The Lyons Den

Big week for Batman, and star Maggie Gyllenhaal has obviously thought about The Dark Knight even more than the rest of us. She tells me why the movie goes far beyond just "fun," and she shares what it's like filming one of the scariest scenes with Heath Ledger. Check the clip to get the full story.

And if you missed 'em, catch my interviews with the rest of the cast—and director Christopher Nolan—after the jump.

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Stephen Vaughan/Warner Bros. Entertainment

Finally! It's here! Starting tonight, The Dark Knight invades more than 4,300 screens—many of them IMAX—bringing the return of Batman, one of the most beloved characters in American pop culture.

After Christopher Nolan teamed with Christian Bale to relaunch the franchise in 2005, there's been new interest in the billionaire vigilante. And that, combined with the truly breathtaking performance from the late Heath Ledger as the Joker, has created a hysteria around the film. Midnight screenings are sold out and theaters are adding hourly showings from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m.

So look for The Dark Knight to pull in a weekend total of $112 million. Only reason I'm not calling it higher is because it's not a holiday, kids are still away at camp, and Hancock, Hellboy II and WALL-E will still put up strong numbers.

What do you think? Can Bruce Wayne close an even bigger deal? Drop your numbers in the comments!

You wouldn't know it from the marketing, but there are actually two villains in The Dark Knight—and Batman foes don't get more different than Heath Ledger's Joker and Aaron Eckhart's Harvey "Two Face" Dent. I sat down with Eckhart recently, and he dished about what brought him to Gotham and that thing Christian Bale's got that the rest of us don't. Hit the clip for the full story.

Get exclusive Dark Knight clips on Comcast.net

Batman has some "serious issues," according to The Dark Knight star Christian Bale. No kidding! When I sat down recently with the intense actor, he dished on how real Gotham City looks, how Heath Ledger vanished onscreen and how he'd like to get totally fat for a role. Also, remember Treasure Island and American Psycho, you guys? Anyway, hit the clip and hear what the real Bruce Wayne has to say.

Get exclusive Dark Knight clips on Comcast.net

Obviously, topic A in movies right now is The Dark Knight, and much of the talk is about Heath Ledger's mind-blowing performance as the Joker. Same story when I sat down with the cast—they all had plenty to say about their late costar and his freaky villainous turn. Director Chris Nolan also explained what he saw in Heath before even casting him for the part.

Hit the clip to see what I mean, and keep checking back for plenty more Bat coverage this week.