UPDATE: Turns out, the images are banners as they were just "officially" released by Yahoo! Movies.
Omelete.com.br has posted five new international posters for The Dark Knight, opening in conventional theaters and IMAX on July 18. You can check them all out by clicking one of the posters below!
Clowns on the ground in the various cities are getting to see the trailer after completing their tasks! 'Nightcrow' wrote from London:
I just got back from the trailer...it was quite crazy...they handed us Joker cards and a raffle ticket.
They then handed a tin to some guy in the crowd and told us all to walk to the Odeon cinema.
We all sat down in anticipation...and they showed us the trailer....and AWESOME AWESOME trailer!!!
At then end of the trailer, they called out a raffle ticket number and some lucky guy got the reel of the actual trailer...lets see if it comes up online. ;-)
UPDATE: Uhm, yeah, for some reason we don't think the fans online participating in these virals will be happy about this one. While the ground crews got to see the trailer today WITH HELP from the online fans, the online fans will have to wait until SUNDAY to see the trailer online. Fair much? You decide...
Anyways, the trailer looks to be hitting WhySoSerious.com/HappyTrails on Sunday. In the meantime, you can burn off your frustration by shooting ducks here (shooting the ducks only on row 2 in this order - YBBYYYYBBYBBY - will make you a winner and take you to the "HappyTrails" site linked above).
The five new banners/posters for The Dark Knight yesterday weren't enough for ya? Okay, let's add some more outdoor artwork to the mix then. You can view a bigger version by clicking it below.
Warner Home Video sent us this interview with award-winning writer Alan Burnett discussing Batman Gotham Knight, the third DC Universe animated original movie coming to stores on July 8. We've also added more photos below.
Alan Burnett has spent more consecutive years "in the Batcave" than anyone in animation history.
Not counting his stint on "Super Friends" in 1983, Burnett has constantly helped bring the Batman's legacy to animation since 1991 when he began scripting episodes of "Batman: The Animated Series," the Emmy®-winning production widely considered a pivotal moment in American animation.
This summer, the latest animated venture into the Dark Knight's mythos takes an altogether different approach than anything produced during Burnett's 17-year association with the character. Burnett served as movie story editor and the writer of the anchoring segment of "Batman Gotham Knight," the third in the ongoing series of DC Universe animated original PG-13 movies.
"Batman Gotham Knight" is a fresh and exciting new film weaving six interlocking stories that reveal Bruce Wayne's journey to The Dark Knight, each with stylish art from some of the world's most revered Japanese animation visionaries. The film features stories written by several of the most talented scribes of film, comic books and animation, including Burnett, Academy Award®-nominated screenwriter Josh Olson ("A History of Violence"), David S. Goyer ("Batman Begins, Jordan Goldberg (Associate Producer, "The Dark Knight"), and award-winning comics writers Greg Rucka and Brian Azzarello.
Burnett, Azzarello and Josh Olson, along with producer Bruce Timm, have already confirmed their participation on the panel following the world premiere of "Batman Gotham Knight" at Wizard World Chicago in late June. "Batman Gotham Knight" will arrive July 8, 2008 on DVD and Blu-Ray disc, and will also be available that day On Demand via digital cable and for download through broadband sites. The film is produced as a collaboration between DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Animation.
An anime fan, Burnett said he was very intrigued and inspired by the idea of allowing Japanese directors to have relatively free reign on the animated look of Batman.
"From a visual point of view, this is the most stylized Batman that's come out of Warner Bros. -- what they've done is really eye-catching, and it truly expands his world," Burnett said. "Their visualization of Gotham City is stunning, and it's very interesting to see how they've envisioned Batman, his environment and his action and movements."
Burnett's stellar talents have merited four Emmy Awards, three Annie Awards and two Humanitas Prizes. His work within the Batman realm includes as a series producer on "Batman and Superman" and "Batman Beyond," and most recently as supervising producer and story editor for Warner Bros. Animation's four-time Emmy Award-winning series "The Batman." In the direct-to-DVD arena, Burnett co-produced and co-wrote the animated feature film "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm," was supervising producer and writer for "Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman," and served as producer on the feature-length "Batman Beyond: Return of The Joker."
For "Batman Gotham Knight," Burnett served as story editor for the entire film, and writer of the sixth and final segment, "Deadshot." The segment ties together threads from all the film's chapters as Batman must thwart an unerring assassin whose love of guns and disregard for human life lets him cross lines that even a Dark Knight shies away from.
Burnett said having the opportunity to finally bring the villainous Deadshot to the screen was instant motivation to pen the script. First, "Batman Gotham Knight" provided the perfect vehicle for a villain associated solely with guns an attitude that flies in direct opposition to Batman's anti-gun approach to heroism. The anti-gun theme is prevalent throughout the film. Moreover, because television standards do not allow the use of "real" bullets in children's programming, Deadshot has been kept out of Batman's animated legacy. For Burnett, this was the first opportunity to portray Deadshot as he is known in comics.
