Considering how many leaked photos and youtube videos appeared online, it’s somewhat surprising “The Dark Knight Rises” ended it’s summer shooting schedule in Pittsburgh with a thank you ad. And yet, showing considerable class, the Christopher Nolan production did exactly that by marking its departure with an iconic “Thank You Pittsburgh” ad today.
Over the past month, amateur photographers and videographers captured a number of key breaks from the production including Anne Hathaway riding a batpod, the camoflouged tumblers riding through the city streets and an epic, snow-filled brawl between Batman (Christian Bale) and Bane (Tom Hardy). Nolan prefers keeping as much about his films secret, so the easy access from Pittsburgh residents to numerous scenes must have been incredibly disconcerting. The city was chosen as a location because of Legendary Pictures Chairman Tom Tull’s connections to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Heinz Field, where a major football scene was shot, and the need for new city streets and skylines after “The Dark Knight” covered every inch of downtown Chicago.
The last few days of shooting in the Steel City featured Hathaway (back from her “One Day” press commitments) riding a batpod through the city. You can get a look at the filming here.
“The Dark Knight Rises” will now head to both Los Angeles and New York for additional shooting. The film opens nationwide and in IMAX on July 20, 2012.