Info on "The Dark Knight"

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The Dark Knight is an American superhero film co-written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is a sequel to Batman Begins (2005), which rebooted the Batman film series after an eight-year hiatus (following the super flop Batman and Robin). Christian Bale reprises the lead role or Bruce Wayne/Batman. Batman's primary conflicts in the film include his fight against the Joker (Heath Ledger) and his strained friendship with district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), who later becomes a murderous vigilante known as Two-Face. The film also stars Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth (Bruce's butler, what else), Gary Oldman as Lieutenant James Gordon (he will be promoted to Commisioner in this film), Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes (Bruce's love interest who dumps him for Harvey), Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox (CEO of Wayne Enterprises and the brains behind Batman's equipment) and Cillian Murphy as Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow (one of the main villains in the first film alongside Ra's Al Ghul; in this film however, his role will be rather minor).

For his conception of the film, Nolan was inspired by the Joker's first two appearances in the comics and Batman: The Long Halloween. The Dark Knight was filmed primarily in Chicago (as was Batman Begins), as well as in several other locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong. The director used an IMAX camera to film six 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. The film also introduces a recreation of the Batcycle, known as the Batpod.

Warner Bros. created an aggressive viral marketing campaign for The Dark Knight, developing promotional websites and trailers highlighting screenshots of Heath Ledger as the Joker. After Ledger's death in January 2008, however, the studio refocused its promotional campaign.