"I've always liked Deadshot as a villain, and I really like stories with assassins," Burnett explained. "The fact that they're killers, and what they do has impact, automatically heightens the energy of the story."
In addition to writing the script "Deadshot," Burnett also story-edited the film, ensuring all six scripts from six different, widely-acclaimed writers worked fluidly together to interconnect into one story. The ever-modest Burnett said his job entailed little more than a few alterations for flow and continuity while he attempted to maintain each writer's individualism.
"I thought it was important to keep the integrity of each writer's words," Burnett said. "The writers all pretty much had the same voice for Batman, so I had to change very little dialogue just small fixes to tie up loose ends, and reinforce transitions and connections between the stories. But I did as little editing as I could because I respected what the writers wrote, and I thought it was important that their voice was heard. Just as the artists made their segments their own, so should the writers."
Overall, Burnett is pleased with the final product, and excited to see the fans' reactions to the film particularly the use of shorter segments to tell great Batman stories.
"For my segment, I think the first Deadshot murder is quite good there's a lot of eye candy within the cityscape. The artists added fireworks and balloons and a lot of interesting elements to what ultimately is a cold-blooded murder," Burnett said. "I like the short-form for Batman, because it feels almost like a 22-page comic book story. In short form, the stakes are elevated from the beginning, and it gives you a chance to really heighten the action quickly so you can make your points hard and fast and get out.
In a new interview with the Los Angeles Times, Aaron Eckhart didn't shy away from dropping some big details about Two-Face in The Dark Knight. If you don't want to know a thing about the character in Christopher Nolan's movie, then be sure to turn back now!
Still here? Okay, here's just a small clip:
"I can tell you that, basically, when you look at Two-Face, you should get sick to your stomach. Being the guy under all that, well, that was a lot of fun for me. It's like you would feel if you met someone whose face had pretty much been ripped off or burned off with acid. I can't talk about it beyond that because I don't want to give away too much of the plans by Chris."
The thing is, he and Nolan did give away more in the interview, which includes a new photo and can be read in full here! The Batman Begins follow-up hits conventional theaters and IMAX on July 18.
The New Dark Knight Trailer! Source: Superhero Hype! May 4, 2008
Warner Bros. Pictures has brought online the new trailer for Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, hitting conventional theaters and IMAX on July 18. The Batman Begins follow-up stars Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman.
In the film, Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good with the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Eckhart). The triumvirate proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as the Joker (Ledger), who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces the Dark Knight ever closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante.
You can watch the trailer in High Definition QuickTime and Flash format here!
Brian Azzarello on Batman Gotham Knight Source: Warner Home Video May 8, 2008
Warner Home Video has provided us with this new Q&A with Eisner Award-winning writer Brian Azzarello in which he discusses writing for the upcoming DC Universe original animated DVD, Batman Gotham Knight, in stores on July 8. Additional photos are below the interview as well:
One of the most sought-after writers in comics today, Brian Azzarello is one of the six acclaimed scribes to pen a segment within "Batman Gotham Knight," the third in the ongoing series of DC Universe animated original PG-13 movies.
Unlike many of his past works, Azzarello's segment entitled "Working Though Pain" takes a decidedly non-violent direction. The segment, which falls chronologically as the fifth of the six segments, explores an early chapter of Bruce Wayne's training as a mysterious and exotic Indian woman named Cassandra introduces Batman to techniques that would help him to conquer the physical and spiritual consequences of what he does.
Azzarello achieved widespread notoriety and garnered multiple Eisner Awards for "100 Bullets," a collaboration with artist Eduardo Risso which was published by Vertigo for DC Comics. He has continually broken new ground with offerings like Vertigo's "Jonny Double," "Hellblazer" and "Loveless" series. Azzarello is no stranger to Batman, having written for the character in "Broken City," "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire," within the "Batman Gotham Knights" series and in "Lex Luthor: Man of Steel."
A Chicago resident, Azzarello will travel across town to join fellow "Batman Gotham Knight" writers Alan Burnett and Josh Olson, along with producer Bruce Timm, for the film's world premiere at Wizard World Chicago in late June. "Batman Gotham Knight" will arrive July 8, 2008 on DVD and Blu-Ray disc, and will also be available that day On Demand via digital cable and for download through broadband sites. The film is produced as a collaboration between DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Animation.
Azzarello took time away from his Mac Power Book to discuss "Batman Gotham Knight," the character of Batman, the motivations of a writer, and a little cooking, too.
Question: For starters, what was your overall impression of "Batman Gotham Knight," and were you pleased with your segment?
