“Not necessarily that surprising, but industry polling for Michael Bay‘s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Paramount, 6.24) is hinting that the highly anticipated sequel is already on a record-setting pace,” reports HitFix’s Gregory Ellwood. “Based on the data HitFix was provided, Revenge of the Fallen is on track to challenge The Dark Knight‘s 5-day record of $203 million last summer.

“The picture has mammoth interest with moviegoers of all ages and is so strong among younger males that it would easily have a massive opening if Paramount Pictures decided to open it tomorrow. Additionally, the overall numbers for men are off the charts with three-quarters of all respondents saying they are more than interested in seeing the movie.

“In terms of record setting openings, it’s worth noting Revenge of the Fallen debuts on a Wednesday while Dark Knight‘s record run began with a Friday (or Thursday night) debut. Comparably, the largest Wednesday 5-day gross on record is 2004’s Spider-Man 2‘s $152 million which Revenge of the Fallen should easily shatter.

“The first Transformers opened on Thursday, July 3, 2007 and took in $98.7 million over the 4-day Fourth of July holiday weekend.”