The follow-up to the action hit Batman Begins, The Dark Knight

reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role
of Bruce Wayne/Batman.
With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and the committed new District
Attorney, Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham
City for good. The triumvirate initially proves to be effective, but they soon find
themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker, who
thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces The Dark Knight ever closer to crossing
the fine line between hero and vigilante.
Academy Award nominee Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain) portrays
arch-villain The Joker, and Aaron Eckhart plays District Attorney Harvey Dent.
Maggie Gyllenhaal joins the cast in the role of Rachel Dawes. Returning from
Batman Begins are Gary Oldman as Lieutenant Jim Gordon; Oscar winner
Michael Caine (The Cider House Rules) as Alfred; and Oscar winner Morgan
Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) as Lucius Fox.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Legendary Pictures, a
Syncopy Production, a Christopher Nolan film, The Dark Knight. Nolan directed
the film from a screenplay written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan,
story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. Charles Roven, Emma Thomas
and Christopher Nolan are the producers, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E.
Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull serving as executive producers. The
Dark Knight is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by
DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes two-time Oscar-nominated

director of photography Wally Pfister (The Prestige, Batman Begins), Oscarnominated production designer Nathan Crowley (The Prestige), Oscarnominated editor Lee Smith (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the
World) and Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming (Topsy-Turvy).
The music is by Oscar winner and multiple Oscar nominee Hans Zimmer (The
Lion King, Gladiator) and seven-time Oscar nominee James Newton Howard
(Michael Clayton, The Fugitive), who previously collaborated on the score for
Batman Begins.
Six sequences of The Dark Knight were filmed with IMAX cameras,
including the opening six minutes. This marks the first time ever that a major
feature film has been even partially shot using IMAX cameras, marking a
revolutionary integration of the two film formats.

The IMAX Experience will

appear in IMAX DMR (letterbox), while scenes shot with IMAX cameras on
15/70mm film will expand vertically to fill the entire IMAX screen, which can be up
to eight stories tall, for an all-encompassing moviegoing experience.

The Dark Knight will be distributed worldwide in theatres and IMAX by

Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

www.thedarkknightmovie.co.uk

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Some men arent looking for anything logical, like money.
They cant be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with.
Some men just want to watch the world burn.
With Batman Begins, writer/director Christopher Nolan opened a new chapter in
the Batman film franchise by taking the legendary character back to his origins, reimagining why and how the billionaire industrialist Bruce Wayne became the enigmatic
crime fighter known to the world as Batman. In The Dark Knight Nolan returns to the
Batman saga with the character now, in the directors words, fully formed.
Nolan continues, I thought we left the world of Batman at an interesting place in
the first film, and the end suggested an intriguing direction in which the story could
continue.

Nolan developed the story with David S. Goyer, with whom he had

collaborated on the screenplay for Batman Begins. Nolan and his brother, Jonathan,
then partnered on the screenplay for The Dark Knight.
In The Dark Knight, Nolan says he focused more on how Batmans very
existence has changed Gotham Cityand not, at least initially, for the better. At the
end of Batman Begins, we hinted at the threat of escalationthat in going after the
citys crime cartels and attacking their interests, Batman could provoke an even greater
response from the criminal community and now that has come to pass. There are some
very negative consequences of his crusade brewing in Gotham City.
Producer Charles Roven offers that the issue extends beyond Gothams resident
criminals.

On the one hand, Batman has begun to rid Gotham of the crime and

corruption that has plagued the city, but, ironically, the vacuum he created draws in an
even more powerful criminal element, who see it as their chance to take over the city.
Producer Emma Thomas notes, In Batman Begins we largely concentrated on
the origins of the characterhow Batman evolved out of Bruce Waynes own early
trauma, his fears, his anger and, finally, his resolve to fight crime and corruption. In The
Dark Knight, Batman has become well-known to the police and citizens of Gotham City,
but while some consider him a hero, others wonder if he is doing more harm than good.
And the arrival of a new kind of criminal raises the stakes on that debate.
Whats intriguing, Thomas adds, is that the billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne
with his fabulous cars, a beautiful woman on each arm and not a care in the worldis

not at all who this man really is. So while Bruce Wayne wears a mask to hide his identity
as Batman, it is actually Batman who defines Bruces true identity, and the public
persona of Bruce Wayne is the mask he wears to co-exist in this world.
It didnt start out that way. Returning to the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman,
Christian Bale asserts, I believe Bruce thought it would be a finite thing, that Batman
would serve as an inspiration to Gotham City and that he would eventually be able to
leave this character he conceived behind. But he is coming to understand, more and
more, that this is not something he can easily walk away from nowor possibly ever.
There are new enemies to protect the city from.
The most dangerous of these enemies is Batmans most infamous nemesisa
maniacal, remorseless fiend known as The Joker. The Joker is the ultimate screen
arch-villain, Nolan attests. In his own way, The Joker is as much an icon as The Dark
Knight is, and that presented us with both an opportunity and a challenge in terms of
exploring the characters distorted point of view. But we also wanted to create a villain
who, as colorful and outrageous as he is, is still coming from a place of reality. In
keeping with the tone we established in Batman Begins, we determined he is a pretty
serious guy, despite being called The Joker. So we began with the notion of The Joker
as the most extreme form of anarchista force of chaos, a purposeless criminal who is
not out for anything and, so, cant be understood. He is not only a massively destructive
force, but he also takes great delight in his murderous nature, which is a pretty terrifying
spectacle.
As the screenplay developed, Nolan continues, we started to explore the effect
one guy could have on an entire populationthe ways in which he could upset the
balance for people, the ways in which he could take their rules for living, their ethics,
their beliefs, their humanity and turn them on themselves. You could say weve seen
echoes of that in our own world, which has led me to believe that anarchy and chaos
even the threat of anarchy and chaosare among the most frightening things society
faces, especially in this day and age.
The Joker is somebody without any rules whatsoever, Bale states. How do
you fight somebody who is bent on destruction, even if it means self-destruction? Thats
a formidable foe. The actor goes on to say that The Jokers total lack of morality is one
of his most potent weapons in his war with Batman because, conversely, Batman has a
very strict moral code for what he will and wont do, and The Joker can use that to his
advantage. Batman still has this huge reserve of anger and pain and knows he could

easily go too far, so he must not cross that line. He has to be sure that in chasing a
monster, he doesnt become a monster himself.

Chris Nolan has raised interesting

ethical questions in this movie about the complications of having power versus aspiring
to power.
Bale, who counts The Dark Knight as his third collaboration with Nolan, adds, I
think Chris has a great talent for satisfying the need for a rollercoaster ride, for just being
purely entertained, without forgoing moments of great personal conflict and the duality
within the characters. He manages to do both without compromising either.
While The Joker wreaks chaos and fear, the crusading District Attorney Harvey
Dent is the new face of law and order in Gotham City. Harvey is a man of the people.
Hes an all-American hero in a very different way from Batman, says Nolan. So now
you have the triumvirate of Batman, Harvey Dent and Lieutenant Gordonthe justice
system, the police and a vigilanteforming an alliance to bring down crime.

Using

Batman gives them an edge over the criminals, but it is still the police who will arrest
them, and then they will be tried through the justice system. But what comes up is the
question of whether you can bend the rules without breaking them. And that becomes
the underlying theme of the story.
The dynamic between the three crime fighters changes abruptly when an
unforeseeable turn of events destroys the steadfast DA Harvey Dent and gives rise to
the vengeful villain Two-Face. Nolan comments, The hope that Harvey represents to
Gotham City and then the tragedy of what happens to him and his transformation into
Two-Faceits a remarkable story.
The director observes, The Joker is the more flamboyant villain, so he
commands attention. But in some ways Harvey Dent/Two Face is the more compelling
character because he has such an amazing arc. Our Joker has no arc, per se; hes just
hell-bent throughout. The Joker and Harvey Dentthese are two of the most fascinating
characters from the Batman comic books. They have an almost mythic quality and it
was exciting to view them through the prism of the world we created.
In a groundbreaking move, Nolan broadened the scope of that world with a
filmmaking first. Nolan shot six major action sequences with IMAX cameras, becoming
the first director to use the large-format cameras to film even a portion of a traditional
feature film. In continuing Batmans story, the challenge was to make things bigger and
betterto expand the world we established in the first film, both through the story and in
the way we presented it, he states. I was thrilled with the way the IMAX photography

turned out. It throws the audience right into the action in a way no other film format
could. It takes me back to when I was a kid going to the movies and experiencing the
scope, the scale and the grandeur that great cinema can offer. As a filmmaker, I think
youre always trying to get back to that, and expanding the canvas of our story with
IMAX seemed a great way to do it.
The filmmakers have also made several changes to the world of Batman: Bruce
Waynes familial home, Wayne Manor, burned to the ground at the end of Batman
Begins, so Bruce now resides in a modern penthouse overlooking the city. Batman also
has a newly designed Batsuit, which gives him more range of motion and a greater field
of visionI can turn my head, Bale smiles. And the agile and powerful Bat-Pod makes
its much-anticipated debut as The Dark Knight weaves through Gotham City traffic in a
pulse-pounding chase sequence filmed on the streets of Chicago.
Batmans pursuit of justice also takes him on an odyssey halfway across the
world to Hong Kong, marking the first time The Caped Crusader has left the confines of
Gotham City on screen.
Chris had a wonderful overall vision of what he wanted to achieve with this film,
and he was able to accomplish that and more, says Roven. Hes one of those rare
directors who, when he tells you what hes trying to do, no matter how ambitious, you
can rely on the fact that he will do it, usually even better than you imagined.

You either die a hero

or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
The Dark Knight reunites several members of the ensemble cast from Batman
Begins, leading with Christian Bale in the title role.

Bale says he welcomed the

opportunity to once again inhabit the solitary figure, who has had to relinquish much of
his personal identity for the greater good. He offers, Bruce is certainly sacrificing, both
mentally and physically, as a consequence of this character of Batman whom he has
unleashed and now is unable to rein in anymore. More than a persona, he has created
a symbol, and that symbol cant have limits. He cant show weakness ever. So you
have the conflict between what is good for Bruce Wayne and what is the right thing for
Batman to do, because the two of them are not always compatible.
Working with Christian is a joy and just a lot of fun. He is a very engaging
presence to have on the set, says Nolan. He also has an intensity about him; he is

incredibly focused on tapping into the psychological reality of whatever character hes
playing. He applies the same disciplined approach to finding the truth of that character
and sticks to it. That is a great help to me as a filmmaker because I know he is prepared
and has a handle on how his character is going to move through the story. In fact, he
has a lot of the same qualities that Bruce Wayne brings to bear in changing himself from
an ordinary man into this extraordinary crime-fighting figure.
Christian brought everything to his performance that you could want for the
characterthe stature, the emotional resonance, the complexity, Roven states. It was
amazing to be on the set watching him. He took his role to another level in this film.
Nolan adds that although Bale portrays the same character in The Dark Knight
that he did in Batman Begins, the two films presented the actor with very different
challenges. On Batman Begins, it was a lot of physical efforthe had to get himself in
terrific shape and learn all kinds of skills in terms of the way Batman fights, the way he
moves. On this film, I would say it required more of an internal process because Bruce
is realizing the personal toll of living this double life and is questioning the choices hes
made. Christian conveys that emotional struggle very convincingly, often without saying
a word.
Nevertheless, the role of Batman has an inherent physicality, so Bale immersed
himself in a refresher course on the Keysi Fighting Method (KFM) that Batman employs
against his enemies.

A relatively young martial arts discipline, KFM is an intuitive

fighting method with a strong emphasis on mental focus, but Bale also had to be in peak
physical condition. He trained with Keysi fight coordinators Andy Norman and Justo
Dieguez for two to three hours every day. In KFM, you learn to develop every part of
your body as a weapon, and its not easy, Norman relates.

