The Dark Knight Rises
Encyclopedia
The Dark Knight Rises is an upcoming epic
superhero film
. Based on the DC Comics
character Batman
, the film will be the third and final installment in Nolan's Batman film series, and is a sequel to Batman Begins
and The Dark Knight
. The film will be directed by Christopher Nolan
, written by Nolan and his brother Jonathan
and starring Christian Bale
, Michael Caine
, Gary Oldman
, and Morgan Freeman
as Batman/Bruce Wayne
, Alfred Pennyworth
, James Gordon
, and Lucius Fox
, respectively. The film will take place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight and will introduce the characters of Selina Kyle
and Bane
—portrayed by Anne Hathaway
and Tom Hardy
—two villains from the Batman mythology.
Nolan was initially hesitant about returning to the series for a third time, but agreed to come back after developing a story with his brother and David Goyer that he felt would conclude the series on a satisfactory note. Filming has taken place across the world, including locations in India, London, Glasgow, Los Angeles, New York, Newark, and Pittsburgh. Nolan is utilizing IMAX
cameras for more of the filming to optimize the quality of the picture. As with The Dark Knight, viral marketing campaigns began early during production to help promote the upcoming film. The Dark Knight Rises is scheduled for release in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada on July 20, 2012, by Warner Bros.
Aaron Eckhart
had expressed enthusiasm to return for a sequel if asked, although he later stated Nolan verified that his character, Harvey Dent
, is dead. Cillian Murphy
, who played the villain Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow
in the preceding films, was reportedly sighted on set during filming. Other cast members include Nestor Carbonell
reprising his role as Mayor Anthony Garcia, Juno Temple
as a "street-smart Gotham girl", Matthew Modine
as Nixon, Brett Cullen
as a judge, Chris Ellis
as a priest, Alon Abutbul
as "a mad scientist", and Rob Brown
, Tom Conti
, Joey King
, and Christopher Judge
in unspecified roles.
Several members of the Pittsburgh Steelers
will make cameo appearances as members of the fictional Gotham Rogues football team in the film, including Ben Roethlisberger
, Hines Ward
, Troy Polamalu
, Willie Colon, Maurkice Pouncey
, Mike Wallace
, Heath Miller
, Aaron Smith
, Ryan Clark
, James Farrior
, LaMarr Woodley, and Casey Hampton
, and former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher
as the head coach of the Rogues. In 2008, the Rooney family
sold a minority stake in the team to Thomas Tull, the CEO and president of Legendary Pictures
, which is producing The Dark Knight Rises.
. Later in December, Alan F. Horn
confirmed that while discussions with Nolan about a third film were ongoing, no casting had been done, and Horn denied all such rumors. Before Nolan confirmed his involvement, Oldman had said he was confident Nolan would return. It was not until February 9, 2010 that it was announced Nolan had "cracked" the story of a sequel to The Dark Knight and was committed to return to the project. Shortly afterward, it was announced David S. Goyer
and Jonathan Nolan were working on a screenplay. Goyer would leave the project during pre-production to begin work on Man of Steel; Jonathan continued writing the script based on the story by his brother Chris and Goyer.
Nolan confirmed the Joker
would not return in the third film, and dismissed rumors that he considered using unused footage of Heath Ledger
from The Dark Knight. The Dark Knight Rises will reunite Nolan with many of his past collaborators, such as Cinematographer Wally Pfister, production designer Nathan Crowley, editor Lee Smith
, costume designer Lindy Hemming, special effects supervisors Paul Franklin and Chris Corbould
, and composer Hans Zimmer
.
, but has instead stated that he intends to focus on improving image quality and scale using the IMAX
format. Nolan has had several meetings with IMAX Vice-President David Keighley to work on the logistics of projecting films in digital IMAX venues. The Dark Knight Rises will feature more scenes shot in IMAX than The Dark Knight. Wally Pfister had expressed interest in shooting the film entirely in IMAX, but because of the considerable noise made by IMAX cameras, 70mm
cameras may have to be used for shooting the film's dialogue scenes, as dialogue had to be dubbed when shot with IMAX cameras.
