'The Dark Knight Rises' trailer doubles 'Transformers 3' download record

If Hollywood has any doubts next year will be a more potent frame at the box office, they are slowly being eased by increasing signs that a number of massive blockbusters are on the way.  The biggest of them all, it appears, will be Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises." 

The last installment in Nolan's series, 2008's "The Dark Knight," was actually the second highest grossing domestic release of all time at $533 million until "Avatar" shattered that record the following year.  "Rises" debuted its first complete trailer online Monday and Warner Bros. reports its a record setter. 

The iTunes version of "The Dark Knight Rises" trailer was downloaded a staggering 12.5 million times in just 24 hours.  That number doesn't take into account the number of views on YouTube either.  The previous record holder was the preview for "The Avengers" which hit 10 million in October.  Just last May, "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" struck a chord with 6 million downloads. The idea that "The Dark Knight Rises" doubled what "Transformers 3" accomplished must make Warner Bros. breathe much easier after what has been a rocky last few months for the studio.

No word yet from the studio on how the first trailer for "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" performed when it premiered on Tuesday.

"The Dark Knight Rises" opens nationwide and on IMAX on Friday, July 20, 2012.