Brian Azzarello says:
I liked the film it's a very interesting take on the Batman character. It holds together cohesively, yet each episode is strikingly different. And I loved (my segment) it's great. I really liked the animation. It was fascinating seeing my words moving around. When I write, I see it in print I don't see it moving. So it was fun and it was a good experience.
Question: How did you find the translation from your written page to the vision of the Japanese director and artists?
Brian Azzarello says:
I was surprised how seamless the translation was. I definitely got what I wrote. The hospital scene is almost exactly the way I thought of it, while the fight scenes that's where the animators really put their "wow" into it. But I expected that. Usually that's where the animators just go crazy.
Question: Were there any particular visuals that struck you within your segment?
Brian Azzarello says:
Seeing wounded Batman now that struck me. I enjoy wounded Batman. It humanizes him. It showed a true physical struggle, and that's something you can relate to. And the character Cassandra was a bit hotter than I thought she'd be but that's okay.
Question: When you're writing for comics and now for animation do you put fairly detailed direction between the dialogue, or is it more of a collaborative process for you and the artist/animator?
Brian Azzarello says:
I wrote the script and then I handed it off, and that's pretty much the same relationship I have in comics. I really trust my collaborators, and I try to leave them plenty of room so they can bring their strengths to the work. I think that happened in this film, and definitely for my segment the animation is just amazing. Really amazing.
I have more of an affinity for the stage than I do for the screen, so I'm very conscious of the dialogue. And because I've always worked with collaborators, I tend to leave the visuals up to them on purpose. It's my belief that if I get the dialogue right, and the artist understands what motivates the characters and what they're saying, then the visuals will come.
Question: You're fairly particular about the projects you accept. How'd you get involved with this film, and what made you say yes?
Brian Azzarello says:
Gregory Noveck of DC Comics talked to my agent, then I had a conference call to discuss the story. They explained the film to me in broad strokes, and asked me to come up with an idea. I chose to focus more on Bruce Wayne, and they liked my pitch. As always happens, they needed the script yesterday, and I was I was on my way to Europe at the time. All I can tell you is that the hotel room in Barcelona was pretty nice, but I can't tell you much about the city.
Question: You were quoted in a UGO article as saying "Hollywood is nowhere I aspire to be" and yet, here you are. What happened?
Brian Azzarello says:
Well, the production may be in Hollywood, but I'm in Chicago and I'm going to stay here. Is that semantics? I'm not sure. I enjoy doing the work, and I really liked writing for this project I'd like to do it again. And I know there are people that would kill to work in Hollywood. I'm just not one of those people. I'll do it, I have done it, but the project has to be right. I've been asked to write a lot of things that I've declined mainly because the projects didn't interest me. If I were just writing to pull a paycheck, there's a lot of other things I could be doing.
Question: What's your motivation for writing?
Brian Azzarello says:
If I have a story, if I have something to say, that's my motivation. For this film, I had something to say about Bruce Wayne as a character, what his motivations are. That there's something dark and wrong about what drives him. Batman is a super hero and he does good. But I think the Bruce Wayne part of the character's motivation is slightly twisted. Bruce's motivations don't come from a good place. He's angry and, in that revenge is really his goal, he's a dishonest character. That's why he has to wear a mask. He's doing good, but he's not doing all the right things for all the right reasons.
That plays into this story. It should be a story about non-violence, but that's the lesson that Bruce doesn't learn. On the surface, Bruce is on a spiritual journey, but his spirit was corrupted when his parents were killed. And it's not something that I think he's even interested in fixing.
Question: How much research was involved in scripting a story set in India that focuses on the mind-over-matter theme of conquering your pain from within?
Brian Azzarello says:
I spent a lot of time surfing (the Internet) it's a wonder how we all have libraries at our fingerprints these days. I needed to do research on India, and I gathered a lot of information on pain management. What I learned is that a lot of pain management practitioners are con men.
Question: You've had some notable experience working on Batman can you compare the differences in working on this Batman tale vs. "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire" and "Broken City" or the "Batman: Gotham Knights" comics?
Brian Azzarello says:
Every time I approach Batman, I like to come from a different angle. In Deathblow, I saw him as a James Bond-type but on an urban level. For Broken City, he was the bitter private eye. On this project, I guess he's lying to himself. He's not intentionally conning Cassandra, but he does ultimately con her. He wants to learn what she knows, but he doesn't want to know it for the reasons she teaches it. She finally figures out that he's doing it for the wrong reason, but it isn't until the end and it's not until then that even he understands that he's been lying to himself.
Question: What are you reading these days?
Brian Azzarello says:
I have a stack of books The Crime Writer by Gregg Hurwitz; one of Jason Starr's novels; and then I've got Mario Batali's Italian Grill cookbook. I actually read a lot of cookbooks I grew up around cooking, and cooking really relaxes me. Nine times out of 10, I'm cooking something Italian, but the weather is turning, so my grill has been fired up a lot lately. I love barbeque it's great to cook something for 8-10 hours. That's such an American way of cooking, but I try to bring a lot of Mediterranean influences into that.