Filming was scheduled to start in May and conclude in November 2011. Principal photography
commenced on May 6, 2011, in Jodhpur
, India
at the Mehrangarh Fort
before moving to Pittsburgh, where it operated under the working title "Magnus Rex". Shooting locations within the city included Heinz Field
, the site of an American football
game, with members of the Pittsburgh Steelers playing the Gotham Rogues football team. Filming in Pittsburgh also took place at the Mellon Institute and Software Engineering Institute
at Carnegie Mellon University
. A letter sent out to residents and business owners detailing road closures revealed that the streets of the city would be featured "as the start of [the] film". 9-1-1
operators were told to expect an increase in calls related to gun shots and explosions in the film's production. The Pittsburgh leg of production wrapped after three weeks on August 21, 2011, before moving on to Los Angeles and New York. In November 2011, shooting shifted to Newark, New Jersey
. Newark City Hall
and Military Park
were among the locations used for filming. Other shooting locations include London
and Glasgow
, the latter of which was used for "additional exterior filming". Principal photography concluded on November 14, 2011.
Production photos from filming in Pittsburgh showed a second Tumbler chassis after the first was destroyed in The Dark Knight. Further set photos revealed a "new vehicle" being transported to Wabash Tunnel
, prompting speculation as to its nature. In June 2011, Autoblog confirmed the presence of the new Lamborghini Aventador
on the film set.
Several accidents occurred during the production of the film. While filming at Wollaton Hall
, a tractor-trailer crashed into the main entrance, though no one was injured. A stuntman parachutist later crashed through the roof of a home in Cairngorm Gliding Club, Feshiebridge in Scotland, and became wedged there after a failed landing during a skydiving stunt; he was not seriously injured. While filming scenes in Pittsburgh, Hathaway's stunt double crashed into an IMAX camera while filming a sequence that required her to ride a Batpod down a flight of stairs during a riot. There were no injuries, but the camera was destroyed. A second accident took place in Pittsburgh when the truck carrying the new, unidentified vehicle went off-course and crashed into a lighting array, damaging the model of the aircraft. Production was delayed while the model was repaired.
account. For every person who commented on the Twitter account, a pixel was removed from the webpage, eventually revealing the first official image of Bane.
In July 2011, a teaser trailer that was meant to be released with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
was leaked online. It was released by the studio three days later. Responses to the trailer were mixed; Stephen Spencer Davis of Slate
wrote that it successfully built hype, while Kofi Outlaw of ScreenRant was disappointed with the trailer, claiming that it was more of an "announcement trailer" than an actual teaser trailer. Outlaw criticized the quality of the trailer, writing that a scene depicting Commissioner Gordon in a hospital bed was overly dramatic, had "hammy" dialogue, and was difficult to understand due to Gordon's labored breathing. Outlaw wrote that the final sweeping shot of Gotham City had poor CGI and was too reminiscent of the trailer for Inception.
For the creation of the film's soundtrack, Hans Zimmer crowdsourced
online for audio recordings of a chant, which would be used in the film's score.
Continuing a method used with The Dark Knight whereby the opening sequence of the film was attached to IMAX prints of I Am Legend
, seven months before release, a six minute prologue of The Dark Knight Rises is to be attached to 70mm IMAX prints of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol starting December 16, 2011, again approximately seven months before release. A full length trailer for The Dark Knight Rises is to be attached to theatrical prints of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
, also starting December 16, 2011.
Epic film
An epic is a genre of film that emphasizes human drama on a grand scale. Epics are more ambitious in scope than other film genres, and their ambitious nature helps to differentiate them from similar genres such as the period piece or adventure film...
superhero film
Superhero film
A superhero film, superhero movie, or superhero motion picture is: action, fantasy and science fiction film; that is focused on the actions of one or more superheroes, individuals who usually possess superhuman abilities relative to a normal person and are dedicated to protecting the public...