We worked Christian

extremely hard, and it was fantastic how quickly he absorbed everything. There was a
definite progression in his training since the first film. He understands KFM a lot better,
so he was more powerful and his movement was incredible.
Its a fascinating fighting method, says Bale, because it uses the adrenaline
that everyone feels entering into a threatening or violent situation. It really comes from
the gut. Rather than the kind of Zen calm that some martial arts call on, KFM is based
on animal instinct and honing those instincts to be lethal, so its perfect for Batman.
But The Dark Knight is about to confront a singular criminal called The Joker,
who has little regard for Keysi or any other fighting method. In a fair fight, Batman
would obliterate him, Bale asserts, but The Joker doesnt fight fair. He has other tricks

up his sleeve, so its more of a mind game. But he finds in Batman a very worthy
opponent, and I think he enjoys that.
Heath Ledger plays the role of The Joker, the malevolent clown who is arguably
the most recognizable of Batmans arch-nemeses. In casting the part, Nolan says that
the defining quality he was looking for was fearlessness. I needed a phenomenal actor,
but he also had to be someone unafraid of taking on such an iconic role. Heath created
something entirely original.

Its stunning, its captivatingits going to blow people

away.
The director recalls that he first met with Ledger about the role even before there
was a script. We talked about how we saw this character and we both had exactly the
same conceptthat The Joker was about the threat of anarchy and revels in creating
chaos and fear on a grand scale. Heath seemed to instinctively understand how to
make this character different from anything that had ever been done before.
Roven elaborates, The Joker is one of the great villains in comic book lore
psychopathic, enigmatic, clever, diabolical, charming, funny and completely enjoyable to
watch. We knew it would take an extraordinary actor to play him and Heath delivered on
every front.

From every physical nuance to each vocal turn of phrase, its just an

unforgettable performance.
In The Dark Knight, The Joker arrives on the scene without warning and climbs
ruthlessly to the top of Gotham Citys criminal food chain. We never wanted to do an
origin story for The Joker in this film, but we wanted to show the rise of The Joker,
Nolan maintains. In a sense, The Joker is the logical response to Batman, who has
instigated this kind of extremity of behavior in Gotham.
Bale adds, The Joker wants to break Batman, to prove that everybody has a
price and even Batman can be leveraged in such a way that he would compromise his
principles. I actually think hes delighted to find that Batman wont do that, and it creates
for The Joker an even better opponent in this game hes playing. Hes a fascinating
character, and Heath did an extraordinary job with it. I dont think the movie would have
worked as well if we hadnt had an actor of the caliber of Heath Ledger, who was able to
really up the ante, much as The Joker does in Gotham.
We wanted The Joker to represent pure, unadulterated evil, in the sense that he
has no logical motivation for his actions. That is what we wanted to unleash on the city
of Gotham. He is an absolute, Nolan sums up simply.

Yet, Emma Thomas is quick to note, He is very funny.

I know it sounds

somewhat bizarre, because how could someone so deplorable be funny? Heaths take
on the role was not campy but still hilarious, both physically and in a dry, sardonic way.
With The Joker, I think youll find yourself being horrified and terrified, but hugely
amused at the same time.
On the other side of the law, another figure has risen to prominence in Gotham
City: Harvey Dent, the newly elected District Attorney, who is on a mission to break
organized crimes stranglehold on his beleaguered city. Harvey Dent is played by Aaron
Eckhart, who offers, Harvey has charged himself with tackling organized crime and
cleaning up the streets. He is the shining new hope of Gotham City, the White Knight,
as he is called. He starts out full of optimism and enthusiasmwhere he ends up is
somewhere completely different, he hints. Its a great role and Im a big fan of Chris
Nolans, so when he approached me about doing the film, it was a no-brainer.
Nolan says that while Eckhart looks every inch the part of the handsome and
charismatic DA, his reasons for casting the actor ran deeper. We were looking for
somebody who could embody that All-American charm because you have to invest in
him as a very attractive, heroic figure at the beginning of the movie. But he also had to
have an edge; he had to suggest this undercurrent of anger and darkness that Harvey
Dent needed to have, so where he goes in the story is believable. You cant present a
character like this as simply a heroic figure with no flaws, no dark side. Aaron captured
all of those qualities very, very well.
As the new Gotham City DA, Harvey Dent not only has to contend with a rise in
crime, but also with a masked vigilante known as Batman. Its an interesting dynamic,
Eckhart remarks, because Harvey sees Batman fighting crime in a way that he would
like to but cannot. Harvey has to stay within the boundaries of the law. He has to do
overtly what Batman is doing covertly. He admires Batmans intentions, even if he cant
publicly support his methods. But what he thinks of Bruce Wayne is quite different. He
sees Bruce as nothing more than a playboy about town without any real credibility.
Harvey thinks Bruce is a complete upper-class twit, Nolan affirms. It would
astonish him to find out he is really the man behind the mask.
Dents opinion of his public persona notwithstanding, Bruce Wayne appreciates
the new DAs efforts on behalf of the city. Nolan comments, It seemed most logical to
us that Bruce initially saw Batman as a short-term crusade, as a symbol to inspire the
good people of Gotham to take their city back.

In Harvey Dent, he finally sees the

response he was looking for. Harvey is the hero that Gotham needsthe hero with a
face, not one wearing a mask.
But, Thomas says, There is a certain amount of personal opportunism going on
there, as well, because if Harvey Dent can succeed, then maybe Bruce can stop being
Batman. Maybe there is a world in which he can return to a normal life. Theres a big
part of him that does wish he could hang up his cape. Whether Bruce would actually
enjoy hanging up Batmans cape at this point, I dont know. I dont think even he knows.
But there is definitely a part of him that feels he has started something that has spun out
of control, and Harvey Dent may be his only hope for being able to end it.
For Bruce Wayne, a chance for a normal life also means a chance for a future
with the love of his life, Rachel Dawes, who now works for Dent as an assistant district
attorney. In that regard, the DA is not a hope but a hindrance, because Rachel is
involved with him not only professionally but romantically, as well. When it comes to
Rachel, there is a contradiction in Bruces feelings about Dent. While he does respect
Dent, another part of Bruce just wants to knock him out, Bale says only half-jokingly.
So Bruces ideological side and his very human side are again at loggerheads with each
other.
Cast in the role of Rachel, Maggie Gyllenhaal notes, Rachel made the
heartbreaking decision that it is impossible for her to be with Bruce as long as he is
Batman. Then Harvey Dent came into her life, and she is crazy about him. I think the
thing she really admires about Harvey, as opposed to Batmanor, rather, what Bruce
Wayne is doing as Batmanis that Harvey is not a vigilante. He is not putting himself
above the law for what he believes is ultimately best for the people of Gotham City.
Instead, Harvey believes in the system, even if its broken, and he is going to work within
the system to change things that are corrupt. I think thats why Rachel loves him and
thinks he is a hero in his own way. At the same time, she still genuinely loves Bruce and
she obviously knows he is still in love with her, so its a real predicament.
But for me, I mean its Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart and they are both pretty
spectacular, so as an actress, it was easy to live with that predicament, Gyllenhaal
laughs. My wanting to be a part of this film had almost everything to do with Chris
Nolan and the rest of the cast. From the beginning, Chris was so engaging and so
interested in my ideas about the role. He was clear that he wanted Rachel to be smart
and capable and not the damsel in distress, although she is in distress sometimes. We

10

were really good for each other because thats very much what I wanted, and we pushed
each other in different ways to make Rachel who she is.
Maggie is just a fantastic actress, states Nolan. Ive always loved her work
and had wanted an opportunity to work with her, and the role of Rachel in this film
seemed like the perfect match. Maggie has great intelligence and maturity and she is
also very warm and, of course, lovely. You really believe her in this role. I think she
beautifully conveyed the conflict in Rachel standing between these two men in her life,
and you can see why both men would naturally be drawn to her. Rachel has so much
history with Bruce and he will always be in her heart, but she also loves Harvey and can
see a future with him.
However, that all changes in an instant when a shocking incident transforms the
once redoubtable Harvey Dent into the horribly deformed Two-Face, who is now bent on
one thing: revenge. Something terrible happens that alters everything in his life and
rage takes over, says Eckhart. He takes strength from his grief and his pain and sets
out to kill the bad guysor those he now perceives as the bad guys. He still wants
justice, but now he pursues it outside of the law he once lived by. I dont think of him
purely as a villain in the way The Joker is. But at the point that Harvey becomes TwoFace, his outlook is so twisted that he starts to see The Joker as a kindred spiritand
The Joker knows he has Harvey where he wants him. Its a great scene, and Heath did
such a wonderful job.

As an actor, it was exciting to work with him.

Heaths

performance made this Joker an indelible screen character. He was everything you
could want in an arch-villain as infamous as The Joker, and yet he was completely
original.
Nolan says, The Joker is terrifying because there appears no rhyme or reason
for what he does. Hes just a force of nature tearing through. With Two-Face, you see
his transformation and you understand where his anger and his grief come from. Aaron
did an extraordinary job of portraying the tragic arc of Harvey Dent and Two-Face; he
takes you on that emotional ride with him.
Apart from the obvious example of Harvey Dent/Two-Face, the director observes,
There are a number of dualities in this film, and there are also several mirrored
relationships. The relationship between Batman and The Joker is an interesting one, as
is the relationship between Harvey Dent/Two-Face and Lieutenant Gordon.
Reprising his role from Batman Begins, Gary Oldman plays Lieutenant Jim
Gordon, the head of the Gotham City Police Major Crime Unit (MCU). Gary is such a

11

remarkable actor, Roven says.

Gordon could have been a comparatively

straightforward role, especially surrounded by the more eccentric and even bizarre
characters, but Gary brought so many colors to his performance.
Nolan comments, In the first film, Gordon was a very reserved character. It
required an actor who could play an important role, but in a very subtle and restrained
way.

I was thrilled to be able to bring Gary back as Gordon, but in a story that

challenges the character more and lets Gary show more of what hes so great at.
In The Dark Knight, Lieutenant Gordon is facing mounting pressure from all
sides in the wake of the recent escalation of crime, but as a career cop, he knows his
first, best option is to follow his gut instincts, which tell him to trust Batman.

He

understands that Batman now poses some danger to Gotham, but he believes Batman
may ultimately be its salvation, especially with the arrival of The Joker. The police have
never encountered anything like The Joker, says Oldman.

Hes not interested in

money or even power, in the usual sense of the word. The Joker is all about chaos; he
does what he does for the fun of it. How do you police someone like that?
Thomas adds that in addition to being tested because of Batmans efforts and the
effect they are having on his city, Gordon doesnt entirely trust Harvey Dent yet because
there has never been a politician in Gotham City who wasnt corrupt in some way. He
knows something must be done and decides Batman is his best bet because he knows
Batmans intentions and has faith that things will get better in the long run.
Bruce Wayne has two other trusted allies in his life: his loyal butler, Alfred
Pennyworth, who, since Bruces parents were murdered, has essentially been the only
father Bruce has ever known; and the brilliant Lucius Fox, who is now the CEO of
Wayne Enterprises, in addition to being the architect of Batmans high-tech arsenal.
Oscar-winning actors Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman return as Alfred and Lucius,
respectively, having played the same roles in Batman Begins.
As Bruce Waynes closest confidants, Alfred and Lucius know Batmans true
identity, but with that knowledge comes responsibility. Each in his own way also serves
as a mentor, an advocate, and sometimes as Bruces conscience. The bond between
them is very clear, but you see the different sides of their relationships, Nolan says.
Lucius Fox is fully aware of what Bruce is doing as Batman and approves to a large
extent. But over the course of the film, we test the limits of what Lucius finds acceptable
in terms of what Bruce does as Batman.