Question: So if you could hand-pick your next achievement, what would it be win another Eisner, write the next Batman, or have your own show on Food Network?
Brian Azzarello says:
Well, having my own cooking show sounds like no work at all. Winning another Eisner would be nice. But I think I'd have to pick writing the next Batman that would be the biggest challenge for me. As a freelancer, if you're not challenging yourself, nobody is. Every day I have to paint myself into a corner and then write my way out of it.
Hello there, long time reader, first time contributor. Anyway, I work at a movie theatre and we just today got in and assembled a new standee for "The Dark Knight." It's very similar to one of the previous posters, but it's fairly 3-dimensional (and was very hard to put together). I don't know if you post things like this, but here are two pictures I managed to snap off before the bigwig came out to check our progress. Thanks for all the info over the years, and keep up the good work.
Kevin Conroy on Voicing Batman Gotham Knight Source: Warner Home Video May 14, 2008
Warner Home Video has provided us with this new Q&A with Kevin Conroy in which he discusses voicing the title character in the upcoming DC Universe original animated DVd, Batman Gotham Knight, in stores on July 8. You'll find photos below the interview as well:
Kevin Conroy had studied for and starred on the stage, advanced his career through soap operas, and was featured in television series like "Dynasty" and "Tour of Duty." He had no idea that stepping into a sound booth in 1991 to audition for his first cartoon voiceover role would forever cement his place in the annals of animation and help to extend the Batman legacy to untold legions of fans.
Conroy quickly became the Batman voice by which all others are judged and rarely assessed as an equal. He has cast a loud shadow in voicing the Dark Knight and Bruce Wayne for 17 years, beginning with "Batman: The Animated Series" and continuing through 16 films, video games and animated series (covering more than 220 episodes). He reprises the role in triumphant fashion in "Batman Gotham Knight," the highly-anticipated third film in the ongoing series of DC Universe animated original PG-13 movies.
"Batman Gotham Knight" will arrive July 8, 2008 on DVD and Blu-Ray disc, and will also be available that day On Demand via digital cable and for download through broadband sites. The film is produced as a collaboration between DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Animation. The film will receive its world premiere at Wizard World Chicago in late June.
From his home in New York City, Conroy spoke at length about the film, his ongoing relationship with the character, and the surprising manner in which he first approached and procured the role of Batman.
Question:
What are your impressions of the film?
Kevin Conroy:
It's a really rich experience. The artwork in this film is so beautiful, so amazing. I love the adult-themed animated shows like "The Simpsons" and "South Park" and "King of the Hill." I love the appeal of their writing, the irony, the sense of humor. Those are great animated productions. But you forget just how rich animation artwork can be until you see a film like this. There's just no comparison. I've never seen anything like this in terms of diverse and rich animation in the industry it's like getting six movies in one.
The story is very interesting, especially the way it weaves in and out of Bruce Wayne's history like the flashback to him training in India, learning to endure pain. It's very well conceived story and I think it enhances a lot of the Batman mythology.
I don't think there's any question the fans will love it, because it's such a deep animation experience, and it gives such great background into a character they already love. It's a very positive piece.
Question:
After three years away from the character, what were the challenges of donning the cape once again?
Kevin Conroy:
Getting back into the Batman voice was not hard after so many years, it's so familiar to me now that it's like putting on an old coat. As you live with a character over the years, you fill out the skin. You don't even realize you're doing it. Sometimes they ask during a recording session, "What sound would Batman make here?" or "What would he say here" and they trust me to do that. They know I've been living with him for so long, I know what he'd say, and how he'd react.
Question:
Batman Gotham Knight has essentially 12 different looks at your characters nine of Batman and three of Bruce Wayne, varying in design and age range. Were there any challenges to maintaining the consistency of your performance despite voicing to so many different image variations?
Kevin Conroy:
In the past, we've always treated the shows like a radio play we recorded the lines and then the animation took place. This time, the artwork came first, and that made the process interesting. Sometimes the artists put extra mouth flaps in, or they made the cadence different from the way I'd usually deliver a line. So we had to work within those parameters and try to time the acting to fill the space.
Interestingly, they originally they were going to cast another actor to do the younger Bruce Wayne, and Andrea (Romano) convinced them to let me take a stab at it. I had done the younger voice in a number of the "Batman: The Animated Series" flashbacks, so Andrea knew that I could do it. And once I got into the studio and gave them a sample, they were convinced. The challenge is making the distinctions you have to make concessions for youth and give the character the sound of a younger man, while still believably being the same guy.
