The Dark Knight Rises Ten Reasons to NOT Make Batman 3 (Hilarious)

[TLH]

This is without doubt one of the most ridiculous but hilarious things I've read in a long time:

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/top-ten-reasons-not-to-make-batman-3

 

[Anita18]

Just some lulz for you:

Brad has officially added Batman 3 to the RopeofSilicon database, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to get made, it just means hopes are getting high. Everyone and their mom wants Batman 3. Without a doubt I want it. Sooner the better. And ,of course, since The Dark Knight made a zillion dollars, there will be a third one within the next few years. No question on that happening. However, just because we demand another sequel doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the smart move to make one. So here’s just a few things - some serious, some not so - that should cause you to pause before whining about the wait for Batman 3.


10. Expect More Annoying Viral Sites

Oh God, as soon as Batman 3 is announced, the Warner Bros. marketing department will murder the Internet with viral sites. Yes, they will literally choke the Internet to death by unleashing 200 billion sites - none of which will add any substance to the film. I don’t know about you, but I like the Internet, and don’t want it to die. How else will I get my porn?

9. Don’t Let Christopher Nolan Become the Next Sam Raimi

I remember a time long, long ago when Sam Raimi wasn’t the guy who only directed Spider-Man movies. He was a geek idol, a horror-film madman with a fetish for zany camera movements and hell-bent on forcing his audiences to simultaneously laugh while vomiting. And he even shocked critics with the stone-cold masterpiece A Simple Plan. Yet, all he makes these days are Spider-Man flicks. I know I know, he just finished Drag Me to Hell (yay for going back to your roots), but then he signed up for Spider-Man 4 and Spider-Man 5, to be filmed back-to-back. What a waste.

Don’t get me wrong. I love that Warner Bros handed the Batman franchise over to Christopher Nolan. This guy is a brilliant director (with the exception of Following, all of his films have ended up on my Top 10 Lists). And that’s the problem. I want to see the films Nolan has up his sleeve not involving men playing dress-up. It was great he made The Prestige in-between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. I only hope he does the same before Batman 3. Otherwise, he’ll risk following in Raimi’s footsteps.

8. Batman 3 Could Cause the Global Economic Meltdown to Go Nuclear

Often a sequel is referendum on the previous film. For instance, just about everyone liked Batman Begins. However, it didn’t break any box-office records. Yet the millions who liked it told others about it and those people caught it on DVD or TV and liked it. And then when The Dark Knight opened, everyone wanted to see it in the theater because they really enjoyed the first one. And that translated into a smash-fest of box-office records. Then what normally happens is that people don’t like the sequel as much as the first one, and so they don’t flock to the third film. However, just about everybody loved The Dark Knight. So that means when part 3 opens, EVERYONE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD will skip work and see this film opening day. If you think the global economy is bad now, Batman 3 will vaporize it. Think about this. Nothing in the entire world will get done for one day, perhaps even 3 if it opens on a Wednesday and everyone sees it again during the following days. Companies will go bankrupt from the billions lost in work productivity. Utter chaos. However, the upside is that Warner Bros., the one company in the entire world left in business, will have a nice day at the stock market and pretty much own Earth afterwards.

7. If EVERYONE Isn’t Back Then Just Don’t Make the Film

Yes, this is slightly contradictory to “Don’t Let Christopher Nolan Become the Next Sam Raimi.” However, if either Christopher Nolan and his writer brother Jonathan, Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine or Morgan Freeman don’t return for part 3, then why bother? Threequels often go awry because the original filmmakers or actors move on and the studio replaces them with hacks (paging Joel Schumacher and Brett Ratner). Every one of these guys is instrumental in the success of this franchise. Yes, even Caine and Freeman are integral. Their roles may be small. Yet, their performances lend a level of gravitas and credibility that has helped Nolan’s Batman transcend the popcorn flick stigmata.

6. Its Awesomeness Could Kill People

Perhaps Christopher Nolan will top the awesomeness of The Dark Knight. However, if he does, that will truly test the limits of how much awesomeness the human mind can take. And I wager that such awesomeness can kill.

5. How Do You Top Heath Ledger’s Joker? You Probably Can’t

I don’t know how you top Heath Ledger’s Joker, in both performance and character. Two-Face was a viable option. But noooo. Christopher Nolan had to create an epic and include Batman’s two greatest foes within the same film and kill off the one who could truly follow-up the Joker (Two-Face IS dead, deal with it). So since Nolan blew his wad, there’s a decent chance the next villain could be a major letdown, After all, how do you create villain who can inflict more pain on Batman that what the Joker did in The Dark Knight? Yeah, well his special lady friend already got blown up. So that’s out the window. Most people believe the next villain will be the Riddler, the Penguin or Catwoman. All fine villains. Yet none as good as Two-Face or the Joker. And don’t expect a recasting of the Joker. No actor in the world has the balls to try to fill Ledger’s clown shoes. However, whatever actor decides to take on the villain role in the next installment better bring their best game. The Ledger comparisons are a certainty.

