The Dark Knight

[Panther_Gunn]

Then again, I thought casting Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face was a good idea back then, so what do I know?

Oh, and Billy Dee Williams would have been better?   :blink:

[BentonGrey]

Yes actually, much.....

[Glitch Girl]

Personally, I think the writing/directing was more to blame there than anything- who knows if either of them could have done a good Two-Face?  (Schumacher has much to answer for)

As for the current casting, I think both are very capable actors, and have to potential to do a really good job with the character.  So far the team who did "Batman Begins" have shown they really know the character, the world, and the mood, and I think this will go into the casting for the sequel as well.  I may later regret this, but for now, I'm going to give them the benfit of the doubt until they start releasing clips.

[BentonGrey]

Personally, I think the writing/directing was more to blame there than anything- who knows if either of them could have done a good Two-Face?  (Schumacher has much to answer for)

Ha, true....still, part of his shortsightedness is reflected in the choice of Jones.

[Panther_Gunn]

Actually, with a proper script and directing (like we're gonna get those in a Schumaker film), I think Tommy would have made an *excellent* Two-Face.  Between his very uptight characters (The Fugitive/U.S. Marshals; MIB 1 & 2) and his looser characters (Space Cowboys.....that's all I'm comin up with right now), it *should* have been much better than it was.  But, Two-Face as a henchman (essentially) to the Riddler?  Should have been seperate movies.

[Protomorph]

I still think Vincent Cassel would have been a better Joker, however, I'm reserving judgement on Heath until after seeing the film, as I think he is capable, with the direction and script being the making or breaking point.

While Jack was ok in the late 80's, I'm increasingly dissatisfied with the performance. Too campy, too over the top for a character who is so homicidal. Still, not as bad as Caesar Romero.

I would like to see some different characters represented on screen than have been done (poorly) before. They shouldn't aim just to repeat the previous films. Not to say they shouldn't redo Penguin or Catwoman, but maybe shey could skip Mr Freeze and Bane and Poison Ivy.

But who...?

Blockbuster
Mad Hatter
Hugo Strange

[Midnite]

Gyllenhaal Confirmed for The Dark Knight
Source: Variety
March 9, 2007

Maggie Gyllenhaal is in final talks to star opposite Christian Bale in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, reports Variety.

She'll play the role of Rachel Dawes, played by Katie Holmes in Batman Begins. Holmes dropped out of the project earlier in the year.

The cast also includes Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Aaron Eckhart.

Nolan is set to start filming in the late spring or early summer. Warner Bros. Pictures is eyeing a July 18, 2008 release.

The producers are Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Nolan. Legendary Pictures and Warner are co-financing partners on the project.

She kinda look like Katie in this pic. Gyllenhaal pic

Cillian Murphy on The Dark Knight
Source: ComingSoon.net
March 8, 2007


Cillian Murphy talked to ComingSoon.net and did not confirm or deny that his Batman Begins character, Scarecrow, might be back for The Dark Knight.

And for those still wondering whether Murphy might return as Dr, Jonathan Crane AKA The Scarecorew in Christopher Nolan's Batman sequel The Dark Knight, the actor still is hesitant to talk about it. "I'm not at liberty and it's not my place to say," he repeated from other recent interviews. "I'd love to work with Chris again. I enjoyed tremendously working on that film, and we'll see. I think casting Heath Ledger as the Joker is fantastic casting. He'll make an amazing movie."

[BentonGrey]

Thank goodness Homles is out!  Who is the new girl, she any good?

[bredon7777]

Thank goodness Homles is out!  Who is the new girl, she any good?

You don't know Maggie Gylenhal?  You're kidding, right?  :blink:

She's one of the most talented, most beautiful actresses working today!

[BentonGrey]

Eh, I don't follow Hollywood much, never have cared that much about the 'beautiful people.'

[The Hitman]

Maggie Gyllenhaal was most recently in the movie Sherrybaby, which was about a former drug addict who tries to turn her life around, as well as win back her child from foster care. Also, she was the voice of the babysitter in Monster House, where the character was based on her real- life looks. (Hey... I work in a video store, I have to know these things!)

I think, while she doesn't look a lot like Holmes, she'll do a fantastic job, due to her better acting, and, if I may say so, better looks.

