The Batman legend ends in “THE DARK KNIGHT RISES”

“Batman is the hero Gotham deserves...but not the one it needs right now.”

Those words, spoken by Commissioner Gordon at the end of 2008’s “The Dark Knight,” set in motion a fateful conspiracy that labeled Batman a murderer and Harvey Dent—who died, unbeknownst to the public, as the vengeful Two-Face—a crime-fighting crusader who paid the ultimate price. Predicated on that lie, Gotham City enacted tough new laws that put criminals behind bars or drove them beyond Gotham’s borders.

Now, Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures brings to the screen “The Dark Knight Rises,” the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.

Christopher Nolan says, “Our story picks up eight years later, when it seems that Batman and Commissioner Gordon have succeeded—the Dark Knight is no longer needed in Gotham. In that regard, Bruce Wayne has won the battle, but he is traumatized by what happened and doesn’t know how to move on from being the figure of Batman. ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ very much deals with the consequences of his and other characters’ actions in the previous films.”

Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar® winner Christian Bale again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Also starring are Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar® winner Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake.

Returning to the main cast, Oscar® winner Michael Caine plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman reprises the role of Lucius Fox.

With “The Dark Knight Rises,” Nolan completes the story arc he commenced with 2005’s “Batman Begins.” He recalls, “We were all very excited to bring this tale full circle; that was our chief inspiration for returning to Gotham. We also felt a tremendous sense of responsibility to fulfill expectations based on the first two movies while giving the audience something they hadn’t seen before. It was a tricky balance.”

The filmmakers and cast were also intent on maintaining a balance between heart-pounding action and intimate emotion. Producer Emma Thomas affirms, “Right from the start, Chris set out to make each of these films something that could not be categorized into any one genre. ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ has all of the excitement and fun that a big summer movie ought to have. The action is huge, but the story and characters are equally, if not more, important, because it’s hard to care about all the bells and whistles if there isn’t something to engage you in an emotional way.”

Producer Charles Roven adds, “We all want to be wowed, but we also want to be invested. Regardless of the scope, Chris has never lost his focus on the story and relationships, which goes back through all of his movies.”

The director also raised the bar for “The Dark Knight Rises” in expanding on his use of IMAX cameras. Nearly half of the movie was shot with the large-format cameras, utilizing ultra resolution 15 perf/65-millimeter film. Nolan states, “We got great results with the IMAX cameras on the last film. I appreciate what it offers from the technical side, but I’m most interested in what it can give me as a storytelling tool. How can it help me pull the audience deeper into this world? IMAX provides the broadest possible canvas, creating the most immersive experience.”

“The Dark Knight Rises” will be presented on 70-millimeter film in 102 IMAX 15/70mm locations worldwide. “Having shot almost half the picture with large-format IMAX film cameras, it is very important to me that we show ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ in the IMAX film format wherever possible,” Nolan shares. “Audiences everywhere should be assured that every presentation of the film will be of the highest standard—having benefited from the clarity and depth IMAX cameras offer. However, these 102 screens will showcase the original IMAX film photography in its optimum form, and I hope anyone who has an opportunity to experience the film in these theatres will seek it out.”

Nolan concludes, “When you look back on the Dark Knight films, you can see the world we’re living in reflected, but we don’t want to be specific about it. We just come at the stories from the point of view of what concerns us. What gives us fear? What gives us hope? What would require a hero of Batman’s stature to rise up in our world?”

Opening across the Philippines on July 19 in IMAX, 2D and regular theaters, “The Dark Knight Rises” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES director CHRISTOPHER NOLAN, to be honored at Grauman's Chinese Theater

In celebration of the upcoming release of “The Dark Knight Rises,” the film’s director/writer/producer, Christopher Nolan, will be accorded a rare industry honor: Nolan will have his hand and footprints cemented into the famed forecourt of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

The hand-and-footprint ceremony will take place on Saturday, July 7, at 10:00 a.m.

Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, stated, “Everyone at Warner Bros. joins me in congratulating Christopher Nolan, who has been such an integral part of our family for the past 12 years. We are extremely proud of the cinematic legacy he has given us through his films. At only 41, Christopher takes his place alongside other industry giants featured at Grauman’s, and generations of fans will remember the extraordinary impression he left on their imaginations.”

Opening in the Philippines July 19, 2012, “The Dark Knight Rises” is Nolan’s hugely anticipated conclusion to his Dark Knight trilogy, which began in 2005 with “Batman Begins.” In 2008, he followed with “The Dark Knight,” which broke multiple records on its way to earning more than a billion dollars at the worldwide box office.

Apart from the blockbuster franchise, Nolan earned widespread praise, and two Academy Award® nominations, for his hit thriller “Inception,” which remains one of the most talked about films in recent years. He earned his first Academy Award® nomination for his screenplay for the thought-provoking 2000 release “Memento,” which he also directed. His other directing credits include “Insomnia” and “The Prestige.”

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES footage unveiled at MTV Movie Awards!

The Dark Knight Rises and its cast were the focus of the evening for the 2012 MTV Movie Awards!

Christian Bale, Gary Oldman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt went up on stage and shared some thoughts on the monumental impact Batman has made in the movie world. There was also a moment spent in memoriam to Heath Ledger and finished with director Christopher Nolan sharing never-before-seen teaser clip from the final Batman film. 

