Warner Bros has released these seven previously seen images from Christopher Nolan's eagerly-awaited finale to his Batman trilogy, 'The Dark Knight Rises,' in high-resolution form. The images first emerged in Entertainment Weekly, then subsequently online as scans from the magazine. The hi-res images provide us with crystal clear looks at Christian Bale's Batman/Bruce Wayne, Anne Hathaway's Catwoman/Selina Kyle, Tom Hardy's Bane, Morgan Freeman's Lucius Fox, Gary Oldman's Commissioner Jim Gordon, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's John Blake. The plot for 'The Dark Knight Rises' is currently being kept under lock and key. Judging by the latest theatrical trailer and both 'Batman Begins' and 'The Dark Knight,' I think it's safe to say that we can expect something A W E S O M E. For me, Sergio Leone's western trilogy 'A Fistful of Dollars,' 'For a Few Dollars More' and 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' is the only other trilogy I can think of that might fit the "original < sequel < threequel" pattern. Fingers crossed 'The Dark Knight Rises' will also!
'The Dark Knight Rises' stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Tom Hardy as Bane, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Jim Gordon, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake, Michael Caine as Alfred, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, and Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate. Juno Temple, Josh Pence, Daniel Sunjata, Nestor Carbonell, Tom Conti, Joey King, Brett Cullen, Chris Ellis, Josh Stewart, Christopher Judge, Adam Rodriguez and Rob Brown co-star. 'The Dark Knight Rises' is scheduled for release July 20th. Christopher Nolan directs the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan. The full production notes for 'The Dark Knight Rises' are below.
Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' "The Dark Knight Rises" is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar® winner Christian Bale ("The Fighter") 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 ("La Vie en Rose"), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake. Returning to the main cast, Oscar® winner Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules") plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman ("Million Dollar Baby") reprises the role of Lucius Fox.
The screenplay is written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on "Batman Begins" and the record-breaking blockbuster "The Dark Knight." The executive producers are Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. The film is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane.
Behind the scenes, "The Dark Knight Rises" reunites the director with several of his longtime collaborators, all of whom worked together on the "The Dark Knight." The creative team includes director of photography Wally Pfister, who recently won an Oscar® for his work on Nolan's "Inception"; production designer Nathan Crowley; editor Lee Smith; and Oscar®-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming ("Topsy-Turvy"). In addition, Paul Franklin and Chris Corbould, who both won Oscars® for the effects in "Inception," supervised the visual and special effects, respectively. The music is composed by Oscar® winner Hans Zimmer ("The Lion King").
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 locations span three continents and include the American cities of Pittsburgh, New York and Los Angeles, as well as sites in India, England and Scotland.
"The Dark Knight Rises" is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures. Slated for release beginning July 20, 2012, the film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