[Midnite]

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31822

A Teeny Tidbit More On THE DARK KNIGHT's New Batsuit??


Merrick again...



I don't recall running across this too widely...the only place I found reference to it was HERE, although our tipster makes it sound like the changes to the new suit are more dramatic than posited in the article linked above.

Aonemantidalwave sent in this snippet regarding a recent encounter he had with someone working on THE DARK KNIGHT. I've tweaked this message to avoid revealing the identity of the person working on the film.




MINOR COSTUME-RELATED SPOILER AHEAD!?!?




Both Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan have seen a new Batsuit & there's been a fitting.

I told this person how I didn't particularly dig the suit in Batman Begins and said it was too bulky. To this he/she replied, "Well then you'll love the new one." He/she also stated that Bats changes his suit halfway through the film - and its a major plotpoint as to the how and why this happens.

He/she sadly, had no news about the Joker's get up.

This source is new to us, so keep that in mind when contemplating the vast array of costuming possibilities here.

If I'm repeating something that's already widely known, my apologies.

I definitely like seeing it on camera than something happening between movies

[Midnite]

Video of the Dark Knight Filming Today
Source: Risk Productions
April 21, 2007


'Risk Productions' reported the following about The Dark Knight filming today in Chicago:

Here is some footage of the Dark Knight filming w/ helicopter on Saturday in Chicago. Actual filming of a test item or something swinging down a rope between skyscraper and bank at end. I filmed this and captured it this afternoon. Filming wrapped around 3pm, this is all they seemingly did today on set.

Video link

[Glitch Girl]

Hmm... the bags are small.  Either they're weights and they were rehersing a shot in the daytime or maybe they're supposed to be moneybags from a heist? 

Man if I lived in Chicago, I'd probalby be stalking that area on a regular basis now.  ;)

[Figure Fan]

Heath Ledger will be a good joker.

I'm sad not to see Katie Holmes back, just because it makes an obvious change to a big character. Recasting = stupid.

Maggie will be great for the part, though.

[Midnite]

Joker makeup test pic?

[Zapow]

Hmm... the bags are small.  Either they're weights and they were rehersing a shot in the daytime or maybe they're supposed to be moneybags from a heist? 

Man if I lived in Chicago, I'd probalby be stalking that area on a regular basis now.  ;)

Me too!

Hey wait...

[Mr. Hamrick]

A few things here:

• I think that Tommy Lee Jones would've made a great Two Face had there been a good script and a director who understood the subject.  I believe the problem with Schumacher is that most of his knowledge of Batman was the 1960s series and the Burton films and not the comic.  Again though, a good script can make or break a film though in the same way as a director who does or does not understand the film's subject or the genre.  I know this from experience.
• Heath Ledger will surprise people I think if Nolan lives up to what he did with Batman Begins.  I think we will see the same kind of surprise out of him that Keaton delivered with playing Batman.
• I think it would make sense to have Cillian Murphy back as Scarecrow briefly in this film.  One of the loose ends from the first one was that Scarecrow escaped.  It makes sense for him to show up at the beginning of this one.  Especially given that he killed the predecessor to Dent's character (the previous District Attorney). 
• With the "Long Halloween" being teased as a template, I can almost guess the path that the film will take.  I don't know how much we might see The Joker in make-up or in full "costume" (the purple suit). 
• One thing I do know is that the "make-up test" is fake.  This has been confirmed by Warner Brothers and Batman on Film

[the_ultimate_evil]

agreed the guy who made the make-up test has posted saying it was a fake, i love the fact that again AICN got fooled by a fan with fan art

[Glitch Girl]

FYI: There was a fire last night on the set.  Sounds like the same place they were running those bags down a line.

[Midnite]

Michael Keaton Doing a Cameo in The Dark Knight?

Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
One of Freeze Dried Movies' tipsters in Chicago has informed the site that actor Michael Keaton has been hanging around near the set of Warner Bros.' The Dark Knight.

Keaton played Bruce Wayne and Batman in 1989's Batman, the first modern big screen version of the cape crusader.

The site goes on to speculate that Keaton is town for one of three reasons:

1: Michael Keaton loves Chicago and is having a good 'ol time hanging out - eating pizza, burgers, beef sandwiches, hot wings and watching The Bulls win game one of the Playoffs.