. Based on the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
character Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, the film will be the third and final installment in Nolan's Batman film series, and is a sequel to Batman Begins
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
and The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight (film)
The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins...
. The film will be directed by Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan
Christopher Jonathan James Nolan is a British-American film director, screenwriter and producer.He received serious notice after his second feature Memento , which he wrote and directed based on a story idea by his brother, Jonathan Nolan. Jonathan went to co-write later scripts with him,...
, written by Nolan and his brother Jonathan
Jonathan Nolan
Jonathan "Jonah" Nolan is a British-American author and screenwriter. His short story "Memento Mori" was used by his brother, director Christopher Nolan, as the basis for the screenplay for the critically acclaimed film Memento. He has also co-written the screenplays for The Prestige and The Dark...
and starring Christian Bale
Christian Bale
Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
, Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
, Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman
Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, voice actor, filmmaker and musician.A member of the 1980s Brit Pack, Oldman came to prominence via starring roles in British films Meantime , Sid and Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears , with his performance in the latter bringing him his first BAFTA Award...
, and Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
as Batman/Bruce Wayne
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears throughout the DC Comics franchise. The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson. Alfred serves as Batman’s tireless butler, assistant, confidant, and surrogate father figure...
, James Gordon
James Gordon (comics)
James Worthington Gordon, Sr. is a fictional character, an ally of Batman that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
, and Lucius Fox
Lucius Fox
Lucius Fox is a fictional character appearing in Batman comic books by DC Comics. He was created by Len Wein and John Calnan, and first appeared in Batman #307 . As a supporting character, he acts as Bruce Wayne's business manager who supposedly unknowingly runs the business interests that supply...
, respectively. The film will take place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight and will introduce the characters of Selina Kyle
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
and Bane
Bane (comics)
Bane is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 , and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's more physically and intellectually powerful foes...
—portrayed by Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway (actress)
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...
and Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy
Edward Thomas "Tom" Hardy is an English actor. He is best known for playing the title character in the 2008 British film Bronson, the character of Eames in Inception, and the villain Praetor Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis...
—two villains from the Batman mythology.
Nolan was initially hesitant about returning to the series for a third time, but agreed to come back after developing a story with his brother and David Goyer that he felt would conclude the series on a satisfactory note. Filming has taken place across the world, including locations in India, London, Glasgow, Los Angeles, New York, Newark, and Pittsburgh. Nolan is utilizing IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
cameras for more of the filming to optimize the quality of the picture. As with The Dark Knight, viral marketing campaigns began early during production to help promote the upcoming film. The Dark Knight Rises is scheduled for release in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada on July 20, 2012, by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Premise
Following the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman assumes responsibility for Dent's crimes in order to protect his reputation and is subsequently hunted by the Gotham City Police Department. Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, Batman must return to face the villain Bane, who seeks to destroy Gotham, and discover the truth regarding the "enigmatic" Selina Kyle.Cast
- Christian BaleChristian BaleChristian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
as Bruce Wayne / BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, a billionaire socialite dedicated to protecting Gotham CityGotham CityGotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
from the criminal underworld. Nolan has stated that, due to the eight-year gap between The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, "he's an older Bruce Wayne; he's not in a great state." Bale has stated that The Dark Knight Rises will be the final film in which he plays Batman. - Michael CaineMichael CaineSir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
as Alfred PennyworthAlfred PennyworthAlfred Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears throughout the DC Comics franchise. The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson. Alfred serves as Batman’s tireless butler, assistant, confidant, and surrogate father figure...
, Bruce's trusted butler and adviser. - Gary OldmanGary OldmanGary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, voice actor, filmmaker and musician.A member of the 1980s Brit Pack, Oldman came to prominence via starring roles in British films Meantime , Sid and Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears , with his performance in the latter bringing him his first BAFTA Award...
as James GordonJames Gordon (comics)James Worthington Gordon, Sr. is a fictional character, an ally of Batman that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
, Commissioner of the Gotham City Police DepartmentGotham City Police DepartmentThe Gotham City Police Department is a fictional police department servicing Gotham City, as depicted in comic books published by DC Comics, in particular those tied into the Batman books.-History of GCPD:...