12

Freeman notes, I see Lucius as practical-minded in doing what has to be done

in order to facilitate this mans mission. Batman has set himself up as a champion of
justice, and once hes established that idea and the world is counting on him, he has to
step up to the plate and deliver. But Lucius questions if there are limits to what he will
do to help Bruce meet that challenge.
On the other hand, Nolan says, Alfred is a firm believer in what Bruce is doing
and encourages him to take it even further if necessary, because Alfred believes its the
right thing to do.

Of course, Alfred is also concerned for the human side of Bruce

because Alfred raised him from a boy, but he tries not to let his own fears for Bruces
personal safety get in the way of telling him to carry on with his quest.
Bruce Wayne tells Alfred that, as a symbol, Batman cant have limits, but to
Alfred, Bruce is a real person and does, in fact, have limits, says Caine. Bruce is like
his child, and you always see your children as kids, even when they are all grown up.
So, of course, Alfred worries about what he is doing.

I think of Alfred as Bruces

guardian angel, not only physically, but psychologically and morally.

There are real

issues there, and Alfred often has a go at him about it. Alfreds relationship with Bruce is
the most human and also, I think, the most humorous, Caine smiles.
The director says that Alfreds humor comes naturally. Michael is a very funny
guy; Ive never worked with an actor who could time comedy quite so effortlessly. He
knows exactly what to do with a line to get the biggest laugh.
Working with great veterans like Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, I benefit
massively from their experience, Nolan continues. They have a calm presence on the
set that everybody responds to, and they just inspire everyone around them to be on
their best game. It was a privilege to work with them in the first film and an honor to
have them back for The Dark Knight.
The films main cast also includes Eric Roberts as Maroni, one of the heads of
Gotham Citys crime cartel; Chin Han as Lau, an Asian business mogul, who makes
Gothams crime syndicate an offer they cant refuse; Nestor Carbonell as the Mayor of
Gotham City; and Anthony Michael Hall as a television news reporter. Cillian Murphy
also makes a return cameo appearance as Scarecrow.
Overall, Nolan states, The cast is a terrific ensemble of some of the most
extraordinarily talented actors working in movies, which made it very exciting for
everyone involved. It generated a great atmosphere on the set, and it was magical to

13

watch actors with very different approaches come together and work so hard towards
the same goals.
Will you be wanting the Bat-Pod, Sir?
In the middle of the day, Alfred? Not very subtle.
On the screen, Lucius Fox gets credit for providing Batman with his state-of-theart crime-fighting accoutrement, from his new and improved Batsuit to his weapons and
his different modes of transportation. In real life, however, credit goes to Chris Nolan
and his behind-the-scenes design teams, led by production designer Nathan Crowley
and costume designer Lindy Hemming, as well as special effects supervisor Chris
Corbould and his crew, who turn design into function.
Nolan remarks, With Batman Begins, we got to show how things like the
Batmobile and the Batsuit were developed. At the same time, we didnt fully explore all
of the gadgetry, so in continuing the story, what we get to do is show how he becomes
even more high-tech, but still in a credible way. What I love about Batman is that he has
no super powers except for his extraordinary wealth. Looking at it from that point of
view, if you had limitless financial resources, and therefore a lot of power in material
ways, how could you apply that to the creation of some amazing gadgets and crimefighting techniques, all of which are still based on real science and real-world logic?
Nolan and Crowley had previously redesigned The Caped Crusaders legendary
Batmobile for Batman Begins, creating something of a cross between a Lamborghini
and a Humvee.

The ultimate muscle car, the Batmobilenicknamed the Tumbler

combines the power and handling of a sports car with a structure closer to that of an
armored tank.

Riding on six monster truck tires, the Batmobile has no front axle,

allowing it to make tighter turns. Despite weighing in at two and a half tons, it can jump
as much as six feet high, and up to a distance of sixty feet, peeling off the instant it
touches down. The Batmobile can also do zero to sixty in five seconds.
While the Batmobile remains a formidable presence in The Dark Knight, the film
introduces Batmans newest ride, the Bat-Pod, a high-powered, heavily armed twowheeled machine. Of course we were going to have the Batmobile back, states Nolan,
but we wanted to give Batman something new: a fresh means of transportation,
something very exotic and very powerful looking. Its a two-wheeled vehicle, but its

14

definitively not a motorcycle. In essence, the Bat-Pod is to the world of motorcycles

what the Tumbler is to the world of cars.
Fast and maneuverable through the streets of Gotham City, the Bat-Pod is also
capable of handling all terrains. It has the same monster truck tires as those found on
the Batmobile and is self-standing, meaning it does not require a foot stand.

Well

outfitted for hostile situations, it is equipped with weapons on both sides: 40mm blast
cannons, 50-caliber machine guns, and grappling hook launchers.
The original design of the Bat-Pod was the brainchild of Crowley and Nolan.
With little more than the basic concept in mind, the two retreated to their favorite design
headquartersaka Nolans garageto work out the details.

Crowley recalls, We

figured, Lets just go for it; lets build it full-size. So we did. We got some tools and put
together a full-size model out of anything we could find that might fit.
Of course, Nolan and Crowley still had no idea if their invention could actually
run. Thats where the special effects team, headed up by Chris Corbould, came in.
Corbould relates, First of all, I remember when Chris Nolan first showed me his idea for
the Batmobile. I had no idea how we were going to make it work even though it ended
up being very successful. So when I got his call asking me to come have a look at
something he called the Bat-Pod, I thought, Uh-oh, what have you dreamt up this
time?
Corbould flew to L.A., arrived at Nolans garage, and the first time he looked at
Nolan and Crowleys model of the Bat-Pod, I think he was almost in tears, Crowley
laughs. He looked horrified that he might have to actually mechanize that thing. We
kept bringing him cups of tea, and he was just sitting there staring at it, looking like, Oh
my God, what time is the next flight out? It was the usual clash of design versus
engineering.
As it turns out, Crowley was not far off in his assessment of Corboulds state of
mind. I was flabbergasted, Corbould admits. I stood there silently, pretending I was
mulling it over, but the thought going through my head was that they both had to be off
their nut. Where was I going to put a power train? And with those massive wheels,
would this thing actually steer? There were so many issues.
Despite his concerns, Corbould returned to London, where he and his crew
began brainstorming ways to bring the Bat-Pod to life. After some trial and error, they
developed the final working Bat-Pod, which was surprisingly close to the rough model

15

that Nolan and Crowley had originally constructed. Nolan confesses, It really shouldnt
work, but somehow Chris and his team found a way to do it.
The funny thing is, Corbould says, I dont think Chris or Nathan had ever
ridden a motorcycle in their lives, so they were completely unaware of the mechanics
needed to get that thing moving. In a way it was beneficial because they werent steered
towards a more orthodox bike, even subconsciously.

The fact that they had no

knowledge of the mechanics helped them create this weird, wonderful vehicle.
Actually being able to drive it was another matter entirely. Nolan confirms, The
finished product that Chris and his team came up with was very striking, very effective
and worked very well, but its incredibly difficult to ride and to steer.
In order to maneuver the Bat-Pod, the driver has to lean his upper body forward,
almost horizontally, and steer from his elbows, rather than his wrists. In fact, the only
person who was able to master the Bat-Pod was professional stunt rider Jean-Pierre
Goy. Corbould offers, Ive worked with Jean-Pierre a couple of times, and he is one of
the best bike riders in the world, if not the best. Right away, he totally got in the mindset
of learning that machine.

He said, Im not riding another bike until I finish this

sequence, because he had to concentrate on the Bat-Pods unique handling qualities.

Id be lying if I said it was easy for even him to ride, but it looked spectacular when he
did, so it was worth the effort.
I need a new suit. Im not talking fashion, Mr. Fox, so much as function.
You want to be able to turn your head
The silhouette of Batman is an indelible image, instantly recognizable to even the
most casual observer. Chris Nolan and costume designer Lindy Hemming knew it was
important to preserve that image in redesigning and updating the Batsuit for The Dark
Knight.
Focusing on increased comfort and better flexibility, Hemming and her team did
extensive research into the protective suits worn by motocross riders, as well as military
issue protective armor.

We wanted the new Batsuit to be a more supple, more

maneuverable, more breathable piece of equipment, like a modern suit of armor instead
of a rubber suit, Hemming says, referring to the neoprene material used in making the
Batsuit for Batman Begins.

16

The new Batsuit is comprised of 110 separate pieces. The base layer of the suit
was made of a polyester mesh material, which is employed by the military and high-tech
sports manufacturers because of its moisture-wicking properties.

Then individually

molded pieces of flexible urethane were attached to the mesh to form the overall armor
plating. For added protection, carbon fiber panels, which are light yet incredibly strong
and resistant, were placed inside a select group of the urethane pieces around the legs,
chest and abdomen.
To illustrate the evolution of the Batsuit from Batman Begins to The Dark
Knight, costume FX supervisor Graham Churchyard points out, There were essentially
three main components to the Batsuit in Batman Begins and on this film there were
more than 100, so it was a very complicated suit. Add to that, all of those individual
pieces had to be modeled and then molded and cast.

Each piece also had to be

replicated dozens of times for the multiple Batsuits needed for the overall production. It
was an extraordinary amount of work.
At the behest of both Nolan and Bale, Hemmings main mission was to modify
the Batsuit to allow more rotation of the head and neck. In the past, Batman has always
had to move his shoulders to turn his head, so that was a definite priority, Bale affirms.
The seemingly simple answer was to separate the cowl from the rest of the suit, but it
had to appear seamless so as not to compromise The Dark Knights imposing silhouette.
The overall redesign suited Christian Bale perfectly.

It was much more

comfortable and far less claustrophobic than the first suit. It was also more agile and
gave me better range of motion, which helped with the action and fight sequences. But
it still gave me that feeling of invincibility, he acknowledges. You cant help but feel
protected and more powerful when you put the Batsuit on. It just works.
When it came to fighting and protection, the new and improved Batsuit did more
than offer added flexibility. It is also outfitted with a variety of gadgets to aid Batman in
his war on crime, including razor sharp fins that can be extended and then fired from the
gauntlets on his forearms; and sonar-imaging lenses which flip down within Batmans
cowl, enabling him to see sonar images in 3D while masking his eyes behind glowing
white shields.
The only design element of the Batsuit that remained unchanged from Batman
Begins to The Dark Knight was the cape. Hemming says, We spent a lot of time
getting the cape right for the first film, and we didnt want to change it. The cape does

17

have one added feature: it can fold itself into a kind of backpack and then unfurl on
command, which was accomplished through digital effects.
While Bruce Waynes image is not as iconic as that of his alter ego, he has his
own distinctive sartorial style, dictated by his financial and social status. To clothe the
man behind the mask, Hemming collaborated with legendary fashion designer Giorgio
Armani.

Chris Nolan and I wanted Bruce Wayne to have an elegantly tailored

appearance, Hemming offers. We felt that the Giorgio Armani brand was emblematic
of the contemporary classic look we were going for. We chose the fabrics and then
worked directly with Mr. Armani and his people to tailor an entire wardrobe of suits,
custom-made for the character. As Bruce Wayne, Bale wears Armanis newest line,
Giorgio Armani Hand Made-to-Measure.

