GOTHAM CITY Design.

[Rorschach2012]

Originally Posted by Loki882

This is Zack "I make things that look cool" Snyder that we're talking about. If anyone would make Gotham look great, it'd be this guy.

Idk... his Metropolis was really average.

[Loki882]

We didn't see much of Metropolis. It wasn't a big part of the story in MOS, and part of it got blown up anyway. I want to see what the city looks like once it's actually a major part of the movie, or when it's rebuilt coughLexLuthorcough.

[shallbecomeabat]

I have to defend Nolans Gotham a bit people.
I still think that Chicago looked awesome as Gotham, especially in TDK. I am not from the US and have never seen Chicago outside of film, so maybe thats why it doesn't bother me at all. Still, i think the benefits of shooting in a real city outweigh the problems it entails.
I for one don't want to go back to the Gotham of the Burton movies, which looked like about the size of a soccer field.
I would love it if they would shoot Detroit as it is and use the real city as much as possible, but enhance it via CGI in subtle ways, like adding to the skyline, changing the colors a bit, maybe a Gargoyle here or there.
The only building where I feel Nolan dropped the ball was Arkham. It has to look like the Asylum from Synders Sucker Punch, not like some inner city hospital.



I know that Nolan thought it would be too cheesy and unreal, BUT my girlfriend actually works in a mental ward as a nurse and it really does look a bit gothic and creepy, like the Asylum from the comics. Also, you loose a lot of the horror aspect of Arkham if you change it too much.
But since Snyder has already created a perfect Arkham Asylum in Sucker Punch I don't worry about its look in the movie, if it would be featured (which it probably won't).

[Chip Chipperson]

I really thought BB captured Gotham perfectly.

[shallbecomeabat]

Originally Posted by Chip Chipperson

I really thought BB captured Gotham perfectly.

I know what you mean, but I really disliked how the Narrows looked. It just screamed giant soundstage. I liked it in TDK and TDKR more, but as I said before, I am a huge fan of using a real city.

[Rorschach2012]

Originally Posted by shallbecomeabat

I know what you mean, but I really disliked how the Narrows looked. It just screamed giant soundstage. I liked it in TDK and TDKR more, but as I said before, I am a huge fan of using a real city.

hahaha that's the exact opposite of what most fans think of Nolan's Gotham.

The Narrows were the only part of Nolan's Gotham that even made an attempt at being anything like the Gotham of the comics.

I think this time around, Gotham needs to look way more unique than it did in TDKT. If Gotham just looks like any other city, it takes away from the concept. Gotham was developed as a fictional city, it should be treated as such. You can get away with things looking a bit crazier than they do in real life, because Gotham isn't a real city.

[LibidoLoca]

YEAH SUPER-TUSI!

I'm thinking steampunk with a mixture of gothic architecture.

[hafizbat]

I TOTALLY agree about bringing a steampunk aspect to Gotham. It adds so much life and character to the city, making it an entity of its own.

Some inspiration

[Rorschach2012]

There should be one thing that we can all agree on as far as Gotham goes....

we need more blimps this time

[DACrowe]

Originally Posted by Rorschach2012

hahaha that's the exact opposite of what most fans think of Nolan's Gotham.

The Narrows were the only part of Nolan's Gotham that even made an attempt at being anything like the Gotham of the comics.

I think this time around, Gotham needs to look way more unique than it did in TDKT. If Gotham just looks like any other city, it takes away from the concept. Gotham was developed as a fictional city, it should be treated as such. You can get away with things looking a bit crazier than they do in real life, because Gotham isn't a real city.

Actually Gotham is just a nickname for New York City, where Bob Kane and Bill Finger originally set Batman.

Don't get me wrong. I am all for a more crazy, gothic and art deco Gotham. However, the comics for the vast majority of their existence were more like Nolan than Burton. It was really the 1-2 punch of Burton's amazing vision, particularly in the first movie, and TAS taking that concept and running with it throughout the '90s and toning down the creepy, but playing up the industrial grime (and deco) that was so powerful that it has influenced the comics.

Really this is about getting back to Burton more than the comics. Which I am fine with, because I would welcome that.

[tacit-ronin-]

I just remembered that John Stewart is from Detroit and Simon Baz is from the nearby suburb of Dearborn. Detroit is also of the few real world cities that exist in the dc universe.

[Leevor]

I don't know, as much as I love steampunk aesthetics I think it would be a little too stylized for this universe. Steampunk in Gotham is definitely an inspired idea though, and now that I think about it Batman gliding down at criminals through clouds of factory smoke is something I want to see.

[hafizbat]

Originally Posted by Leevor

I don't know, as much as I love steampunk aesthetics I think it would be a little too stylized for this universe. Steampunk in Gotham is definitely an inspired idea though, and now that I think about it Batman gliding down at criminals through clouds of factory smoke is something I want to see.

Yeah, there's the rub. Given how Snyder approached Metropolis (and MoS in general), its doubtful that he'll make Gotham very stylized and fantastic. Which is a real shame, as Snyder would've been the best man for the job to bringing that vision to life. And with Affleck most likely directing the new Bat-movies, I don't think he'll go for that either. Given his realistic tastes seen in Argo and the Town, its safe to expect that he'll be much like Nolan in approaching the look of Gotham.

[Flint Marko]

I don't think we should look at the way Snyder handled the look of metropolis and pigeonhole what will and won't work in this universe just from that.
Gotham is way more stylized and has a much more distinct look than Superman's home city, so I'd hope they'd make it look a little fantastical. The look in the pictures that hafizbat posted could work very well, in my opinion.