. - Morgan FreemanMorgan FreemanMorgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
as Lucius FoxLucius FoxLucius Fox is a fictional character appearing in Batman comic books by DC Comics. He was created by Len Wein and John Calnan, and first appeared in Batman #307 . As a supporting character, he acts as Bruce Wayne's business manager who supposedly unknowingly runs the business interests that supply...
, who runs Wayne EnterprisesWayne EnterprisesWayne Enterprises is a company in the DC Universe, owned by Bruce Wayne and run by his business manager, Lucius Fox. It was founded by merchant ancestors of the Wayne family in the 17th century as a merchant house, although the company changed when the heir of Judge Solomon Wayne, Alan, utilized...
on behalf of Bruce Wayne and provides him with high-tech equipment. - Anne HathawayAnne Hathaway (actress)Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...
as Selina KyleCatwomanCatwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
. Hathaway has called the role her most physically demanding yet, especially fitting into the character's signature leather costume. Hathaway "works out" five days a week for the role, including rigorous exercise and stunt training followed by an hour and a half of dance. She explained, "I've always thought that skinny was the goal, but with this job I also have to be strong." Aside from her physical demands, Hathaway comments on her suit being used for her character: "It’s disappointing. I think everyone feels a slight frustration with it because those stills so undercut the work that’s being done," she said. Hathaway also commented on her distinctive choreographing style: "They've given me a martial arts exercise that I have to do all the time to teach me grace and proper stance and fluid movement. It looks so gentle, but when you're actually doing fight choreography it's 'Oh my gosh, that's actually a block.' Oh, I'm hitting somebody's throat right now." - Tom HardyTom HardyEdward Thomas "Tom" Hardy is an English actor. He is best known for playing the title character in the 2008 British film Bronson, the character of Eames in Inception, and the villain Praetor Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis...
as BaneBane (comics)Bane is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 , and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's more physically and intellectually powerful foes...
. Hardy has stated that he intends to portray the character as "more menacing" than in Joel SchumacherJoel SchumacherJoel T. Schumacher is an American film director, screenwriter and producer.-Early life:Schumacher was born in New York City, the son of Marian and Francis Schumacher. His mother was a Swedish Jew, and his father was a Baptist from Knoxville, Tennessee, who died when Joel was four years old...
's Batman & Robin and gained 30 pounds (13.6 kg) of muscle for the role, increasing his weight to 198 pounds (89.8 kg). According to costume designer Lindy Hemming, the character wears a mask that supplies him with an anaesthetic gas to relieve pain he suffers from an injury sustained "early in his story", while Christopher Nolan explained that the character was chosen because of the desire to "[test] Batman both physically as well as mentally". Hardy describes Bane's fighting style: "He's brutal. Brutal. He's a big dude who's incredibly clinical, in the fact that he has a result-based and oriented fighting style. It's not about fighting. It's about carnage. The style is heavy-handed, heavy-footed, it's nasty. Anything from small-joint manipulation to crushing skulls, crushing rib cages, stamping on shins and knees and necks and collarbones and snapping heads off and tearing his fists through chests, ripping out spinal columns. He is a terrorist in mentality as well as brutal action." - Marion CotillardMarion CotillardMarion Cotillard is a French actress and singer. She garnered critical acclaim for her roles in films such as La Vie en Rose, My Sex Life... or How I Got Into an Argument, Taxi, Furia and Jeux d'enfants...
as Miranda Tate, "a Wayne Enterprises board member eager to help a still-grieving Bruce Wayne resume his father's philanthropic endeavors for Gotham." Cotillard has denied speculation that she is playing a dual role as Talia al GhulTalia al GhulTalia al Ghul is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, the now-estranged daughter of the supervillain Ra's al Ghul, a love interest of Batman, and the mother of his son Damian Wayne, the fifth Robin...
