- "The Dark Knight Rises" was one of the most eagerly awaited summer blockbusters
- Experts say it's too soon to tell if Friday's attack will keep fans away
- Studio pulls trailer showing men attacking movie theater with machine guns
(CNN) -- The early Friday release of "The Dark Knight Rises" was one of the most eagerly anticipated movie events of the summer.
On Thursday, movie ticket seller Fandango reported that the last installment in the Christopher Nolan-directed Batman trilogy was "outpacing summer blockbuster 'The Avengers' in ticket sales at the same point in the sales cycle."
"The final chapter of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy has sold out on Fandango more than 2,000 showtimes nationwide and it's currently on track to become one of Fandango's top-selling movies of all time," the ticket seller reported.
An attack by an armed gunman in Aurora, Colorado, at a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" was met with shock and grief throughout the country, and cast a shadow over what for fans was set to be a blockbuster weekend.
Gunman kills 12 in Colorado movie theater
James Holmes, 24, was identified by two federal law enforcement officers as the man who opened fire during a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" at an Aurora, Colorado, theater early Friday. At least 12 people were killed and 38 wounded, Police Chief Dan Oates said. 
An ambulance is parked outside. Of the wounded, at least 20 were being treated at the University of Colorado Hospital, said spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery. "They're arriving by police, by ambulance. Some are walking in," she said. 
Agents search the suspect's car outside the theater. 
A distraught woman is counseled by Pastor Quincy Shannon, left, of the New Hope Fellowship and an unidentified advocate in front of Gateway High School in Aurora, Colorado, where the families of the missing are meeting following the shooting at the Century 16 movie theater. 
Lin Gan wipes away her tears as her mother, Juan Gan, guides her to their car after meeting with counselors at the Gateway High School in Aurora on Friday. 
Lin Gan, of Aurora, Colorado holds back tears as she speaks to reporters about her experience in the Century 16 theater on Friday. 
Investigators work on evidence near the apartment of of James Holmes on Friday. 
Memebers of the Aurora Police Department. SWAT walk near the apartment of James Holmes. Police have Holmes,24, of North Aurora in custody. 
Television news crews gather in front of the home Robert and Arlene Holmes, parents of 24-year-old mass shooting suspect James Holmes, in San Diego, California. on Friday. 
A popcorn box lies on the ground outside the Century 16 movie theatre. 
An NYPD officer keeps watch inside an AMC move theater where the film "The Dark Knight Rises" is playing in Times Square on Friday. NYPD is maintaining security around city movie theaters following the deadly rampage in Aurora, Colorado. 
Police break a window of the apartment of Colorado shooting suspect James Holmes on Friday. 
Adariah Legarreta, 4, is comforted by her grandmother Rita Abeyta near the the Century 16 Theater in Aurora. 
A cyclist and pedestrians pass a theater showing the latest Batman movie in Hollywood, California, on Friday. Warner Brothers said it was "deeply saddened" by Friday's massacre at a Colorado screening of "The Dark Knight Rises." 
Obama supporters observe a moment of silence for the victims at a campaign event at Harborside Event Center in Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday. 
Jessica Ghawi, an aspiring sportscaster, was one of the victims. 
A woman waits for news outside Gateway High School, a few blocks from the scene of the shooting at the Century Aurora 16. 
Aurora police chief Daniel J. Oates speaks at a press conference near the Century 16 Theater on Friday. 
Agents search the trash container outside the suspect's apartment in Aurora. 
A Federal ATF officer carries protective gear onsite at the home of alleged shooting suspect James Holmes. 
Obama speaks on the shootings at the event in Fort Myers. 
Moviegoers are interviewed at the Century Aurora 16. 
Officers gathered at the theater Friday. 
Investigators were a common sight at the theater Friday. 
Authorities gather at the shooting suspect's apartment building in Aurora. Police broke a second-floor window to look for explosives that the suspect claimed were in the apartment. 
