(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 couldn'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.





"Isn'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, shouldn'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
How long does "The Dark Knight" run for? How many late night shows will "The Dark Knight" open with? Who is Heath Ledger? Whose performance has been praised by the movie's cast? How many Friday shows will "The Dark Knight" according to Fandango.com?
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question: How long does "The Dark Knight" run for?, answer: two and a half hours, | question: How many late night shows will "The Dark Knight" open with?, answer: 3,000 | question: Who is Heath Ledger?, answer: the Joker in "The Dark Knight," | question: Whose performance has been praised by the movie's cast?, answer: Heath Ledger's | question: How many Friday shows will "The Dark Knight" according to Fandango.com?, answer: about 3,000 late-night showings,