Each suit carries Armanis traditional

customized owners label, in this case Giorgio Armani for Bruce Wayne.
Harvey Dent obviously does not have the financial means of Bruce Wayne, but
Hemming says his wardrobe still had to denote an air of authority and confidence. We
dressed him simply, but impeccably in suits by (Ermenegildo) Zegna.
The costume designer was able to get a lot more outlandish in costuming The
Joker, modifying the characters familiar look to reflect the generation of the actor playing
him. Hemming explains, Once I knew The Joker was going to be played by Heath
Ledger, I wanted the costume to have a younger, trendier style than previous versions.
Basically, my research ranged from Vivienne Westwood to Johnny Rotten to Iggy Pop to
Pete Doherty to Alexander McQueen. I was collecting all sorts of images.
Hemming ultimately designed an eclectic ensemble that she says has a
somewhat foppish attitude to it, with a little grunge thrown in. Staying with The Jokers
traditional color palette, his outfit is topped by a purple coat, worn over a green
waistcoat. Changing up his look, he also wears a lighter jacket that was based on the
Carnaby Street Mod look. His shirt was patterned after a shirt that Hemming found at an
antique market.
The Jokers shoes are from Milan and were selected by the costume designer
because they had an upward swoop at the toe, which she thought was reminiscent of
clown shoes.

His tie was fashioned from a fabric that was specially woven to

Hemmings specifications by Turnbull & Asser, a London-based clothier better known for
dressing British royalty and the like. Heath wanted it to be thin, so its a 60s tie but in a
Turnbull & Asser fabric. I dare say its the weirdest tie that Turnbull & Asser has ever

18

made, Hemming laughs. When Heath came in and we showed him all the bits and
pieces of the costume, he thought it was fantastically original and just went for it.
The Jokers make-up was also a departure from past incarnations of the
character. While he retains an allusion to his familiar white-faced, sneering visage, his
make-up for The Dark Knight was intended to give him a more frenetic look that also
lends to its shock value. The Jokers face is covered in a white pancake that is cracked
and runny in places. His eyes are thickly rimmed in black, and a sloppy red grin is
painted on, extending from his mouth to his cheeks but not quite masking the terrible
scars beneath. His hair is a more subtle, but still noticeable, shade of green.
Make-up and hair designer Peter Robb-King remarks, Clearly, there was a
perception in the audiences mind of what The Joker would look like, but we wanted to
get under the skin, so to speak, of what this character represents in this story. He is
someone who has been damaged in every sense of the word, so it was important that
we create a look that was not, forgive the pun, jokey.
Heath Ledgers make-up artist, John Caglione, Jr., calls the application of the
actors make-up a dance. He describes, Heath would scrunch up his face in specific
expressions, raising his forehead and squinting his eyes, and I would paint on the white
over his facial contortions. This technique created textures and expressions that just
painting the face a flat white would not. Then I used black make-up around Heaths
eyes while he held them closed very tight, which created consistent facial textures. After
the black was on, I sprayed water over his eyes, and he would squeeze his eyes and
shake his head, and all that black drippy, smudgy stuff would happen.
The Jokers make-up also represents a revolutionary advancement in the
application of prosthetics, developed and executed by prosthetic supervisor Conor
OSullivan and prosthetic make-up artist Robert Trenton.

They used a brand new

silicone-based process that enables the prosthetics to be laid on the skin in such a way
that its seamless, Robb-King describes. Its absolutely amazing because you can put
a camera right up to the faceeven an IMAX cameraand there are no issues.
OSullivan reveals, It took us about two years to develop the technology, but
after a few glitches, we hit on it. We are now able to produce silicone pieces that are
applied directly to the skin. And it blends with the skin perfectly; if you didnt know it was
there, you would have a hard time seeing anything.
In addition, the new process cut the application time to a fraction of what was
needed in the past. OSullivan confirms, The Joker prosthetics would previously have

19

taken a good three to four hours. Instead they took about 25 minutes and looked far
superior, which was great.
The clown masks for The Jokers gang were individually sculpted and molded
and then hand-painted. Interestingly, the filmmakers learned that every clown face is
registered and owned by the person who first created it, so all of the clown masks in the
movie had to be cleared; none of them could be copied from existing clown faces.
The more graphic make-up effects for the character of Two-Face involved a
combination of prosthetics and visual effects. Robb-King and his team worked closely
with visual effect supervisor Nick Davis to depict the damage to Harvey Dents face,
because it is so severe that it could not be achieved entirely with prosthetics. Eckhart
recalls, It was interesting for me in that, because of the technology, I didnt have to
spend hours in make-up every day. The whole process was effortlessat least for me,
he smiles.

Using IMAX technology to shoot some of the action scenes gave us

the greatest possible canvas on which to tell the story,
and the result is an incredibly immersive experience.
- Christopher Nolan

Production on The Dark Knight actually began several weeks ahead of the
official start of principal photography. The cast and crew went on location in Chicago to
shoot the opening prologue for the film: a dramatic bank heist that sets in motion the
criminal rampage of The Joker.

The advance scenes also marked a milestone in

filmmaking as Christopher Nolan became the first director to use IMAX cameras to film
sequences in a traditional feature film release. Ive always had an interest in shooting in
IMAX, Nolan relates. Ive seen IMAX presentations at museums and such and found
the format to be completely overwhelming. The clarity and crispness of the images are
unparalleled, so I thought if you could shoot a dramatic feature with IMAX camerasnot
just blow up a 35mm film to show on an IMAX screenit would really bring the audience
into the action.
Emma Thomas notes, When you think about some of the IMAX films we
remember: theyve taken these cameras up Mount Everest, theyve taken them under
the ocean, astronauts have had them in space So if they can do that, then surely we
can shoot on the streets of Chicago with an IMAX camera.

20

As with any first, Nolan and his longtime cinematographer, Wally Pfister, knew
that filming on the streets of Chicago with IMAX cameras would come with its own set of
challenges, beginning with the size of the cameras. The cameras are enormous and
much heavier than a 35mm camera, Pfister confirms. It required an entirely different
approach, but like any challenge in moviemaking, you cant be so intimidated that you
shy away from it. You just bite off one piece at a time until youve tackled it.
For Nolan and his crew, that first bite was shooting the films opening scenes.
Pfister recalls, The week that we spent shooting the bank heist sequence was like IMAX
school for all of us. They passed with flying colors. Filming the prologue with IMAX
cameras not only met but exceeded all expectations, so the filmmakers made the
decision to shoot several more scenes with IMAX cameras, including most of the major
action sequences.
Pfisters team had to find a way to rig the huge cameras to not only capture but
also follow the action. They turned to the people at Ultimate Arm, the award-winning
creators of the gyrostabilized remote control camera crane.

The Ultimate Arm

technicians were able to reinforce the head of the crane so it could handle the weight of
the IMAX cameras. Pfister reveals, We shot most of the Bat-Pod sequences with the
Ultimate Arm, which allowed us to swing the camera up, down and all around the BatPod and get some really stunning footage.
Key grip Mike Lewis also crafted sturdier rigs that enabled the camera crew to
mount the weighty IMAX cameras on the hood of a car, the side of a truck or anywhere
else, as needed. All of the regular camera mounts had to be strengthened in order to
handle the extra weight of the IMAX cameras. Nolan and Pfister also had high praise for
Steadicam operator Bob Gorelick, who, Pfister says, did a remarkable job of keeping
that enormous camera in place.
With advancements in technology on his side, the cinematographer assumed the
sheer weight of the IMAX camera would preclude him from doing any handheld shots,
but Nolan had other ideas. Pfister recounts, Early in pre-production, Chris said to me,
Youve got to try to handhold one of the IMAX cameras at some point just to say you did
it. And I said, No way! I am not putting that thing on my shoulder. But he kept
nudging me and bugging me to try it, and finally I broke down and decided I had to give it
a go. I actually did one handheld shot with the IMAX camera, running in front of a
S.W.A.T. team into a building. More than getting the shot, I think Chris was really proud
of himself that he was able to get me to do that, he admits.

21

We were able to utilize the IMAX format without having to compromise the way
in which we would have filmed with smaller cameras. It didnt slow us down in the
slightest and it was pretty exciting to see it come together, says Nolan.
In addition to the size and heft of the cameras, however, there were other factors
that had to be addressed in incorporating the larger format film. The composition of
shots is entirely different because the frame is so much bigger, so you need to center
things more to pull your attention to the action. And focus is much more critical because
it is a shallower depth of field, Pfister clarifies, adding that the larger size frame also had
a direct effect on the lighting. One of the most challenging things about filming in IMAX
is trying to hide the lights. With the expanded frame, youre seeing so much more from
side to side and top to bottom so you cant place lights where you normally would. You
have to put them behind objects and anywhere else you can hide them.
The size and clarity of the IMAX footage affected other departments, as well.
Nathan Crowley notes, Filming in IMAX is a great bonus to a production designer
because you notice things you ordinarily wouldnt even see. The perspective is huge. I
mean, we purposely had a lot of low ceilings and beautiful shiny floors because they stay
in frame. Then again, we also had to make sure the finishes were superb because youll
also see every speck of dust on the floor, he laughs.
Everyone agreed the end result was more than worth the effort of mastering the
learning curve. You can absolutely see the difference, Pfister attests. Its sharper; it
has more resolution, more contrast and a richer color saturation.

It is an overall

improved image, whether youre seeing it on an IMAX screen or on a regular screen. I

think the action will jump off the screen in any theater.

Continuing Batmans story, we felt it was very important

to get outside and view Gotham as a major world city.
- Christopher Nolan

With The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan sought to expand the world of Batman
in a literal sense by moving the action from the confines of a soundstage to the expanse
of practical locations. We were looking for ways to expand the scope of this film, so I
was determined to take the location filming much further than what we did on Batman
Begins, the director says. The real world is built on a scale you could never reproduce
in the studio.

22

As it had in Batman Begins, the city of Chicago once again became Gotham
City. I spent some time growing up in Chicago, Nolan offers, so its a city I know and
love. It is famous for its architecture and it is also a very film-friendly city. We shot there
for weeks on Batman Begins, but this time we were going to be there for months and
the help and encouragement we got from the city was extraordinary.
Chuck Roven confirms, I cant say enough about Mayor Daley, the Chicago Film
Office and, most importantly, the citizens of Chicago, who could not have been more
excited or more welcoming to us. They gave us total cooperation and allowed us to do
some unbelievable things on their streets, and we appreciated and always tried to
respect that privilege.
Inarguably, the most incredible thing the city allowed the production to do was
unprecedented: flipping a 40-foot tractor-trailer, end over end, right in the heart of the
citys banking district on LaSalle Street.

When Chris Corbould saw the truck flip

described in the script, he admits, I tried to make compromises with Chrislike maybe
the whole truck doesnt go over or maybe we could use a smaller truckbut he wasnt
having any of it.
Nolan responds, Finally I turned to him one day and said, Chris, it really ought
to be an 18-wheeler. And I know you can find a way to do this because thats just who
you are and thats what you do.
The first order of business was to make sure the stunt was even possible. After
about six weeks of calculations, we were ready to do an actual test, Corbould recalls.
We went out to an open space, got the truck up to speed and pressed the button, and it
just sailed over. I had to go to Chris Nolan and tell him it worked perfectly.
Nevertheless, the filmmakers were aware that there was a vast difference
between flipping a truck in the middle of nowhere and doing it in the middle of a city
street. Before they could carry out the stunt, city engineers were called in to make sure
that the tons of force necessary to send the truck end over end would not damage the
infrastructure of LaSalle Street, including the various utility lines that run beneath it.
Once safe parameters were determined, the production was given the green light.
When the night of the stunt came, the truck flip went like clockwork, earning
applause from the assembled cast and crew. It was an impressive thing to watch this
truck fly over and land precisely where Chris said it was going to land, Nolan remarks.
At the top of its arc, it looked almost like a skyscraper standing there, and then it just
continued going over very gracefully. Ive never seen anything like it.

