everybody on the set that there was something very special going on with that performance," Nolan said.
With "The Dark Knight, it seems the sky's the limit.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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