Batman Begins is a 2005 superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman. Christopher Nolan directed the film, which stars Christian Bale as Batman, as well as Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman and Tom Wilkinson. The film reboots the Batman film series, telling the origin story of the character with inspirations from classic comic book storylines such as Batman: The Man Who Falls, Batman: Year One and Batman: The Long Halloween.

After a series of unsuccessful projects to resurrect Batman on screen following the critical and commercial failure of Batman and Robin (1997), Nolan and Goyer began work on this film in 2003. Aiming for a dark and realistic tone, the filmmakers created a new interpretation of the Batmobile, here a military vehicle called the “Tumbler”. The film was primarily shot in England and Chicago, and relied on traditional stunts and miniatures; computer-generated imagery was used minimally. Batman Begins was critically and commercially successful, and a sequel titled The Dark Knight was commissioned for a 2008 release with both Nolan and Bale returning.

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Christopher Nolan is set to return as director of the film. His brother Jonathan, AKA Jonah, is writing the screenplay. David Goyer is credited for writing the story along with Chris Nolan. The title of the film is THE DARK KNIGHT. This is the first Batman film without “Batman” in the title.

Christian Bale will reprise his role of The Batman/Bruce Wayne (This is the first time the same actor has played The Batman in back to back films since Michael Keaton did so in BATMAN and BATMAN RETURNS).

• Heath Ledger will portray The Joker.

• Sir Michael Caine will reprise his role as Alfred Pennyworth.
• The character of Harvey Dent will be in the film.
• According to producer Chuck Roven, a preshoot will take place in January ‘07 with full production set to begin in April.
• Hans Zimmer confirmed that he and James Newton Howard would return and score TDK.
• TDK will be released JULY 18, 2008.
• Lindy Hemming will return as costume designer for TDK.
• Wally Pfister will return as the director of photography for TDK.
• Nathan Crowley will return as the production designer TDK.
• TDK will return to Chicago, Illinois, USA for location filming during the summer of ‘07.
• Katie Holmes will not return and be a part of the cast of THE DARK KNIGHT.
• Aaron Eckhart will portray Gotham D.A. Harvey Dent.
• Maggie Gyllenhaal has joined the cast as “Rachel Dawes” in TDK.
• Morgan Freeman is returning to reprise his role as “Lucius Fox.”
• Chris Corbould is the F/X Supervisor for TDK. Nick Davis will supervise Visual Effects.
• William Finchtner is portraying a “bank manager.”
• Eric Roberts is portraying mob boss Sal Maroni.
• THEDARKKNIGHTMOVIE.COM goes live, 5/11/07.
• Nestor Carbonell is portraying the mayor of Gotham.
• IBELIEVEINHARVEYDENTTOO.COM goes live, 5/19/07.
• Anthony Michael Hall has been added to the cast.
• Bruce will live in a downtown penthouse ala the 70s comics.
• The Batman will wear a new Bat-Suit in TDK.
• A new Bat-Vehicle will be used in TDK — The Batpod.
• Melinda McGraw and Nathan Gamble have joined the cast as Jim Gordon’s wife and son, respectively.
• Michael Jai White has been cast as the gangster “Gamble.”
• Monique Curnen has been cast as “GPD Detective Ramirez.”
• Vincenzo Nicoli has been cast as a “Mob Boss.”
• Nydia Melroy has been cast as a “Gotham Judge.”

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Burbank, Calif., June 19, 2007 — Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) announced today that it has named the worlds leading toy manufacturer, Mattel, Inc., as the global master toy licensee for both Speed Racer and The Dark Knight, two of the biggest summer films coming out in 2008 from Warner Bros. Pictures. Mattel will apply its expertise across virtually all product lines including vehicles, action figures, action play, remote control vehicles, handheld electronics as well as games and puzzles. In Mattel, we have the best partner with the strongest track record of bringing great products and great stories together for a winning combination in the toy aisle. With these deals, we know that two of our most important tentpole films for 2008, Speed Racer and The Dark Knight, will be brought to life through products created by the most creative toy designers in the world,” said Brad Globe, president, Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

We have a strong, long-standing relationship with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and are thrilled to partner with them for two of the most anticipated films of 2008, said Neil Friedman, President, Mattel Brands. The distinctive visuals and stimulating races of Speed Racer, coupled with one of the most popular super hero film franchises of all time in The Dark Knight, provides us with a unique opportunity to create fun and innovative toys and games that bring the excitement and action of both films to life in a way that kids will love and remember.

