Christopher Nolan’s final work of the Batman trilogy movies, The Dark Knight Rises, is one of the most anticipated blockbusters for this summer. And with less than two weeks before the July 20 opening date, Warner Bros released a production note on its website, www.thedarkknightrises.com.
The production notes are distributed for critics and reviewers who have a chance to prescreen the film. But there are some interesting notes that we learn from the 49-page document.
(Watch out. Spoilers alert)
Time Setting: Eight Years After The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight Rises is set eight years after the previous movie. Gotham city has become much safer by then, though based on the lie about Harvey Dent, the Two-Face between Batman and Commissioner Gordon.
Bruce Wayne reconstructed the original Wayne Manor, the Batcave, “as it is” according to the promise he made at the first Batman Begins movie. The Gotham’s hero retires and is rarely seen in the city.
“The reason we decided on a gap of eight years is that there needed to be significant enough time for the Batman legend to have faded a bit, and we wanted Bruce Wayne himself to have withdrawn behind a veil of rumor and mystery,” said David S. Goyer.
Tumbler, Bat-Pod, and The Bat
One of the enjoyable factors of the Batman movie is the gadgets, weapons, and vehicles that he uses. The Tumbler and Bat-Pod will return in The Dark Knight Rises, and we will also see the Catwoman riding the motorcycle. And we will also see a new airborne vehicle, The Bat, in the third part of the trilogy.
“My mother warned me about getting into cars with strangers,” said Selina in The Dark Knight Rises trailer.
“This isn’t a car,” replied Bruce, with a scene of The Bat flying down a building.
“Throughout the trilogy, Fox has equipped Batman with his ever-evolving resources, from his Batsuit, to the Tumbler, to the agile Bat-Pod, which enabled the Dark Knight to maneuver nimbly through the streets of Gotham City. In this film, he can finally navigate above them, via his new airborne vehicle—part helicopter, part jump jet and aptly named The Bat,” wrote the production note.
Original Characters: Miranda Tate and John Blake
Marion Cotillard will play Miranda Tate and Joseph Gordon-Levitt will play police officer John Blake. Both characters are original in the movie and not from the comic book.
Miranda Tate is a rich woman who wants to invest in good ways, and also tries to influence Bruce Wayne.
“Miranda is somebody who is encouraging Bruce to use his resources for the betterment of Gotham through an environmental project. She is beautiful, smart and altruistic, and all the good that she aspires to earns his respect and also intrigues him a great deal.”
John Blake is a police officer, working under Commissioner Gordon. Nolan said Commissioner Gordon and Bruce Wayne are “somewhat jaded”, so a “younger, more idealistic individual” was wanted.
There was no reference or comment, however, about rumors that suggested Gordon-Levitt playing the role of Robin, Batman’s assistant.
Who Put the Cowl Back on Batman?
While people suspected the emergence of villain Bane encouraged Bruce Wayne to but the cowl and cape back on, the production note suggested that it was in fact Selina who stirred the heart of the retired Batman.
“What really impacts Bruce is that, after years of isolation, he’s meeting this woman he finds fascinating and funny. He suddenly recognizes he’s been seeking something, even unconsciously…that he’s lost all the color in his life and needs some human contact,” said Christian Bale, who played the role of Bruce Wayne.
Anne Hathaway, playing the role of Selina, asserts, “I think Bruce owes Selina a big thank you because he was leading a pretty lonely life until she came in and got his blood pumping and reminded him that there are fun people out there in the world.”
Bane: Pure Evil
Bane was introduced in the trailers, hijacking planes, bombing bridges, and fighting the Batman. He wears a mask to “anesthetize himself against excruciating pain, resulting from injuries he suffered long ago”.
“Bane is a terrorist in both his mentality and his actions,” said Tom Hardy, who plays Bane’s role.
“He is physically intimidating and he’s also very intelligent, which makes him even more dangerous.”
“Bane has come to do a job and has no feelings of remorseor shame about the death and destruction he’s causing. There is nothing ambiguous about Bane. He is clearly a villain… just a horrible piece of work.
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