23

The films most explosive sequence involved the implosion of an entire building,
which was staged at the now-vacant Brachs Candy factory building. Corbould and his
crew teamed with the company Controlled Demolition, Inc., headed by Doug Loizeaux,
to create the explosion. Corbould offers, Chris didnt want the building to go down like a
deck of cards, like a conventional demolition. I worked with Doug, who came up with a
system to make the building go down more like a wave, in sequence. Then we added
our special effects elements to make it more spectacular.
For the filmmakers, safety was paramount.

The main concerns involved

surrounding street traffic, as well as active rail lines running nearby the building. The
production contacted the railroad companies and coordinated the train schedules to
ensure that no trains would be coming through at the time of the explosion. Adjacent
street traffic was also blocked to keep onlookers and passersby from getting anywhere
near the blast. In addition, the scene called for a bus to be in proximity to the explosion,
so polycarbonate sheeting was placed on the windows of the bus to ensure that even if
the windows broke, no glass would fly into the bus with cast members inside.
On location in Chicago, the filmmakers also took advantage of some of the citys
defining features, including its world-renowned architecture and multi-leveled streets.
Nolan made good use of the parallel upper and lower roadways for the climactic car
chase between The Joker, the police and Batman. The breakneck chase sent a variety
of cars, armored trucks and one ill-fated 18-wheeler hurtling down such streets as Upper
and Lower Wacker Drive, Lower Lower Randolph, Lower Lower Columbus and LaSalle
Street.

During the chase, the Bat-Pod even takes a side route through the newly

remodeled train station under Millennium Park.

The Dark Knight marks Nathan Crowleys fourth film in the Windy City, and the
production designer observes, The Chicago architecture is phenomenal; all of the great
architects of the last century have worked there. And its wonderfully cinematic.
Crowley chose two buildings designed by famed architect Mies van der Rohe for
a variety of sets. The IBM Building was the site of the Wayne Enterprises Boardroom,
Harvey Dents office, the Mayors office and the Police Commissioners office, while the
lobby of One Illinois Plaza became the main living area of Bruce Waynes new
penthouse. Of course, utilizing the lobby level for the penthouse set meant that visual
effects would be needed to create top-floor views of the city through the floor-to-ceiling
windows. Bruces bedroom was built separately on the 39th floor of Hotel 71 on East
Wacker Drive.

24

Bruce and Alfred have taken up residence in the penthouse because Wayne
Manor is still under construction after it was destroyed in a fire. Nolan comments, At the
end of Batman Begins, Bruce says hes going to rebuild Wayne Manor brick by brick.
That would take a long time, so it would be pretty unrealistic for him to be already moved
back in. And there was also a period in the comic books where Bruce Wayne did live
downtown in a penthouse, so we took that as a jumping-off point. We wanted to have
him in the city because this is very much a story of a city and we felt it was important to
put Bruce in the middle of that.
The penthouse was of a decidedly more modern design than Wayne Manor.
Crowley explains, We were given access to these great modernist floors, and we felt
that era of architecture was better suited for what we were trying to convey emotionally.
Its cold and its vacant; theres no warmth to the environment.
Nolan adds, Bruce is living a very lonely existence in a way, so the stark design
of the penthouse was meant to reflect his state of mind.
Filming in Chicago also took place at such locations as the Convention Hall at
McCormick Place West, which became the vast warehouse of Wayne Enterprises
Applied Science Division; Navy Pier, which was the site of a dramatic scene involving
the panicked citizens of Gotham City; and the Old Chicago Post Office, which was
employed for several scenes, including the opening bank robbery.

In addition, the

exterior of Chicagos Trump Tower, which was in the early construction stage at the time
of production, was used for a pivotal confrontation between Batman and The Joker. The
interior of the building framework was carefully re-created in England at Cardingtonthe
converted airship hangar that is now used as a soundstagewhere the fight was
actually filmed.
Rising out of the Chicago skyline, the Sears Tower was the site of a soaring
exterior shot, and Christian Bale was not going to be denied an opportunity to stand atop
the tallest building in the United States.

The actor recounts, I overheard my stunt

double, Buster Reeves, saying he was heading up to the Sears Tower to do that, and I
said, Sorry buddy, no way. I just have to do this one myself. I mean, how often do you
get to be 110 stories up, looking out over all of Chicago? But its a funny and probably
quite dangerous thing, he laughs, how quickly I felt very at home out there and how
soon I was able move around right on the edge, looking straight down.
Far from being worried, Nolan supported his leading mans decision to grab that
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Christian likes to challenge himself and I knew we

25

werent putting him in any actual physical danger. It was perfectly safe; it just required
guts to stand there. I certainly wouldnt want to do it, but he seemed to enjoy it and it
made a beautiful shot for us. And after that, standing out on a ledge on a building in
Hong Kong must have been easy.
The Dark Knight sends Batman to the Far East on a mission to bring down an
international financial magnate, who is manipulating Gotham Citys most powerful crime
cartels. The scenes were filmed on location in Hong Kong, primarily at the magnificent
IFC2 Building, the tallest building in the city.

I liked the idea of sending Batman

someplace more exotic, says Nolan. We had done that with Bruce Wayne in the first
film, before he became Batman, but I really wanted to show the character of Batman
outside the realm of Gotham City. I had been to Hong Kong many years ago at a film
festival, and remembered it as a great location. Its an incredibly visual place, which
makes it ideal in cinematic terms.
For some interiors, the production returned to Cardington, where one major set
was constructed: the Bat-Bunker, which has temporarily replaced the Batcave while
Bruce and Alfred are living in the penthouse. With its ceiling of solid fluorescent lights,
the Bat-Bunker looks like a giant light box, describes Wally Pfister, which obviously
made it simple for me from a lighting standpoint.
Crowley notes that as long as his home was in the city, Batman needed a new
headquarters. He cant go to his Batcave, so we came up with the idea of a bunker that
ties back to the architectural theme of the penthouse in that its vast but very plain. It is
essentially a large concrete box where everything comes out of the walls and then goes
back.

But it still had to be visually interesting.

It was all about proportion and

perspective, which was actually great fun to do.

Christopher Nolan reflects, Every stage of making an enormous film like this
presents its own challenges, but has its own rewards. Its very exciting to travel the
world and zoom around in helicopters and race the Batmobile around the streets of
Chicago. Every now and then, I have to consciously remind myself to take a step back
and realize that this is an extraordinary thing I am privileged to be a part of.
Another critical design element of The Dark Knight is not seen but heard. The
sound design of the film was extremely complicated, says Nolan.

There were an

enormous number of elements encompassed in the sound mix and there are moments
where its hard to detect what is sound design and what is music, he asserts. There
are large segments of the film where we use little or no score. It was a major challenge

26

for our sound designer, Richard King, and his team to create a range of sounds that
would provoke the kind of emotional response that you would usually rely on music for.
Then the end of the film is very heavily scored with music, but it develops as the action
progresses.
Composers Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, who partnered on the
music for Batman Begins, reunited to compose the score for The Dark Knight. Nolan
relates, I like the score of the film to be an evolution that runs parallel to the editing of
the film, and Hans and James have been amazing in accommodating that.

Usually

without even seeing final footage, they give me pieces of music that my editor, Lee
Smith, and I take into the edit suite. Its a very organic process that puts a lot of unusual
demands on the composers, but they did a fantastic job with it.
As they had on Batman Begins, Zimmer and Howard split duties on The Dark
Knight, with Zimmer composing the theme for The Joker and Howard taking on the dual
personality of Harvey Dent/Two-Face. They also made changes to the overall score,
eschewing any heroic fanfares.

Zimmer says, I dont see Batman as a typical

superhero, so I wanted to avoid anything super in the music. I kept thinking about the
Bat Symbol. It is the iconic representation of Batman, but at the same time, it is dark
and unadorned.
Batman is a very complex character, Howard adds. Were still getting to know
him, so to try and attach a musical theme to him that defines him in any way would be
misleading.
Nolan concludes, For me, Batman has an enduring appeal and endless
fascination because he is a relatable character. He is referred to as a superhero, but
actually he is a self-invented superhero. And I think the fantasy of a man who, through
sheer will and self-discipline, has turned himself into more than just a man, into a heroic
figurethats just a very compelling myth.
# # #

27

ABOUT THE CAST

CHRISTIAN BALE (Bruce Wayne/Batman) was born in Wales and grew up in

England and the USA. He made his film debut in Steven Spielbergs World War II epic
Empire of the Sun.
Bales work to date also includes Henry V, The Portrait of a Lady, The Secret
Agent, Metroland, Velvet Goldmine, All the Little Animals, American Psycho,
Shaft, Captain Corellis Mandolin, Reign of Fire, Laurel Canyon, The Machinist,
Batman Begins, The New World, The Prestige, Harsh Times, Rescue Dawn and
3:10 to Yuma.
Bale just completed work on Public Enemies for director Michael Mann. He is
currently filming Terminator Salvation, under the direction of McG.
MICHAEL CAINE (Alfred) is one of the film industrys most esteemed actors,
with a career spanning over half a century and encompassing more than 100 films and a
myriad of acting honors. A two-time Academy Award winner, Caine won his first Oscar,
for Best Supporting Actor, for his work in Hannah and Her Sisters, for which he also
received Golden Globe and BAFTA Award nominations. He took home his second Best
Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in The Cider House Rules, also winning a SAG
Award and earning Golden Globe and BAFTA Award nominations.
In addition, Caine has earned four Oscar nominations for Best Actor, the first
coming in 1966 for his performance in the title role in Alfie, which also brought him a
Golden Globe nomination and a New York Film Critics Award. He received his second
Oscar nod, as well as a Golden Globe nomination and an Evening Standard Award, for
the part of Milo Tindle in 1972s Sleuth. His role in Educating Rita earned him his
third Oscar nomination, and Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards. He gained his latest
Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA Award nominations for his work in 2002s The Quiet
American, for which he also won a London Critics Circle Award. He previously won
Golden Globe and London Critics Circle Awards, as well as a BAFTA Award nomination,
for Best Supporting Actor for Little Voice.
More recently, Caine won another London Critics Circle Award for his
performance in 2006s The Prestige, which reunited him with director Christopher
Nolan following their collaboration on the 2005 blockbuster Batman Begins. Caines

28

most recent film work also includes Gore Verbinskis The Weather Man, Alfonso
Cuarons Children of Men, and the 2007 remake of Sleuth, in which he turned the
tables on his 1972 role, playing Milos adversary, Andrew.
Caine was born Maurice Micklewhite in South London in 1933, the son of a fish
market porter and a charwoman. His interest in acting began at an early age and, at 16,
he left school and took odd jobs for local film companies, hoping to be discovered.
When he was 18, he was called to do his National Service with the Queens Royal
Regiment and the Royal Fusiliers. Upon his discharge in 1953, Caine began pursuing
his acting career, taking his stage name from the title The Caine Mutiny. Starting out
on the stage, he toured Britain in a variety of plays, and began appearing in increasingly
better roles in British films and television shows.
In 1964, Caine landed his first major film role as Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead in
Zulu. The following year, he starred in the hit thriller The Ipcress File, earning his first
BAFTA Award nomination for his portrayal of secret agent Harry Palmer. However, it
was his Oscar-nominated performance in the seminal sixties film Alfie that catapulted
Caine to international stardom.

