Heath Ledger beat 300 million record

Washington (ANI): Heath Ledger starrer 'The Dark Knight' has hit the 300-million dollars mark - just 10 days after its release. The Batman adventure can now claim title to 400 million dollars at the box office in only 18 days - the fastest pace ever, Warner Bros. announced on Aug 5. Jeff Goldstein, general sales manager for the film company, said the movie, starring Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger, sliced in half the amount of time it took the previous record to hit 400 million dollars.

'The Dark Knight' also holds the distinction of being the top-grossing comic-book adaptation in history. In terms of overall performance, the film already ranks No. 8 among all-time box-office hits. The Dark Knight is a follow-up to 2005''s Batman Returns. Both films were directed by Christopher Nolan and star actor Christian Bale as the 'Caped Crusader'.

Interest in the sequel has been stoked by Heath Ledger''s edgy turn as the villainous Joker, in what turned out to be the Australian actor''s last completed role before he died of an accidental overdose of prescription pills in January.