Question:
At its core, this film represents several different perspectives of Batman, providing many different layers to the character. Can you discuss that range of emotions the film explores, and to what depths you reach to capture those emotions?
Kevin Conroy:
It's that delicate balance you get in voices. As an actor, it's still the same job it's acting except that you only have your voice, and you have to be a little more precise in finding the balance. You have to keep it very minimal and you don't want to be too cartoony, but at the same time you only have your voice to tell the story so you have to juice it up a bit. Sometimes the hardest acting is in the non-dialogue aspects of the performance. As an example, there was one long scream when Batman is falling down a series of ladders into a pit. They recorded that over and over and over again, trying to figure out how to do it just right, and not overdue it. I had to give them lots of variations and I'm sure they picked the best one later. Overall, it was a little challenging with the different artistic styles and the different stories, but it was still Batman.
Question:
The legions of Batman animation fans have hailed you as the definitive voice of the character. How did you originally settle on that particular voice?
Kevin Conroy:
To tell the truth, after reading the original script, I really went to audition for the character voices like Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Bullock. Like most actors, I really love to be challenged, and I thought they'd be more interesting and really push me. And then Bruce (Timm) and Andrea (Romano) said they wanted to hear me do Batman. The only exposure I'd had was the campy Adam West live-action series, and they said that wasn't what they wanted. So I put myself into a very dark place in my voice, and my voice got deeper and darker and huskier, and it came out very mysterious. I really just took a stab at what I thought the voice would be, and then I saw Bruce and Andrea and Paul (Dini) running around the booth, so I knew I either was very good or very bad. That's how it started -- just me in a sound booth, them on the other side of the glass describing the character, and then the voice just came out of my imagination. And it worked. So initially I was much more interested in doing the character voices, but luckily they talked me into Batman.
Question:
Do you require a certain mindset to approach the voice of Batman?
There's an emotional place I go to Bruce (Timm) says he see it in me in the booth. It's much more a psychology than just producing the sound. Batman is very complex. The Bruce Wayne voice is the real put-on. This is a guy who saw his parents murdered in front of him, and nobody would be normal and together after that. He feels like a freak inside. So to do the voice, you have to take on all that drama.
That's why everyone relates to Batman because everyone feels like a freak inside. Everyone has ghosts that they don't want to show anyone else. All of us feel like we have that inside us. For me, that's one of the most interesting aspects of the character that a super hero would ultimately be based on that inner-freak that we all feel that we have.
Question:
In your mind, what's special about playing Batman?
Kevin Conroy:
I think what I didn't anticipate about voicing Batman was the fact that I was playing an icon I just didn't take into account how much Batman meant to so many people. Coming from a very conservative background, and not having extensive exposure to comic books and the character, it just never occurred to me. So in the beginning, I only thought of it as an acting job.
Question:
And now you're an icon in the Batman universe?
Kevin Conroy:
I'm always flattered that people actually know who the voices are. It seems to me such an anonymous job. But periodically, somebody recognizes me it happened in a furniture store recently. To me, that's truly amazing first that someone knows who does the voice, and it's even more amazing that someone would know the face of the voice. I think a lot of the reason that I'm so linked to Batman is because I've been doing it for so long. Before "Batman: The Animated Series," there really hadn't been a voice aside from Adam West. People knew Batman from the campy live action series, and the fans knew the Dark Knight comic books, but there hadn't been a voice associated with the character, and certainly not a dramatic voice. I think I just lucked out because I was the one who started with it, and people grew up with that voice.
Auction to Attend the Dark Knight Premiere & After Party Source: Charitybuzz.com May 14, 2008
Charitybuzz.com is hosting an online auction benefiting Bette Midler's New York Restoration Project (online until May 29th). One item in the auction will surely turn Batman fans' heads, as they are offering the following:
"Fly to LA with JetBLUE and Attend the Premiere and After Party of The Dark Knight"
This Package Includes: 2 tickets to Premiere & After Party. Premiere will be held in LA, July 2008- exact date TBD PLUS roundtrip airfare for 2 from JetBLUE.
Donations from the charitybuzz online auction will help the nonprofit New York Restoration Project (NYRP) to reclaim, restore, and develop under-resourced parks, community gardens, and open space in New York City, primarily in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.
The third TV spot for Warner Bros.' The Dark Knight has aired on TV and can now be watched online here!
Opening in conventional theaters and IMAX on July 18, the Christopher Nolan-directed sequel stars Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman.
THE DARK KNIGHT GALA
A NIGHT HONORING FILMMAKER CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
IMAX Theatre | 600 E. Grand Avenue
You are cordially invited to a once-in-a-lifetime Gala evening honoring filmmaker Christopher Nolan!