Dark Knight Rises opens in theaters July 20.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES | New movie banners & set photos!!!

Batman fans look here! Warner has again released the latest movie banners and set photos which will make your mouth water for the film's release.

Anne Hathaway looks stunning as Catwoman and the costumes looks enticing. Fashionably correct and a tad unrealistic but still kick ass. I guess that's the thing with this batch of heroes. They aren't really mutants so all their heroic characteristics are placed on the costume and they still appear "human" underneath all the outfits. Makes one miss watching X-Men and other hero oriented shows.

The 4 The Dark Knight Rises banners, photos showcase a large scale confrontation between the police forces of Gotham City and Bane (Tom Hardy)’s legions from the 2012 Christopher Nolan directed film. The Dark Knight Rises photos mostly feature Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) and Batman (Christian Bale).

The Dark Knight Rises Movie Banners: 

 

 

On the 4 The Dark Knight Rises Banners:

Look closely at the Catwoman image. That’s an exploding tumbler in the background and she’s raining bullets down the street. The Batman image looks like Matthew Modine’s character is behind him, as well as the rest of Gotham’s police force. Bane’s solo shot is probably the mirror to the Batman one with his own army and it looks like he has three tumblers. Wait, weren’t those specially made for Wayne Enterprises? The plot thickens.

Finally, the showdown image is the perfect representation of Batman vs. Bane with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Just really evocative, awesome stuff.

The Catwoman, Bane, and Batman The Dark Knight Rises photos:

 

The Dark Knight Rises‘ plot synopsis: “Details about the film’s storyline are scarce, but it has already been established that one of villains set to take on the Batman (Christian Bale) will be the powerhouse known as Bane (Tom Hardy). Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), better known to comics fans as Catwoman, will also have a central role in the movie.”

The Dark Knight Rises‘ cast also includes Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Josh Stewart, Daniel Sunjata, Burn Gorman, Diego Klattenhoff, Josh Pence, Matthew Modine, Tom Conti, Joey King, Alon Aboutboul, Nestor Carbonell, Brett Cullen, and Juno Temple.

The Dark Knight Rises opens in US theaters through Warner Bros. Pictures on July 20, 2012.

Batman fans look!!! THE DARK KNIGHT RISES main poster is here!

Warner Bros. has just released the main one-sheet art of its upcoming blockbuster “The Dark Knight Rises,” the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.

Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar® winner Christian Bale again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar® winner Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake.

Returning to the main cast, Oscar® winner Michael Caine plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman reprises the role of Lucius Fox.

The screenplay is written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer.

In helming the film, Christopher Nolan is utilizing IMAX® cameras even more extensively than he did on “The Dark Knight,” which had marked the first time ever that a major feature film was partially shot with IMAX cameras.

“The Dark Knight Rises” is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures. Slated for release beginning July 19, 2012, the film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES headlines Entertainment Weekly's 2012 Summer Movie Preview issue

Christopher Nolan knows that The Dark Knight Rises, his third and final film starring Christian Bale as Batman, is one of the most eagerly anticipated films of the year. But the spoiler-averse director is reluctant to reveal too much about his work before its July 20 release. “So what can I not tell you about my film,” he says by way of the greeting during a break from editing Rises in Los Angeles.

Even so, Nolan did expand upon our first preview of Rises (which took you to the set and offered some insight into the movie’s story and themes) and shared some intel about Batman’s latest cinematic adversaries. First, there’s Bane (played by Inception alum Tom Hardy), a cunning, hulking terrorist with a menacing respirator-mask and a small army bent on sacking Gotham City. “He represents formidable physical strength, combined with absolute evil of intention,” says Nolan.

Hardy’s Bane has another defining characteristic that perhaps you’ve heard about, or perhaps have heard and didn’t understand: a curiously accented voice that’s further muffled by the rogue’s high-tech muzzle. “It’s a risk, because we could be laughed at — or it could be very fresh and exciting,” says Hardy, adding that the voice he developed was influenced by many factors, including a desire to honor the comic book character’s brains and Caribbean heritage. “The audience mustn’t be too concerned about the mumbly voice,” says Hardy. “As the film progresses, I think you’ll be able to tune to its setting.”

And then there’s Anne Hathaway as Selena Kyle, the latest incarnation of Batverse femme fatale Catwoman. Nolan’s take on the character is no campy sexpot or frazzled ghoul but a shifty cipher, calloused survivor, and world-class criminal. Says Nolan, “She has a very strong way of protecting herself and those she cares about, which implies an underlying darkness.” Hathaway says she prepared for the role by reading the comics and studying the moves of Hedy Lamarr and Jean Harlow, the two screen legends that inspired the original conception of the comic book villainess.

The actress also found herself a trainer. “I had to physically transform,” says Hathaway, calling from London, where she’s currently shooting Les Misérables with Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe. “Chris sat me down at the beginning and said, ‘Joseph Gordon-Levitt did all of his own fighting in Inception. That one zero-gravity fight? He trained for two months.’ I basically left his office and went to the gym and just came out about five minutes ago.”

Source: Entertainment Weekly