In the late 1960s, he went on to star in 11 films,

including The Ipcress File sequels, Funeral in Berlin and Billion Dollar Brain;
Gambit, earning a Golden Globe nomination; Hurry Sundown; Woman Times
Seven; Deadfall; The Magus; The Italian Job; and Battle of Britain.
Over the following two decades, Caine starred in more than 40 films, including
Robert Aldrichs Too Late the Hero; X, Y and Zee, opposite Elizabeth Taylor; Sleuth,
with Laurence Olivier; John Hustons The Man Who Would Be King; Harry and Walter
Go to New York; Richard Attenboroughs A Bridge Too Far; the Neil Simon comedy
California Suite; Woody Allens Hannah and Her Sisters, winning his first Oscar; Brian
De Palmas Dressed to Kill; John Hustons Victory; Sidney Lumets Deathtrap;
Educating Rita; Stanley Donens Blame It on Rio; John Frankenheimers The
Holcroft Covenant; Neil Jordans Mona Lisa; and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, for which
he received a Golden Globe nomination.
Over the next 15 years, Caine starred in such films as the ensemble comedy
Noises Off; Blood and Wine; Little Voice; Quills; Miss Congeniality; Austin
Powers: Goldmember; The Quiet American; and the Lasse Hallstrm films
Secondhand Lions and The Cider House Rules, for which he won his second Oscar.
On the small screen, Caine earned both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations
for the dual title role in the telefilm Jekyll & Hyde and for his portrayal of South African

29

President F.W. de Klerk in the historical drama Mandela and de Klerk. He also gained
a Golden Globe nomination for his work in the telefilm Jack the Ripper and an Emmy
nomination for the docudrama World War II: When Lions Roared.
Also an author, Caine wrote an autobiography entitled Whats It All About?, as
well as Acting on Film, a book based on a series of lectures he gave on BBC Television.
In the 1992 Queens Birthday Honours, Caine was awarded the CBE, and eight
years later received a knighthood.
HEATH LEDGER (The Joker) was honored with an Academy Award nomination
for his work in Ang Lees drama Brokeback Mountain. For his performance as Ennis
Del Mar, Ledger also earned Golden Globe, Independent Spirit, BAFTA and Screen
Actors Guild Awards nominations, and won several critics groups awards.
In 2007, Ledger was seen in Todd Haynes Im Not There, for which he shared
in a Robert Altman Award at the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards.
His previous film credits include Candy, Casanova, The Brothers Grimm,
Lords of Dogtown, The Order, Ned Kelly, The Four Feathers, Monsters Ball, A
Knights Tale, The Patriot and 10 Things I Hate About You, which first introduced the
Australian-born actor to American audiences.
GARY OLDMAN (James Gordon) first played the role of Gotham Police
Lieutenant James Gordon in Batman Begins.

He also originated the role of Sirius

Black in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and reprised the part in Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Oldman began his career in 1979 on the London stage. Between 1985 and 1989
he acted exclusively at Londons Royal Court Theatre and, in 1985, was named Best
Newcomer by Londons Time Out for his work in The Popes Wedding. That same
year he shared the London Critics Circle Best Actor Award with Anthony Hopkins.
In 1986, Oldman made his major feature film debut in Sid and Nancy, winning
the Evening Standard British Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer for his portrayal
of punk rock legend Sid Vicious. The following year, he starred in Stephen Frears Prick
Up Your Ears, winning the Best Actor Award from the London Film Critics Circle for his
portrayal of doomed British playwright Joe Orton. He has since become one of the
industrys most respected actors, appearing in both mainstream hits and acclaimed
independent films. Oldmans early film credits also include Nicolas Roegs Track 29;

30

Criminal Law; Chattahoochee; Tom Stoppards Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are

Dead, for which he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actor;
State of Grace; Henry & June; Oliver Stones JFK, playing Lee Harvey Oswald; and
the title role in Francis Ford Coppolas Dracula.
Oldmans subsequent film work includes memorable roles in Tony Scotts True
Romance; Romeo is Bleeding; the Luc Besson films The Professional and The Fifth
Element; Immortal Beloved; Murder in the First; Roland Joffes The Scarlett Letter;
Julian Schnabels Basquiat; Wolfgang Petersens Air Force One; the big screen
version of Lost in Space; and Ridley Scotts Hannibal.
In 1995 Oldman and manager/producing partner Douglas Urbanski formed the
production company The SE8 Group, which produced Oldmans directorial debut feature
Nil by Mouth, which Oldman also wrote. The film was invited to open the 1997 50th
Cannes Film Festival in the main competition, where Kathy Burke won the Best Actress
Award for her role. In addition, Oldman won two BAFTA Awards for Best British Film
and Best Screenplay; the Channel 4 Directors Award at the 1997 Edinburgh
International Film Festival; and the Empire Award for Best Debut Film.

He also

executive produced and starred in the SE8 Group film The Contender, which received
two Oscar nominations and brought Oldman a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination
for Best Supporting Actor.
On the small screen, Oldman earned an Emmy nomination for his guest
appearance as an alcoholic actor on the hit comedy series Friends.

His earlier

television work includes the telefilms Meantime, directed by Mike Leigh, and The
Firm, directed by Alan Clarke.
AARON ECKHART (Harvey Dent) earned Golden Globe and Independent Spirit
Award nominations for his role as an unapologetic tobacco lobbyist in 2005s Thank
You for Smoking, which marked Jason Reitmans directorial debut.

Eckhart more

recently starred in Brian De Palmas fact-based murder mystery The Black Dahlia; the
romantic comedy No Reservations, opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones; and the
independent film Meet Bill. He next stars in Alan Balls Towelhead, which opens in
limited release this fall, and Traveling, opposite Jennifer Aniston.
Eckhart studied theater and film at Brigham Young University, where he first met
writer/director Neil LaBute and appeared in several of LaButes plays. In 1997, Eckhart
first gained attention from film critics and audiences when he starred in LaButes first

31

feature film, In the Company of Men. The controversial feature earned widespread
acclaim and won a number of awards, including an Independent Spirit Award for Eckhart
for Best Debut Performance.
Over the next five years, he starred in three more LaBute films: Your Friends
and Neighbors, with Ben Stiller and Catherine Keener; Nurse Betty, with Rene
Zellweger; and Possession, opposite Gwyneth Paltrow. During that time, Eckhart also
received praise for his memorable performance as the love interest of the title character
in Steven Soderberghs acclaimed 2000 biopic Erin Brockovich, opposite Julia Roberts.
Eckharts additional film credits include Conversations with Other Women,
opposite Helena Bonham Carter; John Woos action drama Paycheck, with Ben Affleck
and Uma Thurman; Ron Howards The Missing, with Tommy Lee Jones and Cate
Blanchett; Jon Amiels The Core, opposite Hilary Swank; Sean Penns The Pledge,
joining an all-star cast, including Jack Nicholson and Vanessa Redgrave; Oliver Stones
Any Given Sunday; and John Duigans Molly, opposite Elisabeth Shue.
On the stage, Eckhart theatrical credits include Michael Cristofers play Amazing
Grace, opposite Marsha Mason.
MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL (Rachel Dawes) has, in just the last few years,
emerged as one of the film industrys busiest leading ladies, earning praise for her work
in both major studio releases and independent features. In 2002, she starred opposite
James Spader in the provocative film Secretary, which premiered to rave reviews at
the Sundance Film Festival.

Gyllenhaals performance in the title role brought her

numerous honors, including Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award nominations, a
Boston Film Critics Award, and a National Board of Review Award. In addition, she won
a Chicago Film Critics Award for Most Promising Performer, which also recognized her
work in two other 2002 releases: Spike Jonzes Adaptation and George Clooneys
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.
Gyllenhaal received her second Golden Globe Award nomination, as well as
several international film festival awards, for her starring role in the 2006 independent
feature SherryBaby. That same year, she starred in Marc Forsters acclaimed comedy
drama Stranger Than Fiction, with Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Queen Latifah and
Dustin Hoffman; Oliver Stones real-life drama World Trade Center; and a segment of
the anthology film Paris, je taime.

Gyllenhaal also lent her voice to the Oscar-

nominated animated film Monster House.

32

Her other recent film credits include Bart Freundlichs Trust the Man, with David
Duchovny and Julianne Moore; Don Roos Happy Endings, with Lisa Kudrow; John
Sayles Casa de los Babys; and Mona Lisa Smile, in which she starred with Julia
Roberts, Kirsten Dunst and Julia Stiles under the direction of Mike Newell.
Also an accomplished stage actress, Gyllenhaal starred in the Tony Kushner play
Homebody/Kabul, which ran in Los Angeles and at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
She had previously played the role of Alice in Patrick Maubers award-winning play
Closer, first at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre and then at Los Angeles Mark Taper
Forum.

Her other stage credits include Antony and Cleopatra at the Vanborough

Theatre in London.
Gyllenhaal was still in her teens when she made her feature film debut in
Waterland, starring Jeremy Irons and Ethan Hawke.

She later appeared in John

Waters quirky Hollywood satire, Cecil B. Demented, which led to a co-starring role in
the fantasy thriller Donnie Darko.
In 1999, while still pursuing her acting career, Gyllenhaal graduated from
Columbia University, where she studied Literature.
MORGAN FREEMAN (Lucius Fox) won an Academy Award for Best Supporting
Actor for his role in Clint Eastwoods Million Dollar Baby, for which he also won a
Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award and received a Golden Globe nomination. He has
been honored with three additional Oscar nominations, the first coming for his chilling
performance as a homicidal pimp in the 1987 drama Street Smart, which also brought
him Los Angeles, New York, and National Society of Film Critics Awards, and an
Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor, as well as his first Golden Globe
Award nomination. He earned his second Oscar nomination and won Golden Globe and
National Board of Review Awards for Best Actor for the 1989 film Driving Miss Daisy, in
which he recreated his award-winning off-Broadway role. He gained his third Oscar nod
for his performance in Frank Darabonts 1994 drama The Shawshank Redemption,
which also brought Freeman Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations.
In addition to The Dark Knight, Freeman also stars this summer in the action
thriller Wanted. He also has a wide range of films upcoming, including The Code;
The Lonely Maiden, which he is also producing; and The Human Factor, which he will
co-produce and star in, playing Nelson Mandela, opposite Matt Damon.

33

Freemans recent film work also includes starring roles in Rob Reiners The
Bucket List, opposite Jack Nicholson; Robert Bentons Feast of Love; Ben Afflecks
Gone Baby Gone; Lucky Number Slevin; Lasse Hallstrms An Unfinished Life, with
Robert Redford and Jennifer Lopez; Christopher Nolans Batman Begins; the Jet Li
actioner Unleashed, written by Luc Besson; and the comedy Bruce Almighty and its
sequel, Evan Almighty. He also lent his distinctive voice to Steven Spielbergs War of
the Worlds and the Oscar-winning documentary March of the Penguins.
His earlier film credits include The Sum of All Fears, High Crimes, Along
Came a Spider, Nurse Betty, Deep Impact, Hard Rain, Steven Spielbergs
Amistad, Kiss the Girls, Se7en, Clint Eastwoods Unforgiven, Glory, Lean on
Me, Clean and Sober, Marie, Teachers, Harry & Son and Brubaker.
In 1993, Freeman made his film directorial debut with Bopha! and soon after
formed Revelations Entertainment.

The companys most recent production was the

Brad Silberling comedy 10 Items or Less, in which Freeman starred with Paz Vega.
The Memphis-born actor began his career on New York stages in the early
1960s, following a stint as a mechanic in the Air Force. A decade later, he became a
nationally known television personality when he created the popular character Easy
Reader on the popular childrens show The Electric Company.
Throughout the 1970s, he continued his work on stage, winning Drama Desk and
Clarence Derwent Awards and receiving a Tony Award nomination for his performance
in The Mighty Gents in 1978.