On July 18, 2008, The Dark Knight, the second Batman film from director Christopher Nolan, arrives in theaters. Batman (Christian Bale) raises the stakes in his war on crime in Nolans The Dark Knight. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker (Heath Ledger).

The Dark Knight producer, Charles Roven added: Batman is an incredible franchise, and we are really excited about taking it to the next level with The Dark Knight. Along with the Batmobile we are introducing a new vehicle, the Batpod, a new Batsuit and some classic characters in The Joker and Harvey Dent. We are confident that fans around the world will enjoy the increased action and the continuation of a great story and we hope they appreciate the integrity and respect we’ve shown for this iconic character.

For their film-inspired product lines, Mattel will utilize the multiple elements introduced in The Dark Knight. A new Batsuit, a new vehicle in the form of the Batpod and multiple key action scenes that set the stage for inspired play. Mattels action figure line will feature Batman and the new Batsuit. Tyco R/C vehicles bring to life the speed and action of the Batmobile and the new Batpod. An entire line of action play items will allow boys to role-play being The Dark Knight. Additionally, Mattel will release a line of games and puzzles that will capture the film action through board games, puzzles and a special-edition UNO card game.

Products based on The Dark Knight are expected to begin arriving at retailers around the world beginning in early June 2008.

Source : TDK Official Press Release

The last 24 hours have been full of conspiracy theories, sadness, reaction, and grief. Not only from family and friends, but also the many millions of fans Ledger had around the world.

The first medical examination of his body has now taken place, and the results were reported to be inconclusive. The medical examiner has said that it will take about 10 days for the results. This is unfortunate as it will just add fuel to the rumours that there was more to Heath’s death than first meets the eye.

Whatever the cause, the whole of the movie industry has been shocked and saddened by the loss of such a promising young actor, and someone many people admired as just a nice guy.

His friends and colleagues have paid their respects and shared their grief over his premature death.

Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain director told Hell.Ca:

Working with Heath was one of the purest joys of my life.

While Mel Gibson said:

I had such great hope for him. He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss.

And Khaled Ali (stage manager for a Broadway show) eulogised:

I felt a connection with him as an actor, as a fellow in the theater community. With Brokeback Mountain he touched me personally in telling the story of my community. It was very touching.

There’s no doubt Ledger will be missed dearly, and my thoughts go out to everyone who knew him personally. This is certainly going to make watching The Dark Knight a unique experience this summer.

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The Dark Knight is an upcoming 2008 American superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman and is part of the Batman film series. The film is a sequel to 2005’s Batman Begins, which rebooted the Batman film series after an eight-year hiatus. Christopher Nolan returns as the director, and Christian Bale reprises the lead role. Batman’s primary conflicts in the film come from his fight against the Joker (Heath Ledger) and his strained friendship with district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart).

For the film Nolan took inspiration from the Joker’s first two appearances in the comics, and like the first film, he used Batman: The Long Halloween as a major influence on the story. The Dark Knight was filmed primarily in Chicago, (as was Batman Begins), as well as several other locations in and outside the United States. The director used an IMAX camera to film four major action sequences, including the Joker’s first appearance in the film. The Batsuit was redesigned, with a cowl allowing Bale to move his head. A recreation of the Batcycle, known as the Batpod, will be introduced.

