Batman Super-Fans Line Up at Hollywood Palms for 'Dark Knight Rises'

Like many Batman fans, Naperville resident Mark Campbell and his friends had waited eagerly. They watched the prequels multiple times and finally, this was their moment - "The Dark Knight Rises" midnight showing had arrived. 

"We're pretty clearly excited and have prepped for a few hours," Campbell said, proudly wearing a classic black and yellow Batman t-shirt.

Campbell was standing in line inside at about 10:30 p.m. Thursday, an hour and a half before the midnight showing of the movie.

Other fans had arrived much earlier as the cinema held a marathon of Christopher Nolan's Batman films throughout the evening. "Batman Begins" played at 6:20 p.m. followed by "The Dark Knight" at 9 p.m., both of which led up to the epic conclusion at midnight.

While Campbell and his friends didn't watch the marathon at Hollywood Palms, they did prepare in proper super-fan fashion.  

"Just the other night we all watched both of them," he said. 

As fans shuffled slowly in line, anxiously waiting to get a seat, others like Jessica Slavik and Swaytha Alety casually sipped a beer at the cinema's bar. But if you were quick to judge their laid back approach as being apathetic toward the film, think again. 

"She bought tickets two weeks ago," Slavik said.

"It was like nerd-early," her friend Alety laughed. 

"We watched (the prequels) just now, like right before we came here we watched them," Slavik added. "I'm just excited for the conclusion, I want to see how it ends." 

Hollywood Palms marketing promotions manager Jamie Martin said the theater had strong sales for advanced tickets and were as excited as the fans were for the premiere.

“We didn’t know how popular it would be because Christoper Nolan’s movies tend to run a little long and it’s a big chunk of time, but people are just so excited, our sales have been really good.”

"The Dark Knight Rises" Naperville Showings:

Friday:

- 3:30, 4:30, 6:45, 7:45, 10, 11

 - ‎9:30‎  ‎10‎  ‎10:30‎  ‎11 a.m.‎  ‎12:15‎  ‎1‎  ‎1:30‎  ‎2:15‎  ‎2:45‎  ‎4‎  ‎4:45‎  ‎5:15‎  ‎6‎  ‎6:30‎ ‎7:45‎  ‎8:30‎  ‎9‎  ‎9:45‎  ‎10:15‎  ‎11:15pm‎

Saturday:

Hollywood Palms Cinema - 12:30, 1:30, 3:45, 4:45, 6:50, 7:50, 10, 11

AMC Naperville 16 - 9:30‎  ‎10‎  ‎10:30‎  ‎11 a.m.‎  ‎12:15‎  ‎1‎  ‎1:30‎  ‎2:15‎  ‎2:45‎  ‎4‎  ‎4:45‎  ‎5:15‎  ‎6‎  ‎6:30‎ ‎7:45‎  ‎8:30‎  ‎9‎  ‎9:45‎  ‎10:15‎  ‎11:15pm‎