Will massacre hurt "Dark Knight Rises" box office?
(CBS NEWS) In the wake of the tragedy in Aurora, Colo. during a midnight screening on opening night of "The Dark Knight Rises," industry observers were watching to see whether the tragedy would hinder attendance.
A dozen people were killed and dozens injured in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
It remains far from clear how much of a link, if any, there may be between the film and the motive of alleged gunman James Holmes.
But concern about possible copycats is keeping some fans home, at least for this weekend, reports CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller.
Even some who decided to attend showings in Manhattan told her they had their reservations, due to security concerns.
Still, The Hollywood Reporter's Erin Carlson doubts Batman fans will be deterred. "In the end," she says, "I think it's going to be a blockbuster. It'll be the biggest movie of 2012."
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Tickets for opening day at many New York City theaters were sold out well in advance, and Warner Brothers reports midnight screenings nationwide grossed $30.6 million.
New York, Los Angeles and other cities put police patrols inside theaters to deter copycats.
The National Association of Theater Owners is reviewing its procedures in the wake of the mass murders, and AMC Theaters is offering ticket refunds. The theater where the shootings happened is an AMC facility.
Warner Brothers pulled one of its more violent trailers and canceled the Paris red carpet premiere as well as interviews with the film's cast. The studio also canceled appearances by the cast and filmmakers in Mexico and Japan.
And a broadcaster says the Finnish film industry has canceled large parts of its marketing campaign for the new Batman movie because of the killing of 12 people at a showing of the film in Colorado.
YLE television says Finnish movie distributor FS-Film's entire Internet campaign for "The Dark Knight Rises" has temporarily been shut down and that TV spots have been withdrawn. It wasn't clear Saturday how long the suspension would last, but it may only be this weekend.
But Carlson says, "Insiders at Warners have said it's an isolated incident and they're going to keep rolling out screenings across the country and across the world."
The final installment in the Batman trilogy was expected to top "The Avengers," this year's highest grossing film, which took in $207 million dollars its first weekend.
To see the Michelle Miller report, click on the video in the player above.