The Stage is Set, Reviews Are Compelling: Will "Dark Knight Rises" Be Another Blockbuster?

The die-hards went to the midnight showing Thursday night, but the fever surrounding the latest Batman movie will likely have fans flooding into the York Theatre for weeks to come. In fact, according to Hollywood.com, "The Dark Knight Rises" is on track to have one of the biggest-grossing opening weekends of all time.

Batman returns to Gotham in the third film of the superhero series. The movie is the sequel to the "The Dark Knight," and the first movie, "Batman Begins."

Fans will recognize the familiar cast: Christian Bale returns as Batman/Bruce Wayne, and (Michael Caine) as Butler Alfred. Actress Anne Hathaway brings some new blood as Catwoman.

Previous Batman films also hint at a blockbuster debut for "The Dark Knight Rises."

According to Hollywood.com, When 2008's "The Dark Knight" was released, it posted the biggest opening weekend of all-time with $158.4 million. The film was later bested by the final "Harry Potter" film and the recent superhero extravaganza, "The Avengers." The film eventually grossed just more than $1 billion worldwide.

"Dark Knight Rises," PG-13, 164 minutes, will be shown at the York at the following times:

• Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m., noon, 1, 2:20, 3:20, 4:20, 5:40, 6:40, 7:40, 9, 10 and 11 p.m.
• Sunday: 11 a.m., noon, 1, 2:20, 3:20, 4:20, 5:40, 6:40, 7:40, 9 and 10 p.m.
• Monday through Thursday: noon, 1, 2:20, 3:20, 4:20, 5:40, 6:40, 7:40, 9 and 10 p.m.

Reviewers across the country are saying, "Go see it."

And this one.

Please take our Patch poll below. And if you've already seen it, tell us what you thought of it in the comments.