, stating that her character is a completely original creation. - Joseph Gordon-LevittJoseph Gordon-LevittJoseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt is an American actor whose career as both a child and adult has included television series and theatrical films....
as John Blake, "a Gotham City beat cop assigned to special duty under the command of Commissioner Gordon." - Josh PenceJosh PenceJoshua Charles "Josh" Pence is an American actor, best known for playing Tyler Winklevoss in the 2010 film The Social Network.-Life and career:...
and Liam NeesonLiam NeesonLiam John Neeson, OBE is an Irish actor who has been nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA and three Golden Globe Awards.He has starred in a number of notable roles including Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, Michael Collins in Michael Collins, Peyton Westlake in Darkman, Jean Valjean in Les...
as Ra's al GhulRa's al GhulRa's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
, with the former playing a young version of the character in scenes to take place thirty years before the events of Batman Begins and the latter reportedly reprising his Batman Begins role in a cameo appearance.
Aaron Eckhart
Aaron Eckhart
Aaron Edward Eckhart is an American film and stage actor. Born in California, he moved to England at the age of 13, when his father relocated the family. Several years later, he began his acting career by performing in school plays, before moving to Sydney, Australia, for his high school senior year...
had expressed enthusiasm to return for a sequel if asked, although he later stated Nolan verified that his character, Harvey Dent
Two-Face
Two-Face is a fictional comic book supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. and is an enemy of Batman. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #66 , and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger....
, is dead. Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy is an Irish film and theatre actor. He is often noted by critics for his chameleonic performances in diverse roles and distinctive blue eyes and general sex appeal....
, who played the villain Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow
Scarecrow (comics)
The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
in the preceding films, was reportedly sighted on set during filming. Other cast members include Nestor Carbonell
Nestor Carbonell
Nestor Gastón Carbonell is an American actor, known for portraying Richard Alpert in ABC's drama Lost and Mayor Anthony Garcia in the film The Dark Knight...
reprising his role as Mayor Anthony Garcia, Juno Temple
Juno Temple
-Early life:Juno Temple was born in London, and is the daughter of producer Amanda Pirie and film director Julien Temple. She grew up in Somerset, England and attended Enmore Primary School, Bedales School, and King's College, Taunton...
as a "street-smart Gotham girl", Matthew Modine
Matthew Modine
Matthew Avery Modine is an award-winning American actor. His film roles include Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, the title character in Alan Parker's Birdy, high school wrestler Louden Swain in Vision Quest, football star turned spy Alec McCall in Funky Monkey and the...
as Nixon, Brett Cullen
Brett Cullen
Peter Brett Cullen is an American actor who has appeared in numerous motion pictures and television programs. Early in 2007, he was cast as the role of an estranged father to one of the American football players, Tim Riggins , in the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights.Cullen was born in Houston,...
as a judge, Chris Ellis
Chris Ellis (actor)
Chris Ellis is an American film and television actor who was born April 14, 1956 in Dallas, Texas.Ellis always wanted to be an actor because of television...
as a priest, Alon Abutbul
Alon Abutbul
Alon Abutbul is an Israeli actor.In 2005, he was voted the 158th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.-Biography:...
as "a mad scientist", and Rob Brown
Rob Brown (actor)
Rob Brown is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the films Finding Forrester , Coach Carter , Take the Lead , The Express , and currently stars in the HBO series Treme.-Personal life:...
, Tom Conti
Tom Conti
Thomas "Tom" Conti is a Scottish actor, theatre director and novelist.-Early life:Born Thomas Conti in Paisley, Renfrewshire, he was brought up Roman Catholic, but he considers himself anti-religious...
, Joey King
Joey King
Joey Lynn King is an American child actress and singer who is known for her starring role as Ramona Quimby in the 2010 adaption of Beverly Cleary's well-known book series with the same title.- Personal life :...