Cinema/Chicago, the 44th Chicago International Film Festival and Warner Bros. Pictures proudly present the first Chicago showing of THE DARK KNIGHT, the follow-up to the action hit Batman Begins. THE DARK KNIGHT reunites filmmaker Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in his continuing war on crime. The City of Chicago is prominently showcased in the film, with shots of the old Chicago Post Office, the State of Illinois Center, the IBM Building, Upper and Lower Wacker Drive, and LaSalle Street, among other locations.
The evening will include a tribute to filmmaker Christopher Nolan followed by a screening of THE DARK KNIGHT in IMAX®, which features six sequences shot with IMAX® cameras. “Nolan’s work has captivated both critics and audiences alike. Memento remains one of the great directorial and writing achievements in cinema. He is a modern writer/director who approaches all aspects of his work with a style and sophistication seen only amongst the most elite tier of filmmakers,” remarks Festival Founder and Artistic Director Michael Kutza.
A dinner reception will follow the tribute and screening in the stunning Crystal Gardens at Navy Pier, lit up by a spectacular fireworks display. The Gala will benefit Cinema/Chicago, its year-round educational programs, and the 44th Chicago International Film Festival.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Legendary Pictures, a Syncopy Production, a Christopher Nolan film, THE DARK KNIGHT. Nolan directed the film from a screenplay written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Charles Roven, Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan are the producers, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E.Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull serving as executive producers. THE DARK KNIGHT is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane.
Evening Program:
5:30PM Red Carpet Arrivals
6:30PM Tribute and Award Presentation to filmmaker Christopher Nolan
7:00PM Gala screening of The Dark Knight
9:30PM - 11:30PM Dinner Reception at The Crystal Gardens
TICKET PRICE:
Advance ticket price: $150/ticket if purchased by June 1
After June 1: $175/ticket
TICKETS ON SALE AT 9:00AM ON FRIDAY, MAY 16! LIMIT 4 PER PERSON.
PRESALE tickets available to Cinema/Chicago members May 12-15.
To purchase tickets, please call 312-683-0121 x154, or click here.
New Joker Banner for The Dark Knight! Source: Warner Bros. Pictures May 16, 2008
Batman-on-Film.com has debuted the excellent new Joker banner for The Dark Knight, opening in conventional theaters and IMAX on July 18. You can view the full banner by clicking the image below!
"The Dark Knight" (not yet rated): Christopher Nolan's next take on Batman (Christian Bale). This time around, we also get the Joker (the late Heath Ledger) and Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). The buzz is deafening.
The Dark Knight: The Set Visit! Source: Scott Chitwood June 16, 2008
On June 29th, 2007, I got the chance to visit the set of The Dark Knight (TDK) in Chicago for ComingSoon.net and Superhero Hype!. Being a lifelong Batman fan, this was an absolute dream come true for me. After taking the morning to walk around Chicago's beautiful downtown skyscrapers, I met up with the rest of the visiting press and headed by bus to the set. The production was shooting at Chicago's old Post Office. TDK actually took over the entire old building and was shooting many scenes in and around the location. They began filming on April 13, 2007 and would continue shooting through November. The production then moved to London and Hong Kong.
As we arrived at the Post Office, it didn't take long to realize we were on the set of the Batman film. As soon as we drove in the gate, I saw a large sign on the building that read "Gotham Police Department" (View Set Pics).
Security was tight on the set and as soon as we got off the bus we were issued badges. The letters "RFK" were on them which stood for "Rory's First Kiss," the cover name for the production. (Not much of a cover considering all the "Gotham" signs all over the place!) Our group was then led through the old Post Office building. We immediately encountered extras dressed as SWAT team members. I joked, "Boy, they really are strict about security!" As we made our way through the maze-like building, we saw signs that read "To Set Vault". This would make more sense as we arrived at a tent at the back of the building.
As we entered the press tent, several things were immediately apparent. Around the walls were large images of the Batpod, Heath Ledger as the Joker, some new Bat costume production art, and the TDK bat logo. Also in the room was the new Batman suit hanging in a corner. And oddly enough, it took a while to notice one of the most significant items in the room the new Joker costume. We were able to inspect all of these in great detail.
I first went up to the Batman costume. As you've no doubt seen in the photos, it's a bit different than the previous Batman costume. There's a mesh undersuit with many, many armor pieces glued to it. I looked very closely at the pieces glued to the suit and discovered that some were solid black and some were a bit translucent. You could see the mesh through it. Also notable was the neck. Rather than being big and bulky like the "Begins" costume, it was very thin and made of several pieces. As the costumer would later tell us, they actually had to scale down the Bat mask so it wouldn't look so huge on the smaller neck. Also noteworthy was the bat logo being significantly smaller and split in two pieces. When I asked the costumer about it later, he said there was actually some debate for a time whether to even have the logo or not. Fortunately, they kept it. I also noticed that the Batman cape was significantly darker than the rest of the costume. When I touched it (I couldn't resist), it actually felt like velvet. I then decided to touch Batman's prongs on his gauntlet. They were flexible foam pieces, but they were very tough. We all wondered how Batman got his mask on and off. Later in the day when they dismantled the costume in front of us, I saw them take his cowl off first. The line is basically along his jaw, under his chin, and back around the back of his head. The mesh goes up to the top of his neck, then there's a hood that goes over the top of his head. He's essentially wearing a hoodie under the cowl. (The costume was actually mounted on a casting of Bale's body.) I also got to see what was under the cape. It was laced up in the back and there was no bat butt. (I knew you were wondering.) All in all, the costume looked great, and very functional, in person.