In 1980, he won Obie Awards for his portrayal of

Shakespearean anti-hero Coriolanus at the New York Shakespeare Festival and for his
work in Mother Courage and Her Children. Freeman won another Obie in 1984 for his
performance as The Messenger in the acclaimed Brooklyn Academy of Music production
of Lee Breuers The Gospel at Colonus and, in 1985, won the Drama-Logue Award for
the same role. In 1987, Freeman created the role of Hoke Coleburn in Alfred Uhrys
Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Driving Miss Daisy, which brought him his fourth Obie. In
1990, Freeman starred as Petruchio in the New York Shakespeare Festivals The
Taming of the Shrew, opposite Tracey Ullman.
Returning to the stage, Freeman is currently starring on Broadway with Frances
McDormand and Peter Gallagher in Clifford Odetts drama The Country Girl, directed
by Mike Nichols.

34

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN (Director/Screenwriter/Producer) is an award-winning

filmmaker who has been recognized for his work as a director and screenwriter.
Nolan began making movies at an early age with his fathers Super-8mm
camera. While studying English Literature at University College London, Nolan shot
16mm films at UCLs film society, learning the guerrilla film techniques he would later
use to make his first feature, Following. The no-budget noir thriller enjoyed great
success at a number of international film festivals, including Toronto, Rotterdam,
Slamdance, and Hong Kong, prior to being released theatrically in the U.S., U.K., France
and various other territories.
Nolans second film was the low-budget independent feature Memento, starring
Guy Pearce, Carrie-Ann Moss and Joe Pantoliano, which Nolan directed from his own
screenplay, based on a short story by his brother Jonathan. The film brought Nolan
numerous honors, including Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for
Best Original Screenplay, two Independent Spirit Awards for Best Director and Best
Screenplay, and a Directors Guild of America Award nomination. In addition, he won
Best Screenplay Awards from several critics groups, including the Los Angeles, London,
Chicago and Broadcast Film Critics Associations, as well as the American Film
Institutes Screenwriter of the Year Award, and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at
the 2001 Sundance Film Festival.
Nolan followed Memento with the critically acclaimed psychological thriller
Insomnia, starring Academy Award winners Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary
Swank. For that film, Nolan won the London Critics Circle Award for Best Director of the
Year.
In 2005, Nolan co-wrote and directed Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale,
Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman. The blockbuster
reimagined the Batman film franchise, pleasing critics and fans alike and paving the way
for The Dark Knight.
Nolan more recently directed, co-wrote and produced the mystery thriller The
Prestige, starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Scarlett Johansson and Michael
Caine. Empire Magazine named Nolan the Best Director of the Year for the film, which
also received Oscar nominations for its extraordinary art direction and cinematography.

35

Nolan currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, producer Emma Thomas, and
their children.
CHARLES ROVEN (Producer) has enjoyed success as a distinguished producer
of both independent and major motion pictures in a career spanning more than two
decades. He is co-founder of Atlas Entertainment, which for the last 10 years was part
of Mosaic Media Group, an integrated multimedia film, television and management
company, in which he was a founding principal.
The Dark Knight reunites Roven with the team from the acclaimed blockbuster
Batman Begins, which he produced in 2005.

Directed by Christopher Nolan and

starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman and Gary
Oldman, Batman Begins was number one at the box office for two consecutive weeks
on its way to grossing more than $370 million worldwide.
In addition to The Dark Knight, Roven produced the recently released action
comedy Get Smart, directed by Peter Segal and teaming Steve Carell and Anne
Hathaway as Maxwell Smart and Agent 99. The film opened at #1 at the U.S. box office.
He is also a producer on the dramatic thriller The International, set for release in early
2009, with Clive Owen and Naomi Watts starring under the direction of Tom Tykwer.
Earlier this year, Roven produced the critically acclaimed crime thriller The Bank
Job, directed by Roger Donaldson and starring Jason Statham and Saffron Burrows,
which opened at the top of the UK box office. His recent film credits also include the
musical Idlewild, starring Outkasts Andre Benjamin (Andre 3000) and Antwan Patton
(Big Boi); and The Brothers Grimm, directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Matt Damon
and Heath Ledger.
Roven previously served as a producer on a broad range of films, including the
$275-million-plus worldwide box office smash Scooby-Doo, followed by the sequel
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed; the highly acclaimed post-Gulf War tale Three
Kings; the widely praised romantic fantasy hit City of Angels, which earned $200
million at the worldwide box office; and Terry Gilliams Twelve Monkeys, starring Bruce
Willis and Brad Pitt in his Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe winning role.
Roven began his career as a talent manager, subsequently bringing an attuned
sensibility for working with artists to the realm of production.
In 2008, Roven was honored with the ShoWest Producer of the Year Award for
his contributions to the film industry.

36

EMMA THOMAS (Producer) is the producer behind such thought-provoking indie

hits as Following and Memento, as well as several major motion picture releases,
including the blockbuster Batman Begins.
Most recently, Thomas produced the critically acclaimed drama The Prestige,
directed by Christopher Nolan. Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Scarlett Johansson and
Michael Caine starred in the story about an intense rivalry between two magicians who
become obsessed with outdoing one another, leading to self-destruction and murder.
The film earned two Oscar nominations for art direction and cinematography.
Thomas and writer/director Christopher Nolan are currently developing The
Prisoner, based on the BBC show of the 1960s, and The Exec, both under the banner
of their company, Syncopy.
Thomas studied at the prestigious University College London before beginning
her career at Working Title Films in London, where she worked in physical production for
five years.

While at Working Title, she gained a solid foundation in film production,

which would serve her well as she segued into producing.

The independent feature Following was the turning point for her career, marking
her first film as a producer. Shot on weekends over the course of a year, Following
was guerrilla filmmaking at its best. The film, which was shot on a shoestring budget,
went on to gain recognition at film festivals around the world and received international
distribution.
Thomas next served as an associate producer on the internationally acclaimed
independent hit Memento. The film went on to win a number of awards, including an
Independent Spirit Award, a British Independent Film Award, and several critics groups
awards for Best Film.

Continuing her success, Thomas co-produced her first major

studio release, the hit thriller Insomnia, starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary
Swank.
In 2005, Thomas produced Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale, Michael
Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman, under the direction of
Christopher Nolan. The film earned praise from both critics and audiences for its bold
reimagining of the Batman film franchise, setting the stage for The Dark Knight.
JONATHAN NOLAN (Screenwriter) is currently writing the screenplay for
Interstellar, a science fiction space adventure to be directed by Steven Spielberg.

37

Nolan was born in London and grew up in the Chicago area. His film career
began when he wrote the intriguing short story Memento Mori, which became the basis
for the acclaimed noir drama Memento, starring Guy Pearce. Directed by his brother,
Christopher Nolan, who also adapted the screenplay, Memento brought Jonathan an
Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, as well as the Waldo Salt
Screenwriting Award at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, both shared with Christopher.
He more recently co-wrote the screenplay for the mystery thriller The Prestige,
about a bitter rivalry between two magicians with tragic consequences. Hugh Jackman,
Christian Bale and Scarlett Johansson starred in the drama, under the direction of
Christopher Nolan.

DAVID S. GOYER (Story) previously teamed with Christopher Nolan on the

screenplay for Batman Begins, which won a Saturn Award from the Academy of
Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. Goyer has earned a stellar reputation for telling
character-driven stories adapted from the otherworldly realms of superheroes, fantasy
and the supernatural for the big screen. He is currently working on the supernatural
thriller The Unborn, starring Gary Oldman and Odette Yustman, which he is directing
from his own screenplay.
Goyers breakout came in 1998 when he wrote the action hit Blade, starring
Wesley Snipes, based on the Marvel Comics vampire hunter who is, himself, halfvampire. He then wrote 2002s Blade II, on which he also served as an executive
producer. He directed, wrote and produced the last of the trilogy, Blade: Trinity. Goyer
was also an executive producer on Blade: The Series for Spike TV, the networks first
original scripted series.
In 2002, Goyer made a departure from action genre films with his directorial
debut, ZigZag, a poignant comedy featuring Wesley Snipes, John Leguizamo, Oliver
Platt, Natasha Lyonne and Sam Jones III. In addition to ZigZag and Blade: Trinity,
Goyer directed last years supernatural thriller The Invisible, starring Justin Chatwin
and Margarita Levieva.
Growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Goyer wanted to write comic books from an
early age, which eventually led to his bringing them to life for the big screen. He sold his
first action script at the age of 22 while still at USC, which became the Jean Claude Van
Damme thriller Death Warrant.

Among his other early credits, he penned the

screenplay for the critically acclaimed film Dark City.

38

Goyers love of comic books also led to a four-year stint actually writing one for
DC Comics. He is a co-writer of The Justice Society, which was one of DCs biggest
hits.
BENJAMIN

MELNIKER

(Executive

Producer)

has

had

longstanding

relationship with DC Comics. Together with his producing partner, Michael E. Uslan, he
has been a part of all of the Batman film and direct-to-DVD projects, most recently
serving as an executive producer on Christopher Nolans Batman Begins. Earlier, he
was an executive producer on the Tim Burton-directed movies Batman, starring
Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, and Batman Returns, starring Keaton, Michelle
Pfieffer and Danny DeVito, followed by Joel Schumachers Batman Forever, starring
Val Kilmer, Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones, and Batman & Robin, starring George
Clooney and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He also produced the animated Batman: Mask
of Phantasm and the Annie Award-winning Batman Beyond: Return of The Joker.
In addition, Melniker was a producer on Francis Lawrences thriller Constantine,
based on the DC Comics/Vertigo Hellblazer graphic novels and starring Keanu Reeves.
He was also an executive producer on Catwoman and an associate producer on
National Treasure.
Currently, Melniker is executive producing the action thriller The Spirit, based
on the comic book by Will Eisner.

Directed by Frank Miller and starring Samuel L.

Jackson, Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes, the film is due out this holiday season.
Melniker began his film career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and worked with the
esteemed studio for 30 years: he was Executive Vice President of the company, a
member of its Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, and Chairman of its Film
Selection Committee. During his tenure at MGM, he was also involved with some of the
most memorable films ever made, including Ben-Hur, starring Charlton Heston; David
Leans Dr. Zhivago; Stanley Kubricks 2001: A Space Odyssey; and the musical
Gigi, directed by Vincente Minnelli.
In 1975, Melniker executive produced his first film, the action drama Mitchell,
followed by the 1976 thriller Shoot, starring Cliff Robertson and Ernest Borgnine.
Melniker has also achieved success in the world of television, with credits
including the childrens series Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?, for which he won
an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Childrens Program; Harmful Intent, based
on the book by Robin Cook; the series Fish Police, Swamp Thing and Dinosaucers;

39

and the acclaimed PBS miniseries Three Sovereigns for Sister Sarah, based on the
true story of the Salem Witch Trials.
MICHAEL E. USLAN (Executive Producer) has enjoyed a long association with
DC Comics. Together with his longtime producing partner, Benjamin Melniker, Uslan
has been involved in all of the films in the Batman franchise, as well as other film and
direct-to-DVD projects based on DC Comics titles.
He was recently an executive producer on Christopher Nolans hit Batman
Begins and produced the thriller Constantine, starring Keanu Reeves under the
direction of Francis Lawrence. Prior to that, he served as an executive producer on Tim
Burtons Batman and Batman Returns, starring Michael Keaton, followed by Batman
Forever and Batman & Robin, both directed by Joel Schumacher. His other credits as
an executive producer include Catwoman, and the animated titles Gotham Knight,
Batman: Sub-Zero, Batman: Mystery of The Batwoman, Batman v. Dracula,
Batman: Mask of The Phantasm, and Batman Beyond: Return of The Joker, for which
he won an Annie Award. Additionally, he was an associate producer on the blockbuster
National Treasure.
Uslan is currently producing the upcoming action thriller The Spirit, based on
the comic book by Will Eisner. Due out this holiday season, the film is directed by Frank
Miller and stars Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes.
Also a successful television producer, Uslan won an Emmy Award for the popular
childrens series Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? which he executive produced.
His additional television producing work includes Harmful Intent, based on Robin
Cooks novel, and the acclaimed PBS miniseries Three Sovereigns for Sarah, based
on the true story of the Salem Witch Trials.
Uslan grew up on comics and actually learned to read from them. He went on to
become a renowned authority on comic book history and, at Indiana University, taught
the worlds first accredited college course on comic books, also writing the
accompanying textbook The Comic Book in America. It was not long before he received
a job offer from DC Comics, where he fulfilled his dream to write Batman comic books.
Uslan has since written for a number of comic titles, as well as dozens of books
that chronicle the history of comics, including America At War A History of War
Comics, Mysteries in Space A History of Science Fiction Comics, and The Pow! Zap!
Wham! Comic Book Trivia Quiz Book.