, and Christopher Judge
Christopher Judge
Douglas Christopher Judge is an American actor best known for playing Teal'c in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. He attended the University of Oregon on a football scholarship and was a Pacific Ten Conference player.-Early life:Christopher Judge was...
in unspecified roles.
Several members of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
will make cameo appearances as members of the fictional Gotham Rogues football team in the film, including Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
, Hines Ward
Hines Ward
Hines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia...
, Troy Polamalu
Troy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamalu is an American football strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-High school:Troy Polamalu graduated...
, Willie Colon, Maurkice Pouncey
Maurkice Pouncey
The Pittsburgh Steelers chose Pouncey in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. His rookie year, he started in all 16 games played at the center position, and was selected to the Pro Bowl.-Personal:...
, Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace (American football)
-Pittsburgh Steelers:Wallace was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft with the 84th overall selection. Wallace was the 11th wide receiver chosen in the draft. On June 18, 2009, Wallace signed a three year contract with the Steelers worth $1.740 million which...
, Heath Miller
Heath Miller
Earl Heath Miller, Jr. is an American football tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. He was selected as the 30th overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Virginia.-Early years:...
, Aaron Smith
Aaron Smith (American football)
Aaron Douglas Smith is a professional American football player with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League. He plays left defensive end in a 3-4 defensive alignment.-Pittsburgh Steelers:...
, Ryan Clark
Ryan Clark (American football)
Ryan Terry Clark is an American football safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
, James Farrior
James Farrior
James Alfred Farrior is an American football player who currently plays as an inside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Virginia, and played with the New York Jets from 1997 to 2001.-Early years:Farrior was born...
, LaMarr Woodley, and Casey Hampton
Casey Hampton
Casey "Big Snack" Hampton, Jr. is an American football nose tackle who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League.-Early years:...
, and former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
as the head coach of the Rogues. In 2008, the Rooney family
Rooney family
The Rooney family has been the majority owners and operators of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania since the formation of the franchise in 1933. Art Rooney was the founder and owner of the team until his death in 1988; ownership of the team was then transferred to...
sold a minority stake in the team to Thomas Tull, the CEO and president of Legendary Pictures
Legendary Pictures
Legendary Pictures is an American film production company, whose parent company, Legendary Entertainment, is based in Burbank, California and was founded by Thomas Tull in 2004...
, which is producing The Dark Knight Rises.
Development
Warner Bros. president of production Jeff Robinov had hoped a third film would be released in 2011 or 2012. Nolan wanted the story for the third installment to keep him emotionally invested. "On a more superficial level, I have to ask the question," he reasoned, "how many good third movies in a franchise can people name?" He returned out of finding a necessary way to continue the story, but feared midway through filming he would find a sequel redundant. By December 2008, Nolan completed a rough story outline, before he committed himself to InceptionInception
Inception: The Subconscious Jams 1994-1995 is a compilation of unreleased tracks by the band Download.-Track listing:# "Primitive Tekno Jam" – 3:23# "Bee Sting Sickness" – 8:04# "Weed Acid Techno" – 8:19...
. Later in December, Alan F. Horn
Alan F. Horn
Alan F. Horn is the President & COO of Warner Bros. Entertainment. Horn also sits on the board of directors of Univision.Prior to Warner Bros., Horn served in various positions at 20th Century Fox and at Norman Lear's television production company, Tandem Productions...
confirmed that while discussions with Nolan about a third film were ongoing, no casting had been done, and Horn denied all such rumors. Before Nolan confirmed his involvement, Oldman had said he was confident Nolan would return. It was not until February 9, 2010 that it was announced Nolan had "cracked" the story of a sequel to The Dark Knight and was committed to return to the project. Shortly afterward, it was announced David S. Goyer
David S. Goyer
David Samuel Goyer is an American screenwriter, film director and comic book writer.-Early life:Goyer was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He attended Hebrew school and has described himself as "half Jewish"...
and Jonathan Nolan were working on a screenplay. Goyer would leave the project during pre-production to begin work on Man of Steel; Jonathan continued writing the script based on the story by his brother Chris and Goyer.