I then moved to the Joker costume. At the time we visited the set, very little had been revealed about the Joker. So I was a bit stunned to see how much the TDK Joker costume looked like a traditional Joker costume. It had a dark purple trench coat and purple pants with stripes. Inside were a dark blue coat and a dark green vest. Underneath that was a blue tie and a blue shirt with hexagons all over it. On the pants was a silver chain, but no pocket watch (possibly part of a weapon?). Also included were dark purple gloves and black shoes. It wasn't over the top, but it was definitively "Joker," too.
In the middle of the room was a video monitor where we got to watch filming that was going on in the main building. Throughout the day and during the interviews we got to see take after take of a scene involving Jim Gordon and Batman. The scene would be shot from one side, then another, then in close up, etc. etc etc. We saw bits and pieces filmed out of order, but I'll piece together the entire scene for you from what we saw. (The dialogue varied slightly in every take and some dialogue couldn't be heard over the TV, so it could be different in the film.)
The scene begins inside a vault at the Gotham National Bank. Obviously, the Joker and his gang have just struck. Detectives are taking photos of a dead Joker goon outside an open vault door. You can see a clown mask lying on the ground next to him. Gary Oldman as Lieutenant Gordon walks in the vault along with Monique Curnen who plays Detective Ramirez. Gordon holds an envelope and a security photo of the Joker. Gordon says, "What's he hiding underneath that makeup?" Suddenly, Batman walks into the vault. Detective Ramirez turns around, surprised. She looks at Gordon then says to the other cops, "Can we get a minute people, please?" She then leaves along with the other cops. Gordon says something and Batman replies, "Him again? Where are the others?"
Gordon: "Just another bunch of small timers."
Batman walks up to a cart with some cash on it. He pulls a small device from his belt and it pops open. It has a blue light and a radiation symbol. Batman waves it over the cash, "Some of the marked bills I gave you." Batman takes the cash bundle and throws it to Gordon who catches it. Gordon replies, "We found the bulk of the dirty cash. My detectives have been making drug buys with it for weeks. This bank was another drop for the mob. This makes five."
Batman: "Time to move in."
Gordon: "We would have to hit all banks simultaneously. SWAT teams, backup "
Batman says something, and Gordon asks, "What about this Joker guy?"
Batman: "One man or the entire mob? He can wait."
Gordon: "When the new DA gets wind of this, he'll want in."
Batman: "Do you trust him?"
Gordon: "It will be hard to keep him out. He's as stubborn as you."
Gordon looks up from putting evidence in an envelope and sees Batman has disappeared again. He shakes his head and the scene ends.
We were told this scene happens early in the film. It was also worth noting that Christian Bale was wearing the old Batman Begins costume in the scene. This obviously takes place before his big wardrobe change.
As filming continued taking place, we first spoke with Aaron Eckhart. This was his day off, but he graciously came in to work to talk to us. We knew he played Harvey Dent, but he did reveal one big secret to us he actually turns into Two-Face in The Dark Knight. (This was a major secret at the time we visited the set.) Throughout the day we continued talking with cast and crew as shooting continued on the monitor next to us. As the interviews continued, I would sneak glances at what was happening on the set. What I saw ended up being almost as interesting as some of the stuff said in the interviews.
Between takes people would fiddle with Batman's costume. One time a guy that looked like he was from ZZ Top picked at it, another time it was director Christopher Nolan. Occasionally I'd see Christian Bale cracking up at something that happened on set. It was weird seeing Batman actually smiling. Then, as the scene would start, he'd go completely stone faced again. At another point, he took the radiation device off his belt during a close up and it broke. Turns out a magnet holding it to the belt needed to be glued back on.
But one of the funniest bloopers we saw unfolding before us involved Batman throwing the stack of money to Gordon. In one take, he'd throw it and Oldman would miss catching it. And it happened again. And again. And again. And again. The only time Oldman caught it was during a close-up when a guy o- set tossed it to him from short range. (Bale later joked it proved he was a bad tosser and Oldman wasn't a bad catcher. Oldman later said Nolan joked that he only caught it in the closeup to ensure that was the only usable take for the scene. A good acting trick, eh?) There were so many misses that both Oldman and Bale started cracking up after each miss. When Oldman finally did catch the money properly in a long shot, he only got about one line in the scene before Bale and Oldman started dying laughing again. Oldman literally laid down laughing on the table. So imagine Batman cracking up and Gordon lying on his side on a cart. That was the surreal scene before me and I was loving it. I hope that makes it on the DVD as a blooper.
