After what feels like ten straight years of rumors and speculation (in actuality, only about two and a half,) THE DARK KNIGHT RISES has started principal photography. Deadline’s posted an official press release from Warner Bros that confirms and codifies everything we’ve been hearing about this flick throughout all this long build-up. Stepping back, now, I have to say it’s infinitely surreal to see a comic movie coming out with a cast filled filled almost entirely by Oscar winners and nominees. This filmic genre’s come a long way since the summer of 1989, has it not?

The crew is almost exactly the same as it was for the last two outings. The only significant change-up is that Howard Shore won’t be returning to contribute to the score, so Hans Zimmer will be handling the music all by himself. While the press release doesn’t get into any details regarding the plot, it’s safe to say it’ll involve Batman trading punches with Bane (Tom Hardy) and kisses with Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway.) We’ve gotten some details about Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard’s characters, but I suspect some secrets are lurking behind their conspicuously-plain names. John Blake will probably be a super cop on the trail of the Bat, but I suspect that “Miranda Tate” is just an alias for Talia al Ghul.

Unfortunately, Batman won’t be making Chicago his Gotham City again. Pittsburgh has got that title, now, and additional scenes will be shot in LA, New York City, England, Scotland and India. Just stabbing in the dark, I get the feeling they might reconceive Bane as a career criminal from the UK, instead of South America, and that India’s probably going to be the site of some scenes involving the legacy of Ra’s al Ghul.

Anyway, we've got more than a year to wait for this flick, now. With few certainties other than good will and trust to go on, I'll say that I'm most excited seeing what the $250 million (!!!) starting budget will yield and what sights Nolan and his crew get out of the increased usage of IMAX cameras.

Update: An image of Tom Hardy as Bane has surfaced.

Thoughts?

At last.

Better now than never, I guess.

Time to start getting exited. I wonder what the viral marketing will be like for this?

I'm sick of hearing about this movie already LOL

Hm-hmm...now we soon shall see what this will all turn up into. 

wow...The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers in one summer...wow!!!!

"Stepping back, now, I have to say it’s infinitely surreal to see a comic movie coming out with a cast filled filled almost entirely by Oscar winners and nominees. This filmic genre’s come a long way since the summer of 1989, has it not?  "

Pittsburgh....what a disgrace. Hopefully, it's just minimal interior shots.

I'm impressed they've gotten into the shooting regiment already since preproduction for a movie like this (getting all the props and actors, making sure all the actors are in shape, storyboarding, rehearsing the hell out of everything) was probably a beast.     

YES.

Please. If there is a god. No 3D.

Oh, boy!

Please. If there is a god. No 3D.

@MrErbac: Someone is going out of their way to hate this movie, lol

First off, why the heck would it matter what nationality the actor who plays Batman is? Hugh Jackman is Australian, but you wouldn't know it from his Wolverine. And didn't Bale grow up in America anyway?

As for Talia, we don't KNOW it's Talia, Tom is just speculating.

Freakin Awesome!!!
I can't wait!

Geez.  How many years is Batman going to be on the run from the cops?  I figured he'd have that all fixed by now.  Maybe he's just enjoying himself too much, messin' with them.

I hope Selina Kyle plays more of a part than just bruces love interest. She doesn't even have to be Catwoman in this one, but they could finish the film with her ready to put the Cat suit on. Then if they make Batman 4 she can play a bigger role as Catwoman.

At last.

Ok...what about Supes?

is he getting a new bat suit???

I really hope that Bane won't be from England that just seems..... wrong

OMFG. In the words of Harvey Fierstein from that scene in Mrs. Doubtfire,  "I'M SOOOO HAPPPPPYYYYYYYYY!!!!"

And I mean it, in that tone too!!!

Cant wait

Will therebe a Bawing he'll fly around Gotham

I wanna will he fly His Batwing Jet over Gotham thats what Iwant to know

I hope it still looks like Gotham, despite changing locations.

I believe you meant James Newton Howard, not Howard Shore.

I really hope that Bane won't be from England that just seems..... wrong

Ok...what about Supes?

Hearing how Bane is gonna be ruined again, this time in a different way, I'm not excited. The last four movies have sucked, the last two just sucked less. Please get this finished and get it over with so we can move on and get a new Batman. This time played by an American actor, and one who can give the kind of performance that Micheal Keaton gave. He's still the best Batman/Bruce Wayne in my opinion.

By the way, anybody else hate that batsuit in the picture? I thought that suit was ugly and dorky looking. It doesn't resemble Batman from the comics much at all. Batman Returns still has the best batsuit. Oh, and great, Talia is gonna be played by a white woman. Talia is freakin' arabic! I can't be the only one upset they didn't go get a beautiful middle easter actress for the part. As a Bat fan, this movie is gonna make me sick. Not as much as Forever or Batman and Robin, but it's still gonna make me sick.

Day=Made

Can't wait for this movie to come out, but I hope it's not going to be in 3D like most movies are starting to become.
3D=Headaches.

I believe in Christopher Nolan

Awesome

By the way, anybody else hate that batsuit in the picture? I thought that suit was ugly and dorky looking. It doesn't resemble Batman from the comics much at all. Batman Returns still has the best batsuit. Oh, and great, Talia is gonna be played by a white woman. Talia is freakin' arabic! I can't be the only one upset they didn't go get a beautiful middle easter actress for the part. As a Bat fan, this movie is gonna make me sick. Not as much as Forever or Batman and Robin, but it's still gonna make me sick.

Hi !

Please God, may la Cotillard doesn't play Talia...

... Talia is not a fish.

I know, I'm mean.

Hihane washte.

@DarkShadows: 

3D is not cinema. To me, it's an ugly gizmo and, especially, a fraud.

Pittsburgh....what a disgrace. Hopefully, it's just minimal interior shots.

Awesome news!

Let's not turn into blind fanboys and hope everything turns for the best this time around as well.

@MrErbac said:

By the way, anybody else hate that batsuit in the picture? I thought that suit was ugly and dorky looking. It doesn't resemble Batman from the comics much at all. Batman Returns still has the best batsuit. Oh, and great, Talia is gonna be played by a white woman. Talia is freakin' arabic! I can't be the only one upset they didn't go get a beautiful middle easter actress for the part. As a Bat fan, this movie is gonna make me sick. Not as much as Forever or Batman and Robin, but it's still gonna make me sick.

Dude, the Batsuit in general is ugly and dorky looking. It comes with the territory of making a movie about an absolutely ludicrous and psychotic bastard dressing up as a flying rodent and fighting crime. It's a crazy-ass outfit; always has been. It either makes you do three things; laugh, enjoy it, or bitch about why it's done wrong.You're never going to get the perfect Batsuit or the perfect Batman movie. It's close to impossible to get everything right.

 

We've already had the perfect batsuit and perfect bat movies. Batman and Batman Returns. Okay not perfect, but as close as possible to me. The only Batman movies I really liked. I felt the batsuit looked really cool in those movies. One of the reasons I don't like the Nolan movies is because I compare them to the first two and feel that the first two still did the best job of portraying Batman, so it's not like I can't be satisfied with anything. I mean, I feel the Green Lantern movie is gonna be good because they're trying to be very close to the comics. Much closer than Nolan's movies in my opinion.

I'm still sceptical about using Bane.I would have preferred Black Mask much more!