Nolan confirmed the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
would not return in the third film, and dismissed rumors that he considered using unused footage of Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger was an Australian television and film actor. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to develop his film career...
from The Dark Knight. The Dark Knight Rises will reunite Nolan with many of his past collaborators, such as Cinematographer Wally Pfister, production designer Nathan Crowley, editor Lee Smith
Lee Smith (editor)
Lee Smith is an ACE-certified Australian film editor. He began his career as a sound editor/sound designer for films such as Dead Calm , The Piano , The Portrait of a Lady and Holy Smoke!...
, costume designer Lindy Hemming, special effects supervisors Paul Franklin and Chris Corbould
Chris Corbould
Christopher "Chris" Corbould is a British special effects coordinator best known for his work on major blockbuster films and the action scenes on some 11 James Bond films since the early 1980s. He has also worked extensively on the Superman and Batman film series on digital effects and stunts...
, and composer Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer
Hans Florian Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer. He has composed music for over 100 films, including critically acclaimed film scores for The Lion King , Crimson Tide , The Thin Red Line , Gladiator , The Dark Knight and Inception .Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the...
.
Filming
The film has an estimated budget of $250 million. Nolan has elected not to film in 3-D3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
, but has instead stated that he intends to focus on improving image quality and scale using the IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
format. Nolan has had several meetings with IMAX Vice-President David Keighley to work on the logistics of projecting films in digital IMAX venues. The Dark Knight Rises will feature more scenes shot in IMAX than The Dark Knight. Wally Pfister had expressed interest in shooting the film entirely in IMAX, but because of the considerable noise made by IMAX cameras, 70mm
70 mm film
70mm film is a wide high-resolution film gauge, with higher resolution than standard 35mm motion picture film format. As used in camera, the film is wide. For projection, the original 65mm film is printed on film. The additional 5mm are for magnetic strips holding four of the six tracks of sound...
cameras may have to be used for shooting the film's dialogue scenes, as dialogue had to be dubbed when shot with IMAX cameras.
Filming was scheduled to start in May and conclude in November 2011. Principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
commenced on May 6, 2011, in Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
at the Mehrangarh Fort
Mehrangarh Fort
Mehrangarh Fort, located in Jodhpur city in Rajasthan state, is one of the largest forts in India.The fort is situated 400 feet above the city and is enclosed by imposing thick walls. Inside its boundaries there are several palaces known for their intricate carvings and expansive courtyards. A...
before moving to Pittsburgh, where it operated under the working title "Magnus Rex". Shooting locations within the city included Heinz Field
Heinz Field
Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
, the site of an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game, with members of the Pittsburgh Steelers playing the Gotham Rogues football team. Filming in Pittsburgh also took place at the Mellon Institute and Software Engineering Institute
Software Engineering Institute
The Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute is a federally funded research and development center headquartered on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. SEI also has offices in Arlington, Virginia, and Frankfurt, Germany. The SEI operates...
at Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
. A letter sent out to residents and business owners detailing road closures revealed that the streets of the city would be featured "as the start of [the] film". 9-1-1
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
operators were told to expect an increase in calls related to gun shots and explosions in the film's production. The Pittsburgh leg of production wrapped after three weeks on August 21, 2011, before moving on to Los Angeles and New York. In November 2011, shooting shifted to Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. Newark City Hall
Newark City Hall
Newark City Hall, is located at Government Center in Newark, New Jersey. The building was built in 1902 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 17, 1978.-History:...
and Military Park
Military Park (Newark)
Military Park is a city park in downtown Newark, New Jersey. It is a nearly triangular park located between Park Place, Rector Street and Broad Street. From 1667, when the city was planned, until 1869 it was a training ground for soldiers...
were among the locations used for filming. Other shooting locations include London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, the latter of which was used for "additional exterior filming". Principal photography concluded on November 14, 2011.
