It took only 18 days for “The Dark Knight” to smash the $400 million record. Now everyone is waiting to see what will happen next and if “The Dark Knight” will manage to dethrone “Titanic”, which has held the number one spot in the All-Time North American box office since 1997.

Considering that “Shrek 2” needed 43 days back in 2004, it seems like “The Dark Knight” is destined to hit at least the $500 million jackpot.

According to BoxOfficeMojos.com, during its first weekend in theaters, “The Dark Knight” earned $158,411,483, while in the second one it was again the champion with $75,166,466. In the last weekend, “The Dark Knight” earned $42,664,219.

As the movies that are scheduled for next weekend don’t seem to be a threat, “The Dark Knight” could have another victory.

Last weekend it was down only 42% and it is the first movie since 2007’s “Disturbia” to win the box office three weekends in a row.

Picking up where the superb “Batman Begins” left in 2005, “The Dark Knight” outstrips every bit of imagination. This second chapter of the translation of DC Comics franchise still bears the signature of director and co-writer Christopher Nolan who succeeds in living up (and more) fanboys’ expectations. For the writing part, Nolan teamed up with his brother Jonathan, Bob Kane (characters), David S. Goyer (story).

“The Dark Knight” depicts a Gotham City paralyzed with fear, whose once superhero is not only confronted with his inner doubts, but also with the citizens’ frowns. Cheap copycats, pranksters and outlaws wearing similar Batman costumes undermine the real hero’s credibility. Batman has turned from the hero trusted by the entire town into a decrepit hero who himself doubts his mission there. He is the incarnation of both the superhero and the villain.

In the meantime, Gotham City redirects its hopes to a new hero: district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), who is prepared to eradicate corruption and crime. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is seriously considering leaving his place to Dent, now that he is also the love interest of Wayne’s former girlfriend, assistant D.A. Rachel (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, a better replacement for Katie Holmes).

But Batman, Dent and the entire Gotham City are shattered by the appearance of the most callous outlaw: the Joker. Embodying supreme evil, transforming his ruthless plans into even more ruthless actions, careless of anyone and of himself, too, the Joker makes terror omnipresent in the city.

“The Dark Knight” was also praised by the critics. Justin Chang from The Variety has described the move as “an ambitious, full-bodied crime epic of gratifying scope and moral complexity, […] a seriously brainy pop entertainment that satisfies every expectation raised by its hit predecessor and then some.”

“Though not as obsessively detailed as “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight” shares with that film a robust physicality and a commitment to taking violence seriously,” Chang concluded.

Even the famous movie critic Roger Ebert was impressed by Nolan’s movie and rated with four out of four stars.

“Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” is a haunted film that leaps beyond its origins and becomes an engrossing tragedy. It creates characters we come to care about. That’s because of the performances, because of the direction, because of the writing, and because of the superlative technical quality of the entire production,” Ebert wrote.