Screaming, panicked moviegoers scrambled to escape from the black-clad gunman, who wore a gas mask and randomly shot as he walked up the theater's steps, witnesses said. 
University of Colorado Hospital spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery said that all of the wounded had injuries from gunshot wounds, ranging from minor to critical. 
A woman sits on top of her car near the crime scene. 
Police block access to the Town Center mall after the shooting. 
Witnesses told KUSA that the gunman kicked in an emergency exit door and threw a smoke bomb into the darkened theater before opening fire. 
What is believed to be the suspect's car is examined after the shooting. 
Repubican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney delivers remarks regarding the shooting in an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater on Friday at a campaign event in Bow, New Hampshire. 
Photos: Shooting at Colorado movie theater 
Listen to theater shooting 911 calls 
Witness sees shots through theater wall 
Witness: Shooter was aiming everywhere Experts said it's difficult to determine what, if any, effect the tragedy may have on either ticket sales or fan turnout in the days and weeks to come.
"For somebody to go into a movie theater, a place of fun and escapism, and bring that kind of violence into that world is shocking and tragic," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office division of Hollywood.com. "How this will affect the movie, I just don't know."
Shooting turns movie into surreal horror
According to Exhibitor Relations, the film did brisk business for its midnight screenings, raking in $30.6 million. Many fans had pre-purchased tickets for screenings across the country.
Dergarabedian said the current focus has been rightfully on those injured and killed because of the violence. Beyond that it is up to Warner Bros., the studio that released the film, to decide how to proceed with marketing in the wake of the tragedy, he said.
Theater shooting unfolds in real time on social media
Warner Bros., which is owned by the parent company of CNN, has been heavily marketing the action film that includes scenes featuring lots of gunplay and violence.
A full-page newspaper ad heralding the opening weekend contains a pull quote from Marlow Stern, assistant culture editor of Newsweek, which says, "A monumental conclusion to the epic trilogy. Audiences will be blown away."
Warner Bros. pulled the trailer for the film "Gangster Squad," which had been running before showings of "The Dark Knight Rises." That film trailer features scenes of men armed with machine guns attacking a movie theater. A representative for the company told CNN that Warner Bros. did not plan to cancel any screenings.
Thelma Adams, contributing editor for Yahoo Movies, said the tragedy poses a conundrum for the studio.
"I know people at Warner Bros. who were called and woken up this morning who now have a huge problem on their hands," she said. "I think in the long run, a lot of the money is made globally with a movie like this and that will not have an impact."
Theater offers 'perfect killing' zone, expert says
Adams continued, "Also it's not just an opening weekend movie. There (are) no other movies kind of in competition this weekend as a lot of other movies stepped off this weekend and next weekend. Yes, there will be some impact of the revenue stream, but it's not going to really hurt."
Warner Bros. canceled the film's planned premiere in Paris on Friday and released the following statement: "Warner Bros. and the filmmakers are deeply saddened to learn about this shocking incident. We extend our sincere sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims at this tragic time."
An official with Paris police told CNN there was a police presence outside the Bristol Hotel, where cast members of "The Dark Knight Rises" were staying before the premiere, to "protect all those who could be threatened."
Actor Gary Oldman, who portrays Commissioner Jim Gordon in the film, said in a statement, "My prayers and deepest sympathies are with the victims and their families of this horrific act."
Scott Beggs, managing editor of the website Film School Rejects, said the film franchise has been popular because "at the heart of (the film) is a central heroic figure that gives hope to people."
In Aurora, the agonized seek answers
Beggs pointed out that the death of actor Heath Ledger from a toxic combination of prescription drugs in 2008 cast a bit of a pall over "The Dark Knight," but did not taint the legacy of what went on to become a critically acclaimed film. Ledger was posthumously awarded an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role as The Joker in that movie.
"(That second film) was touched by tragedy, but I believe the art ended up speaking for itself," Beggs said. "(The shootings in Colorado) were a tragic event that took place, which hopefully will not stop us from living our lives."
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