Production photos from filming in Pittsburgh showed a second Tumbler chassis after the first was destroyed in The Dark Knight. Further set photos revealed a "new vehicle" being transported to Wabash Tunnel
Wabash Tunnel
The Wabash Tunnel is a former railway tunnel through Mt. Washington in the city of Pittsburgh. Constructed early in the 20th century by railroad magnate George J. Gould, it has never been of much use. His Wabash Railroad venture into Pittsburgh ended after 3 or 4 years. The Wabash Tunnel was...
, prompting speculation as to its nature. In June 2011, Autoblog confirmed the presence of the new Lamborghini Aventador
Lamborghini Aventador
The Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 is a two-door, two-seater sports car publicly unveiled by Lamborghini at the Geneva Motor Show on 28 February 2011, five months after its initial unveiling in Sant'Agata Bolognese. Internally codenamed LB834, the Aventador was designed to replace the ten-year-old...
on the film set.
Several accidents occurred during the production of the film. While filming at Wollaton Hall
Wollaton Hall
Wollaton Hall is a country house standing on a small but prominent hill in Wollaton, Nottingham, England. Wollaton Park is the area of parkland that the stately house stands in. The house itself is a natural history museum, with other museums in the out-buildings...
, a tractor-trailer crashed into the main entrance, though no one was injured. A stuntman parachutist later crashed through the roof of a home in Cairngorm Gliding Club, Feshiebridge in Scotland, and became wedged there after a failed landing during a skydiving stunt; he was not seriously injured. While filming scenes in Pittsburgh, Hathaway's stunt double crashed into an IMAX camera while filming a sequence that required her to ride a Batpod down a flight of stairs during a riot. There were no injuries, but the camera was destroyed. A second accident took place in Pittsburgh when the truck carrying the new, unidentified vehicle went off-course and crashed into a lighting array, damaging the model of the aircraft. Production was delayed while the model was repaired.
Marketing
In May 2011, the film's official website was launched, introducing a viral marketing campaign similar to the one used to promote The Dark Knight. When the website was opened, an encrypted audio file played the noise of what has been described as chanting. When the audio file was decrypted, it gave a link to the film's official TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account. For every person who commented on the Twitter account, a pixel was removed from the webpage, eventually revealing the first official image of Bane.
In July 2011, a teaser trailer that was meant to be released with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is a 2011 epic fantasy film directed by David Yates and the second of two films based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the eighth and final instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David...
was leaked online. It was released by the studio three days later. Responses to the trailer were mixed; Stephen Spencer Davis of Slate
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
wrote that it successfully built hype, while Kofi Outlaw of ScreenRant was disappointed with the trailer, claiming that it was more of an "announcement trailer" than an actual teaser trailer. Outlaw criticized the quality of the trailer, writing that a scene depicting Commissioner Gordon in a hospital bed was overly dramatic, had "hammy" dialogue, and was difficult to understand due to Gordon's labored breathing. Outlaw wrote that the final sweeping shot of Gotham City had poor CGI and was too reminiscent of the trailer for Inception.
For the creation of the film's soundtrack, Hans Zimmer crowdsourced
Crowdsourcing
Crowdsourcing is the act of sourcing tasks traditionally performed by specific individuals to a group of people or community through an open call....
online for audio recordings of a chant, which would be used in the film's score.
Continuing a method used with The Dark Knight whereby the opening sequence of the film was attached to IMAX prints of I Am Legend
I Am Legend (film)
I Am Legend is a 2007 post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith. It is the third feature film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name, following 1964's The Last Man on Earth and 1971's The Omega Man. Smith plays virologist Robert...
, seven months before release, a six minute prologue of The Dark Knight Rises is to be attached to 70mm IMAX prints of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol starting December 16, 2011, again approximately seven months before release. A full length trailer for The Dark Knight Rises is to be attached to theatrical prints of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is an upcoming 2011 British-American action mystery film directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey, and Dan Lin. It is a sequel to the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes, based on the character of the same name created by Sir Arthur...
, also starting December 16, 2011.