2: Or maybe Keaton is in another movie, which is also filming around the same location?

3: But maybe, just maybe the ex-Batman (and still my favorite Bruce Wayne) has a cameo in the new Batman film - The Dark Knight, which is shooting under another name that we cannot reveal


The Dark Knight will be released on June 18th, 2008.

[BlueBard]

The Dark Knight casting so far has been bad, in my opinion. I think Heath Ledger is going to suck royally as the Joker, and I'm not too sure about Eckhart as Harvey Dent. Then again, I thought casting Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face was a good idea back then, so what do I know?

I can't imagine Heath Ledger as the Joker... not at all.  He'll have to pull off some darn fine acting along with a darn good screenplay and a brilliant director.  Two out of three won't cut it.  And if he can't do a convincing Joker laugh, he's toast.  Maybe they'll dub it in...

Jack Nicholson would have made a better Joker if he'd had the chance to play him as a younger man.  He has that kind of frenetic intensity that anyone playing the Joker had better have.  But... The comic book Joker is a tall, thin man with hair... not short, dumpy, and balding.  But then neither is Batman, which didn't help Keaton either.

And Tommy Lee Jones -could- have been a good Two-Face with the right screenplay and the right director.  Unfortunately he had neither.  And he wouldn't fit in the Nolan interpretation of The Dark Knight, which won't be as over-the-top melodramatic as the previous Batman franchises.  Over the top action is great... over the top acting not so much...

[detourne_me]

Hey Zapow... this you?

Gotham City continues to dominate the news cycle as filming continues in Chicago. Reader Tom Stillwell (sorry that was spelled wrong earlier) was the first to write to us about the fire on set (the Chicago Tribune has the story but Superhero Hype has photos) which caused quite a tizzy in the lakeside metropolis. Of course Superhero Hype has tons of set photos and a set report, while a fan posted actual video from the set, which we've embedded here for your pleasure ...

http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=10394

[Mr. Hamrick]

Mr. Keaton is officially in Chicago to direct a film called The Merry Gentlemen with Kelly Macdonald (who was in Trainspotting, Intermission, Nanny McPhee and Gosford Park) and mostly likely will not be doing a cameo in The Dark Knight. 

[Midnite]

Eric Roberts Joins The Dark Knight
Source: LA Daily News
April 25, 2007


LA Daily News reports that Eric Roberts, who is currently appearing in "Heroes" and "The L Word," will play a Mafia kingpin in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, joining the production in June.

"I don't stop working. I'm a workaholic. I've resigned myself to the fact that I'm too overexposed to ever be a superstar, so I'm happy to be a working actor every day," explains the actor also known as rising star Emma Roberts' dad, and superstar Julia's brother.

Of "Heroes," he notes, "It's a blast to walk into a hit show with none of the pressure of making it a hit."

The Dark Knight hits theaters on July 18, 2008.

[Midnite]

Video and Pic of Bank filming

[Mr. Hamrick]

[spoiler]Apparently, they are blowing up "The Tumbler" Batmobile next week.  Guess this means we could see an authentic Batmobile in addition to the already mentioned new Batsuit.[/spoiler]

[Mr. Hamrick]

hate to double post here but . . .

[spoiler]
* The Joker is ìThe Jokerî throughout the film. There could be some classic Nolan ìflashbacksî that vaguely hint at his origin, but there is no big ìJoker origin story.î
* The Joker will wear purple in the film. It may not be a literal translation from his comic book suit, but he wears purple.
* Maggie Gyllenhaalís Rachel has a bigger part in TDK than the character had in BATMAN BEGINS.
* The Scarecrow, played by Cillian Murphy, will be back.
* The new Batsuit will be more ìfabrickyî -- this jives with what BOF was told months ago. The bodysuit is said to be a tad lighter, kinda grayish. ìFabricky chain mailî was the description.
* Montoya, yes. Bullock, no.[/spoiler]

oh and there is an official page up at http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/

[lugaru]

Sounds like mostly good news Hamrick.


Any one else notice the scars in the makeup test? I guess they are going with a "whiteface" style origin (if anybody read the Nighthawk mini series).

[Glitch Girl]

Lugaru, if you're talking about the makeup test I'm thinking of, that one turned out to be a fake.  I don't think there's been a real pic of the makeup released yet.