re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

If so Superman needs to clean up those rows of crack houses. I'm from, and love, Baltimore -- but it in no way looks like Metropolis.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

I'm not sure why anyone is worried about the shift to Pittsburgh for filming. If any recent filmmaker has given fans reason to trust his decisions (until further notice), it's Nolan. Especially with visually-related decisions. I can understand being disappointed that it's not being filmed nearby, but I don't see where any concern is necessary. I'm sure it gives him the look and feel he wants for the film, or else he wouldn't be filming there.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

Exactly.

BTW, latest bit of news (nothing surprising, of course) is that Nolan and company were again scouting locations in NYC.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

'Social Network' Actor Lands Role in 'Dark Knight Rises' (Exclusive)
Josh Pence will have a key part in a flashback sequence in Christopher Nolan's new Batman film.
6:06 PM 4/8/2011 by Borys Kit

Josh Pence, who played opposite Armie Hammer as Tyler Winklevoss in The Social Network (where Hammer's face was superimposed on his), has been cast as a young Ra's Al Ghul in Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan's new Batman movie.

The movie's casting has been ultra-secret, although Christian Bale, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman are returning to lead a caped crusading cast, which includes Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard.

The story line has also been kept locked up in the Batcave but Pence's casting throws more than a few crumbs to follow. Ra's Al Ghul was played by Liam Neeson in Batman Begins, thus paving the way for a possible return of the supposedly dead character. Also, while the studio never confirmed Cotillard's character, it has been rumored to be that of Thalia Al Ghul, the daughter of Batman's mentor-turned-enemy.

Sources say Pence will appear in scenes that take place 30 years prior to the present story.

Pence, repped by Innovative Artists and Industry Entertainment, recently wrapped Battleship, Universal's big-budget action movie based on the board game, and indie political thriller The Algerian.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

interesting....

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

I'm not buying the part he's playing, but if true, indeed interesting to see where Nolan is taking this story. I guess if it's 30 years in the past, could go back to when Ras Al Ghul was once in Gotham before and perhaps crossed paths with Bruce's parents.

Well, confirmed on Batman-news and Batman on Film. So it shall be interesting.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

I'd like to see how they will explain the Lazarus Pit (if at all) and Ra's al Ghul's age in the supposed reality of the Nolan verse.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

I don't think they'll explain the lazarus pit. They'll probably just make him look really young when/if he encounters Bruce Wayne's parents. In Begins they explain that someone takes over as Ra's Al Ghul if that person dies. It's more of title than an actual person to scare the bad guys. That's a pretty good twist to make it more realistic. Can't wait for the finale!

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

That's not true at all. Bruce simply states that the story of the immortal and supernatural abilities of Ra's Al Ghul were just "cheap parlor tricks to conceal [his] true identity". Ducard was the fake identity. And the bald underlings he passed off as Ra's Al Ghul were all his decoys. Which is why Ra's tells Bruce "surely, a man who spends his nights scrambling over the rooftops of Gotham wouldn't begrudge me dual identities."

But I agree we wont get the Lazarus Pits in any literal sense in these films.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

That's a good point.

I have to watch the movie again but I always thought that they'd just replace Ra's if he died because they've been doing it for so long. Like how he explained to Bruce that building a symbol/icon will make the bad guys think twice.

I never got the impresion that there was anything supernatural in Nolan's Bat universe.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

Yeah....the Lazarus Pits at this point in the Nolan verse would be too much for the realm of disbelief. Neeson was 52 when he did BB. 53 when it was released in 2005. SOooooo... Soooooo depending on how old Ra's Al Guhl is in the Nolan verse and when exactly in a timeframe TDKR happens....it won't be that hard to assume that maybe this younger Ra's is in his late 20s. That'd make sense.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

I always took it that the League Of Shadows itself predated Ra's Al Ghul and he simply fabricated his legend once he took over.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

I really hope they don't recycle a League of Shadows storyline... that would have Return of the Jedi written all over it.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

I doubt Nolan plans to recycle the story but rather tie up loose ends.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

I barely remember much about RoTJ besides my disliking of it years ago and some bits and pieces that I liked....I don't get the reference.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

I think the ROTJ reference is referring to almost the entire 3rd act being a rehash of plot points from the previous films- i.e. another race to get the shields down, another run on the death star, another dual between Vader and Luke. It's not a stretch to think the LoS could return to destroy Gotham, and Batman could be racing to defuse the doomsday device in the last act.

