The Dark Knight Rises broke box-office records over the passing weekend, becoming the highest grossing 2D opener of all time - and the third after Avengers and the final Harry Potter flick. 

Estimates have the film pegged at a mammoth $161 million for the three days - that's $3 million more than The Dark Knight, but considerably less than The Avengers - which broke the $200 million mark in just a few days. The Dark Knight Rises had a couple of things going against it, including a lack of hiked admission prices for 3D, and the fact that's it's not too far away from the three hour mark - making it difficult to squeeze in more screenings.

The film is not opening day and date around the globe, so its worldwide grosses won't be huge off the bat - but expect it to nudge a billion dollars globally when all is said and done.