After interviewing director Chris Nolan, the cast and crew all went to lunch. This was our opportunity to actually walk through the bank set. We walked through one part of the building and there was an actual vault door. I thought it might be fake, but when I knocked on it, it was definitely steel. It seemed to be part of the original Post Office. We then walked farther into the lobby of the original Post Office which they had converted into the Gotham National Bank (GNB). The set was incredibly detailed. There were deposit slips everywhere that said "Gotham National Bank." I can't tell you how badly I wanted to swipe one for a souvenir. (But I didn't!) There were also GNB signs, loan applications, and even ATM's. At one end of the lobby a fake wall had been destroyed. We were told this was where the Joker's truck had been driven through a wall. There was also some glass at some desks that had been shattered. But a small office in the middle of the lobby showed the most damage. Glass from a window was shattered and was all over the floor, surrounded by Gotham Police crime scene tape.
We walked further into the lobby and found the bank vault set where the earlier scene had taken place. It turns out that some old PO Boxes were doubling for safe deposit boxes in the vault. A fake door and bars had been added to the hallway to make it look like a vault. A drill, Joker goon mask, and crime scene kit set outside the fake vault door. It certainly looked a lot bigger on the monitor we were watching.
After touring the vault set in person, we went to lunch where we joined extras dressed like SWAT team members, police, and civilians. We even saw Gary Oldman's stand-in. After lunch we returned to the press tent for more interviews and to watch more scenes. (Exhaust from nearby trucks made me start wondering if WB was trying to gas us. Maybe my editor had ticked someone off and I was paying the price?) We watched the earlier scene being shot from new angles.
Finally, a new scene was shot. It chronologically took place immediately before Batman's scene with Gordon, but was shot later in the day. In the scene, Gordon enters the bank lobby and surveys the damage done by the Joker and his gang. Police are everywhere taking photos and collecting evidence. As Gordon walks in, Detective Ramirez hands him the security camera photo of Joker. Ramirez says, "He can't resist showing us his face." Gordon replies, "We should put up a big top in City Hall and sell tickets." They then walk off screen towards the vault.
Later, we saw another scene being filmed. In it, Gordon and four SWAT team members tear down a hallway and into an empty bank vault (different from the vault they were shooting in earlier, presumably at a different Gotham bank). Gordon walks in and yells, "Anarchy! It's empty!!" (In other takes he just yelled, "It's empty!!") Gordon looks down on the floor of the vault and sees stacks of money. (To me, they looked like they were laid in a specific pattern 2 stacks, 3 stacks, 2 stacks, and 3 stacks. We'll see if there's really any significance later.) In frustration, Gordon kicks the stack of money and walks out of the vault.
After watching this scene, we got our chance to talk with Gary Oldman. Oddly enough, he walked in with a huge Dunkin Donuts coffee cup. I don't know why my fellow press and I thought it was odd. Maybe such an accomplished actor is expected to walk around with a more refined coffee? Now if you ever go to a movie set, you realize that much of the time is spent just waiting around. I always wondered who the heck everyone was waiting on. Well, this time it was us. Our WB rep literally stalked Oldman, then pulled him off the set for 10 minutes to talk to us. He went from one scene, into the press tent, then back out again to shoot another scene.
After our final interview of the day, we went outside the Post Office building to watch one more scene being filmed. This time it was out on the open street where fans and passersby could watch. As we walked up, a couple dozen people were on the sidewalk looking across the street at filming. The Post Office had a large sign on it that said "Gotham National Bank." Out front of it were cabs marked "Gotham Cabs," GPD police cars with their lights on, and news vans marked "G11 News" and "GCN." Camera crews and reporters lined the street next to one of the gray unmarked police cars. As police lights flashed, the scene began. Gordon steps out of a car and the press mob him asking questions. "Who killed him?" "Who saved him?" "Lieutenant Gordon!" As cameras flash and microphones are pushed in his face, he makes his way through police tape and through a revolving door into the building. And thus he walks into the scene we saw filming earlier.
As all this went on, fans were taking pictures with their cameras, shooting movies while PA's chided them, and generally geeking out. While the scene shot, real traffic drove by it. One woman, thinking there was a police emergency, rolled down her window and asked the gawkers, "What happened??" It was fun to see.
You can read our on-set interviews using the links below!
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, Jordan Goldberg (Associate Producer, "The Dark Knight"), and award-winning comics writers Greg Rucka and Brian Azzarello. 