I'm not being snarky when I say this, but I found so much in TDK that stretched credulity, that the Lazarus Pit would be a welcome injection of pure fantasy, as opposed to so many plot holes and bits of business that have to be glossed over (as the critics of my rantings inevitably post "it's a comic book movie, fer chrissakes!") to enjoy the more realistic flourishes .
Besides, it's all in the tonal shading and presentation. "we have supercomputers that can perform calculations in seconds that would have taken a room full of Einsteins hours or days, and yet we still can't cure cancer? Is it really that hard, detective, to believe there are things in nature that are beyond your feeble ken?"
If the characters accept some fantastical bit of business, and don't keep questioning it, or constantly referring back to it or belittling it, the audience is more likely to accept it to.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

Unless it's filmed in Chicago!

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

Maybe they are going to go with a story line that the League of Shadows does indeed destroy Gotham, leaving it in shambles -- hence them choosing to film in Pittsburgh.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

Has anyone read "The Long Halloween" or "Dark Victory"? In the latter there is basically an all out war between the Joker-led freaks and the organized mob. This is where Nolan intended to go before Heath Ledger died, I presume.

I still think the story will follow that general structure. Bane-led freaks vs. Falcone family. Throw in the League of Shadows coming back to destroy Gotham once and for all, and it's going to be a hell of a spectacle.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

We can presume...but to presume NOW is irrelevant. Ledger's gone...Joker is gone. All we can do is assume whatever Nolan's doing..it's going to be huge.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

Don't have a clue as to plot, but I would say to look for Catwoman to basically perform a quasi- Robin function in the narrative. Probably start out as a slight antagonist and go into the third act as an ally and partner in arms.

If it doesn't happen that way, I'll be surprised.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

Yes, this.

I have full faith in Nolan, but would rather see something completely new. To go backwards after the Joker would be a disservice to the franchise IMO.

Oh, but if it was shot in Chicago I wouldn't care if Batman looked straight into the camera after meeting Talia and said "This is déjà vu all over again!" :rimshot:

:p

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

Growly voice: "Here we go again... again."

http://content8.flixster.com/photo/1...328890_gal.jpg

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

The reason for the retread on the League of Shadows is most likely because Heath died. I don't honestly believe that there are any "loose ends" or anything... I mean of course they left it open at the end of Batman Begins, however The Dark Knight is a total evolution from Begins so them going back just seems easier. I'm sure whatever we get out of The Dark Knight Rises will be the 2nd best story that could have happened.

re: The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
 

Daniel Sunjata, 2 more for 'Dark Knight'
Klattenhoff, Gorman lining up for small roles
By Jeff Sneider

"Rescue Me" star Daniel Sunjata is in early talks for a supporting role in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises."

Sunjata will play a courageous special forces operative in the Warner Bros. sequel, which will lens in Pittsburgh this summer.

Additionally, Diego Klattenhoff has been offered the part of a rookie cop who is looking to make a difference, while character actor Burn Gorman ("Layer Cake") is also being eyed for a supporting role in the superhero pic.

Christian Bale is returning to defend Gotham from newly-cast villains Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Other cast members include Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Juno Temple and Josh Pence, who was recently cast as a young Ra's Al Ghul, the character Liam Neeson played in "Batman Begins."

Nolan, who penned the screenplay with his brother Jonathan, will produce with his longtime producing partner Emma Thomas, as well as Charles Roven.

Warner Bros. will release "The Dark Knight Rises" on July 20, 2012.