Once upon a time, an intrepid band of reporters journeyed to where the three rivers meet, a quaint city once called Fort Du Quense and then Fort Pitt, before finally adopting the legendary moniker…Pittsburgh. We were on a pilgrimage to the Steel City to visit the set of one of the most anticipated films of the decade, Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” Little did we know that our embargoed journey would have 10-20,000 witnesses and major coverage from every available reporter from the local Pittsburgh media. Yes, in this age of smartphones and YouTube it’s hard to keep anything secret about a major movie that isn’t being filmed inside a sound stage secret, but shoot it in Western Pennsylvania? You might as well have invited TMZ to broadcast 24/7. But, I digress…
While numerous Pittsburgian extras watched Steeler Hines Ward race through an exploding football field as a Gotham Knight, we had the opportunity to interview key talent from “Rises” in the confines of a luxurious Heinz Field Stadium suite. Who might you ask attempted to deflect our piercing questions for specific details on all things “Rises”? Just franchise star Christian Bale (aka Bruce Wayne and a little fellow referred to as The Batman), Anne Hathaway (aka Selina Kyle and a 21st Century Catwoman), Tom Hardy (aka the buffed up villain Bane), producer Emma Thomas (truly charming as always), special effects supervisor and Oscar nominee Chris Corbuld (currently working with his buddy James Bond on “Skyfall”), costume designer Lindy Hemming (Academy Award winner for “Topsy-Turvy”), Nestor Carbonell (Spoiler! apparently still Mayor of Gotham City) and co-producer Jordan Goldberg (a Nolan protoge). And at some point soon…maybe…my peers and I will be able to happily tell you of what we learned about Mr. Nolan’s latest endeavor.
In the meantime, in order to quench your Memorial Day weekend thirst for all things “Dark Knight,” Warner Bros. has been extremely kind enough to provide us with the brand new outdoor banners for “Rises.” You can expect these images to begin populating the billboards and skyscraper walls in major metropolitan cities around the world very soon. You can also access the new banners in both regular and large sizes by clicking the gallery below.
“The Dark Knight Rises” opens nationwide and in IMAX on July 20.