UPDATE: 'Watchmen' advancing to sellouts on Friday, Saturday evenings (HWT)

By R. Kinsey Lowe

"Watchmen" just keeps getting bigger.

Online ticket vendors MovieTickets.com and Fandango.com both report that advance sales are still booming. "Watchmen" sales on MovieTickets jumped to 82% of advance ticket purchases on Thursday from 55% a day earlier. Competing service Fandango inched up Thursday to 91% from an already muscular 90% on Wednesday.

In addition to sellouts of most midnight Thursday supersize screenings at Imax locations, MovieTickets noted that midnight Thursday screenings are also selling out in regular theaters. Imax theaters are also selling out Friday and Saturday evening shows, according to checks of specific venues on MovieTickets and Fandango.

A quick glance at ArclightCinemas.com showed that the popular Hollywood venue had sold out its 12:01 a.m and 12:15 screenings, and the theater had added six additional latenight screenings with the last one starting at 12:47 a.m. Additionally, four Friday evening screenings at Arclight Hollywood were sold out -- which was the case with a handful of other locations across the country and not just in big cities.

According to new survey information released Thursday by MovieTickets, 76% of 1,300 moviegoers surveyed said they plan to see "Watchmen" this weekend, with 27% of those planning to see it Thursday night.