His additional writing credits include the

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internationally syndicated newspaper comic strip Terry and the Pirates; the historic
comic book project with Stan Lee, Just Imagine; the hardback Batman graphic novel,
Detective #27; Will Eisners The Spirit; and Dick Clarks The First 25 Years of Rock and
Roll.
KEVIN DE LA NOY (Executive Producer) was most recently an executive
producer on Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and
Djimon Hounsou, under the direction of Edward Zwick. He had earlier collaborated with
Zwick as the unit production manager on The Last Samurai.
His producing credits also include Richard Donners sci-fi thriller Timeline,
which he co-produced, and Steven Spielbergs award-winning World War II drama
Saving Private Ryan, on which he served as the associate producer.
In addition, he has been the unit production manager on such hits as Ali,
Titanic, Braveheart, Mission: Impossible and Mission: Impossible II. His film work
also includes serving as the production supervisor on The Power of One and as the
location manager on such films as The Ghost and the Darkness, Black Beauty, The
Secret Garden and 1492: Conquest of Paradise. He has also worked as an assistant
director on a wide range of features.
THOMAS TULL (Executive Producer) is the founder, Chairman and CEO of
Legendary Pictures, a private equity-backed film production company with more than
$1.5 billion in total financing. Legendary Pictures recently re-upped its five-year deal
through which it will co-produce and co-finance films with Warner Bros. Pictures. Since
its inception in 2005, Legendary has joined with Warner Bros. to make such successful
films as Batman Begins, Superman Returns and the blockbuster 300.

Their

impending projects include Watchmen, directed by Zack Snyder.

Tull engineered the unique private equity-backed structure of Legendary and was
presented IDD Magazines prestigious Deal of the Year Award for the entertainment
industry in 2005.
Tull is also a co-founder and Vice Chairman of the video game publisher Brash
Entertainment, for which he secured the financing by arranging a $400 million
investment. To date, the company has secured intellectual properties with five major
studios and has a current collection of over 40 licenses, including several original
properties.

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Previously, Tull was President and served on the Board of Directors of The
Convex Group, a media and entertainment holding company headquartered in Atlanta.
In addition, he served on the Board of Directors of How Stuff Works, a company the
Convex Group acquired during his term, which was later sold to Discovery Networks.
Prior to Convex, Tull was a principal at the Southeast Interactive Technology Funds.
Tull is a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Film Institute (AFI).
He is also a board member of the San Diego Zoo and serves on their Foundation Board
for the Zoological Society of San Diego. He graduated from Hamilton College in 1992.
WALLY PFISTER (Director of Photography) has earned two consecutive
Academy Award nominations for his work with director Christopher Nolan.

The first

came for 2005s Batman Begins, for which he was also honored by his peers with an
American Society of Cinematographers Award nomination. The following year, he was
Oscar-nominated for his cinematography work on The Prestige. Pfister had earlier
received an Independent Spirit Award for his work on Nolans Memento, which marked
their first collaboration. He also served as director of photography on Nolans thriller
Insomnia.
Pfisters additional film credits include The Italian Job, directed by F. Gary Gray,
and the independent features Slow Burn, Laurel Canyon, Scotland, PA, and The
Hi-Line, for which he won the Moxie! Award for Best Cinematographer at the Santa
Monica Film Festival.
For the small screen, Pfister served as the director of photographer on such
telefilms as Sanctuary, Sharing the Secret, Breakfast with Einstein, Rhapsody in
Bloom and Sketch Artist.
NATHAN CROWLEY (Production Designer) has been honored for his
collaborations with director Christopher Nolan.

He earned an Academy Award

nomination for his design work on the period drama The Prestige, and previously
received a BAFTA Award nomination for Batman Begins.

In addition, Crowley

garnered Art Directors Guild Award nominations for both films. He first teamed with
Nolan on the directors crime thriller Insomnia, starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams and
Hilary Swank.

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Crowleys other film credits include the romantic drama The Lake House; the
biopic Veronica Guerin, directed by Joel Schumacher; the war drama Behind Enemy
Lines; and Barry Levinsons Ireland-set comedy An Everlasting Piece.
He previously served as an art director on such films as Mission: Impossible II,
directed by John Woo; Richard Donners Assassins; Alan J. Pakulas The Devils
Own; and Braveheart, directed by and starring Mel Gibson.
In addition to his film work, Crowley was the production designer on the BBC
television series The Ambassador.
LEE SMITH (Editor) reunited with director Christopher Nolan on The Dark
Knight, having previously edited Batman Begins and The Prestige. Smith has also
enjoyed a long association with director Peter Weir, earning an Academy Award
nomination for his editing work on Weirs Master and Commander: The Far Side of the
World, for which he also received an Eddie Award nomination from the American
Cinema Editors. Smith had earlier served as editor and sound designer on Weirs The
Truman Show, Fearless and Green Card; an additional editor on Dead Poets
Society; and an associate editor and sound designer on The Year of Living
Dangerously, which began their collaboration.
Hailing from Australia, Smith won an Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award for
Best Editing on Gregor Jordans Two Hands, on which he was also the sound
designer. For his work as a sound designer, he also won an AFI Award and earned a
BAFTA Award nomination for Jane Campions The Piano, and won an AFI Award for
Phillip Noyces Dead Calm.
As an editor, Smiths additional film credits include The Rage in Placid Lake,
Black and White, Buffalo Soldiers, Risk, Joey, Robocop 2, Communion and
Howling III. He was also the sound designer on Gillian Armstrongs Little Women.
LINDY HEMMING (Costume Designer) won an Academy Award for her Gilbert &
Sullivan-era costume designs for Topsy-Turvy, directed by Mike Leigh. She has also
been Leighs costume designer of choice on the films Naked, Life is Sweet and High
Hopes.
Hemming previously collaborated with director Christopher Nolan on Batman
Begins. She has also served as the costume designer on the recent James Bond films,
beginning in 1995 with GoldenEye, directed by Martin Campbell, and continuing with

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Roger Spottiswoodes Tomorrow Never Dies, Michael Apteds The World is Not
Enough, Lee Tamahoris Die Another Day and Campbells Casino Royale. She is
currently working with Campbell on the feature Edge of Darkness, starring Mel Gibson.
Hemmings extensive film credits also include Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and its
sequel, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life; Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets, directed by Chris Columbus; Sally Potters The Man Who Cried; The
Trench, starring Daniel Craig; Mark Hermans Little Voice and Blame It on the
Bellboy; The Brave, directed by and starring Johnny Depp; Bob Rafelsons Blood and
Wine; Peter Chelsoms Funny Bones and Hear My Song; Mike Newells Four
Weddings and a Funeral, for which she was nominated for a BAFTA Award; Stephen
Gyllenhaals Waterland; Peter Medaks The Krays; John Amiels Queen of Hearts;
Stephen Frears My Beautiful Laundrette; David Hares Wetherby; Richard Eyres
Laughterhouse; and Bill Forsyths Comfort and Joy.
Hemming was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for her work on the telefilm
Porterhouse Blue. Her television credits also include the longform projects Running
Late, Dancing Queen and All Things Bright and Beautiful.
Prior to designing costumes for the screen, Hemming was a costume designer in
the theatre. She worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre of
Great Britain, and on many productions in Londons West End.
HANS ZIMMER (Composer) is one of the film industrys most influential
composers, whose career spans three decades and encompasses well over 100 films.
In 1994, he won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his
score to the animated blockbuster The Lion King, which also spawned one of the most
successful soundtrack albums ever. Zimmers music for The Lion King continues to
draw applause in the award-winning stage production of the musical, which earned the
1998 Tony Award for Best Musical, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Original Cast
Album. The musical has now been running on Broadway for more than 10 years, with
productions also being staged around the world.
Zimmer has garnered six additional Academy Award nominations for his scores
for Gladiator, The Thin Red Line, The Prince of Egypt, As Good as It Gets, The
Preachers Wife and Rain Man.

In addition, he won a Golden Globe Award and

earned a Grammy nomination for Gladiator, and has also received Golden Globe

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nominations for his composing work on The Da Vinci Code, Spanglish, The Last
Samurai, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Pearl Harbor and The Prince of Egypt.
Zimmer most recently created the score for the animated feature Kung Fu
Panda, and is currently working on Ron Howards real-life drama Frost/Nixon and the
animated Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. Zimmers long list of film credits goes on to
include The Simpsons Movie, The Holiday, Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds
End, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest, Batman Begins, Madagascar,
Matchstick Men, Shark Tale, Black Hawk Down, The Ring, Hannibal, Crimson
Tide, Thelma & Louise, Driving Miss Daisy, Mission: Impossible II, A League of
Their Own, Black Rain, Backdraft, True Romance and My Beautiful Launderette.
In addition to his myriad composing credits, Zimmer has served as a music
producer or consultant on numerous films, most recently including the blockbuster Iron
Man, on which he was the executive music producer.
JAMES NEWTON HOWARD (Composer) is a seven-time Academy Award
nominee and one of the industrys most prolific composers, with more than 100 motion
picture and television scores to his credit. His latest Oscar nomination came for his
score for the critically acclaimed drama Michael Clayton, starring George Clooney.
Howard also earned Oscar nominations for Best Original Score for M. Night
Shyamalans The Village, P.J. Hogans My Best Friends Wedding, Andrew Davis
The Fugitive and Barbra Streisands The Prince of Tides. He gained two more Oscar
nods, as well as two Golden Globe nominations, in the category of Best Original Song,
for Look What Love Has Done from the movie Junior and For the First Time in One
Fine Day. Howard received his third Golden Globe nomination for his score for Peter
Jacksons hit remake of King Kong.
Howard has scored all of M. Night Shyamalans films, beginning with the
directors smash hit debut feature, The Sixth Sense, and subsequently including
Unbreakable, Signs, Lady in the Water and, most recently, The Happening.
He is currently scoring several upcoming films, including Edward Zwicks
Defiance and P.J. Hogans Confessions of a Shopaholic. Howards wide range of film
credits also includes Denzel Washingtons The Great Debaters; Mike Nichols Charlie
Wilsons War; Edward Zwicks Blood Diamond; Christopher Nolans Batman Begins;
Sydney Pollacks The Interpreter; Michael Manns Collateral; Joe Johnstons
Hidalgo; P.J. Hogans Peter Pan; Joe Roths Americas Sweethearts; Garry

45

Marshalls Runaway Bride and Pretty Woman; Gregory Hoblits Primal Fear;
Wolfgang Petersens Outbreak; Lawrence Kasdans Wyatt Earp and Grand Canyon;
Ivan Reitmans Dave; Joel Schumachers Falling Down; and David S. Wards Major
League, to name only a portion.
Also honored for his work in television, Howard won an Emmy Award for
Outstanding Main Title Theme for the series Gideons Crossing and earned an Emmy
nomination in the same category for the long-running series ER.

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