[John-An]

I think Snyder will focus the difference visually speaking between Gotham and Metropolis...

[Leevor]

Originally Posted by hafizbat

Yeah, there's the rub. Given how Snyder approached Metropolis (and MoS in general), its doubtful that he'll make Gotham very stylized and fantastic. Which is a real shame, as Snyder would've been the best man for the job to bringing that vision to life. And with Affleck most likely directing the new Bat-movies, I don't think he'll go for that either. Given his realistic tastes seen in Argo and the Town, its safe to expect that he'll be much like Nolan in approaching the look of Gotham.

I know, right. Making a world grounded and realistic doesn't mean it has to look and feel ordinary and boring. Familiar and a mirror to our society it may be, but it should be an interesting world on its own. Being, at least superficially, fantastic doesn't mean something can't have mature or serious themes, and looking at films like Watchmen I'd like to think Snyder understands that vision.

[shallbecomeabat]

Originally Posted by Rorschach2012

hahaha that's the exact opposite of what most fans think of Nolan's Gotham.

The Narrows were the only part of Nolan's Gotham that even made an attempt at being anything like the Gotham of the comics.

I think this time around, Gotham needs to look way more unique than it did in TDKT. If Gotham just looks like any other city, it takes away from the concept. Gotham was developed as a fictional city, it should be treated as such. You can get away with things looking a bit crazier than they do in real life, because Gotham isn't a real city.

I know what you mean, but for me personally (don't care that it may not be what "most fans" think, which I also doubt, but whatever) its distracting when the world looks too fake.
Take the Gotham from the Arkham verse for example. I like the look of Arkham City very much, but found the Gotham you see in Origins too far removed from a real city. All those giant pipes and giant chains that serve no real purpose, apart from making it look "comicbooky". Most of those pipes, especially near the waterfront, leak a bright and shiny green ooze. Thats just too much removed from the real world which has been established in MoS.

I give you the need for more blimps. I would love that, but thats exactly what I proposed a page ago. Shoot in a real city and add some stuff for effect, like add to the skyline, add police blimps, make the weather look a bit weird, some skyscrapers taller etc.
That I would love since it would find a middleground between a real tangible city and a visually stylized approach. I don't want a retread of Nolans Gotham, but I also don't want to go back to a Gotham thats too far removed from reality.

[Two-Face]

Gotham was perfect in BB especially the Narrows, that's what Gotham should look like. I didn't care much for TDK & TDKR's Gotham.

[Wise]

I think Gotham should look like a mix of

• 30's Chicago (Road to Perdition, Untouchables)
  
• 80's New York (Trading Places, The Warriors, Highlander)
  
• Blade Runner's Los Angeles

I agree with Scott Snyder in that Gotham should be it's own character.

She should show signs of a glorious past, a decrepit and corrupt present and the onset of a soulless corporate future. But it shouldn't all be dark alleys and spillways. There should be rare moments of sunlight, a few trees here and there. Gotham needs to show small seeds of hope so that the Batman's quest to save her doesn't seem like a fools errand.

[tacit-ronin-]

The majority of the Gotham scenes in Batman begins had took place at night. I think Snyder should do the same thing.

[Leevor]

Originally Posted by Wise

I think Gotham should look like a mix of

• 30's Chicago (Road to Perdition, Untouchables)
  
• 80's New York (Trading Places, The Warriors, Highlander)
  
• Blade Runner's Los Angeles

I agree with Scott Snyder in that Gotham should be it's own character.

She should show signs of a glorious past, a decrepit and corrupt present and the onset of a soulless corporate future. But it shouldn't all be dark alleys and spillways. There should be rare moments of sunlight, a few trees here and there. Gotham needs to show small seeds of hope so that the Batman's quest to save her doesn't seem like a fools errand.

This. All of this.

[Loki882]

Originally Posted by shallbecomeabat

I know what you mean, but for me personally (don't care that it may not be what "most fans" think, which I also doubt, but whatever) its distracting when the world looks too fake.
Take the Gotham from the Arkham verse for example. I like the look of Arkham City very much, but found the Gotham you see in Origins too far removed from a real city. All those giant pipes and giant chains that serve no real purpose, apart from making it look "comicbooky". Most of those pipes, especially near the waterfront, leak a bright and shiny green ooze. Thats just too much removed from the real world which has been established in MoS.

I give you the need for more blimps. I would love that, but thats exactly what I proposed a page ago. Shoot in a real city and add some stuff for effect, like add to the skyline, add police blimps, make the weather look a bit weird, some skyscrapers taller etc.
That I would love since it would find a middleground between a real tangible city and a visually stylized approach. I don't want a retread of Nolans Gotham, but I also don't want to go back to a Gotham thats too far removed from reality.

The Narrows didn't look fake to me. In fact, it was inspired by a real place (Kowloon Walled City in Hon Kong). If you've seen pictures of that places, it doesn't look "real" either, but it was.

[Rorschach2012]

I want a red sky maybe not as red as the animated series, but they could figure out a shade of red that'd look somewhat normal in the sky

[hafizbat]

I loved this shot in Begins. It looked the most "Gothamy" to me.

[Fallen Angel]

Originally Posted by hafizbat

I TOTALLY agree about bringing a steampunk aspect to Gotham. It adds so much life and character to the city, making it an entity of its own.

Some inspiration

wow they look great especially the bottom two.