Warner Bros. created an aggressive viral marketing campaign for The Dark Knight, developing several websites revealing details of the film, such as screenshots, as a reward for collaboration among Batman fans, leading to some press attention concerning how its campaign might be altered by Ledger’s January 22, 2008 death, as the Joker had been a chief promotional focus. Other marketing ventures include a new toy line as well as an animated direct-to-DVD anthology titled Batman: Gotham Knight that is set between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. The film will be released on July 17, 2008 in Australia, on July 18, 2008 in North America, and on July 25, 2008 in the United Kingdom. Early footage screened at ShoWest 2008, a cinema industry convention held in Las Vegas from March 9 through March 13, 2008, has received “an enthusiastic response.”

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I’m gonna watched this movie because of the Joker… I think the Joker will give me nightmares… but nevertheless I will still watch it for the Joker!

In his war on crime, Batman raises the stakes. With help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. Partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker.

Batman Returns is a 1992 superhero film based on the Batman character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. Tim Burton directed the film, which has Michael Keaton reprising the role of Batman, as well as Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken. The film’s plot primarily concerns Bruce Wayne struggling to provide peace in Gotham City after the appearance of a mysterious “Penguin-like man” and the sudden birth of Selina Kyle into Catwoman. In this wake, Bruce romances with Selina, both as Bruce Wayne and Batman while trying to prove Penguin to be a criminal towards the citizens of Gotham.

Burton originally did not want to return for a second installment due to his mixed emotions from the original film. After being impressed with a script by Daniel Waters, he thought otherwise. Wesley Strick would later be brought on for an uncredited rewrite, deleting characterizations of Robin and Harvey Dent. The film was entirely shot at Warner Brothers studios in Burbank, California (the first film was shot at Pinewood Studios in England), with Danny Elfman returning to compose the film score, citing it as a stressful experience, but still overly positive. Batman Returns was both a commercial and critical success, but did spawn controversies (being seen as “too dark” for younger children). Comic book veterans would express mixed thoughts and reviews. The film would also receive nominations at the Academy Awards, MTV Movie Awards and the Razzie Awards.

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• Batman for the ZX Spectrum, MSX and Amstrad PCW in 1985. Now known as Batman 3D.

• Batman: The Caped Crusader for various 8-bit and 16-bit platforms.

• Batman for Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Atari Lynx, Commodore Amiga, Sinclair ZX Spectrum and other platforms. (In October 1989, the Amiga 500 was bundled with this game as part of the Batman Pack [2], which was sold in the United Kingdom and was a phenomenal success).

• Batman: Return of the Joker for Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Game Boy.

• Batman Returns for Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Super Nintendo (Super NES), Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis, Sega CD, Sega Game Gear, and Atari Lynx.

• Batman: The Animated Series for Game Boy.

• Batman & Robin: The Animated Series for Game Gear.

• Adventures of Batman & Robin for Super Nintendo (Super NES), Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis, Sega CD, and Game Gear.

• Batman Forever for Super Nintendo (Super NES), Game Boy, Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis, and Sega Game Gear.

• Batman Forever: The Arcade Game for Arcade, Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn.

• Batman & Robin for the Tiger Game.com and the Sony PlayStation.

• Batman: Total Chaos for Game Boy Color.

• Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker for the Nintendo 64 and the PlayStation.

• Batman: Vengeance for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, PC, and the Xbox.

• Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu for the PlayStation 2, PC, Xbox, the GameCube and Game Boy Advance.

• Batman: Dark Tomorrow for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube

• Batman Begins for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and Game Boy Advance (2005).

Academy Award winning 1989 superhero film, Batman, based on the DC Comics , and directed by Tim Burton. The film features Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, and Jack Palance as Batman. The film is known for depicting a darker and more serious version of character rather than the more acknowledged Batman TV series from the 1960s.

friendsofdoom.com

The Dark Knight coaster is more than just a ride; it is an adventure that utilizes special video and sound effects, physical movement, and storytelling. As part of the experience, park guests will begin to feel, hear, and see the action of the movie the moment they enter the queue line of the ride. They are transformed into citizens of Gotham city torn apart by The Joker and caught in the middle of the city under siege. Then, guests will board the Gotham City rail car and careen through the demented hallways of chaotic images, unseen hills, turns, and twists, while being continually tormented by The Joker.