Actors Christian Bale and Maggie Gyllenhaal (l to r) pose at the world premiere in New York City for their new Batman film "The Dark Knight" on July 14, 2008. (UPI Photo/Ezio Petersen)

LOS ANGELES, July 18 (UPI) -- Midnight screenings of Hollywood's latest Batman picture, "The Dark Knight," racked up $18.5 million at the box office its first day, Warner Bros. said.

Warner Bros. told Variety.com that figure only included the Thursday into Friday midnight screenings, not the Friday 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. showings that many theaters offered.

The well-reviewed "The Dark Knight" broke the midnight screening record set by 2005's "Star Wars, Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith," which grossed $16.9 million, the entertainment industry trade paper said.

"The Dark Knight" stars Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader and the late Heath Ledger as the Joker.