4. The Threequel Curse

Superstitious? Sure. And I don’t refute the “Threequel Curse” makes a dumb reason not to attempt a third film. But then I remember in horror Batman Forever, Blade: Trinity, X-Men: The Last Stand, Superman III and etc. (Quaker edit: and let's not forget POTC: At World's end. Eek.) There has never been a good part 3 in a comic-book movie franchise (although, I won’t deny enjoying Spider-Man 3 wut, but it’s a deeply flawed film). I say don’t tempt the cinema Gods.

3. The Inevitable Dumbass Villain-Guessing Game for the 4th Film

You know what the most annoying thing has been since the day after The Dark Knight opened? All the ******** casting rumors - reported as legitimate fact - for the next installment’s villain. The avalanche of ******** was slightly irritating after Batman Begins, but at least that was mostly between movie news sites. But holy Cher-as-Catwoman horse****! After The Dark Knight all journalistic integrity belly-flopped off the ledge. Major news organizations were running with stories, such as Johnny Depp is the Riddler, despite the fact that the filmmakers haven’t created a story for the third film yet, much less begin offering roles to actors. And then I have to tell friends and family - who ask me, “Did you hear in the ‘New York Times’ that Burt Reynolds is playing Poison Ivy” - that they’re ****ing idiots for believing such rubbish. And let me tell you, when they say they read it from a legit news source it’s much more difficult convincing them it’s hogwash, which means a migraine for yours truly.

2. How Can it Possibly Live Up to the Hype?

So everyone loved The Dark Knight. It made a billion dollars. There’s a good chance it will receive Oscar nominations in major categories. With that alone, the hype for the third one is nearly insurmountable. And it’s only going to snowball over the next few years. Christopher Nolan (assuming he is the director) will have to deliver a sure-fire masterpiece to please fans. And even if he does accomplish that, I’m certain many will still be disappointed. Nothing kills like overhype.

1. We Don’t Even Need a Third Movie

While the The Dark Knight leaves a path open for a third story, it still provides closure on both a thematic and narrative level. Sure, Batman is the bad guy in the eyes of the police force, but that’s a common, continuing element of the Batman mythos, not necessarily a loose story thread. Shouldn’t we just be happy with the fact Nolan got it oh-so right in a one-two punch? What’s wrong with ending the story here? Absolutely nothing. If Warner Bros. announced tomorrow that they were pleased with the two films they got and weren’t bothering with a third one, I could live with that. Unfortunately, most could not.

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/top-ten-reasons-not-to-make-batman-3

I'm at the "its awesomeness could kill people" and "it'll cause an economic meltdown."

 

[The Chris]

These articles are starting to annoy. Just a little bit. Dude, there will be a Batman 3, take or leave it buddy. For me this would be like stopping after Empire Strikes back.

 

[Killing Joke926]

LOL Boy, this thread made my day; I can easily say however that I have a logical answer to all of these impractical questions:

10.) We all live the virals, but hate the newbs that come with em' that overflow the Forum; I think it's fair enough that whenever this movie goes into the making we'll block our border and eliminate dumbasses, trolls, newbs, and others who interfer with our daily SHH time schedule. Slowness will not be tolerated.

9.) Nobody will ever be as bad as Raimi except for the guys who did those s***y movies like Disaster Movie or Meet the Spartans; Nolan's godliness cannot be matched nor lowered to such levels. He touches anything with the tip of his finger and it's perfection in an instant; and if it's any consolation, yes he is Jesus and Morgan Freeman is God. That's the Fact Jack.

8.) Never thought this one through though however; I say we have WB will only let viral and SHH members see the next film in select theaters. Same applies to getting the DVD: only for us fans here and nobody else. End of story.

7.) Don't worry; they won't let Nolan leave. Either that or no Batman 3 period. We all know Bale, Oldman, Caine, Freeman, and Gyllenhaal will come back, it's just common sense; everybody else will just be new characters.

6.) If this movie is so amazingly and breath takingly awesome that I'll be dead by the beggining of the credits from an anxiety attack, then let it happen; at least I'll die the happiest dead man with a smile in the world. :heart:

5.) Very true; nobody on the face of the planet can top Heath's performance. When Heath died, he took his brilliance and the Joker down with him; the only way to go is to move on. Just get another villian from Batman's rogue's gallery and set it to film; however even if they get the perfect person to make the ultimate villian on the big screen, he'll only be second best. R.I.P. Buddy; you still got me smiling and crying.

4.) We just talked about this; Nolan's godliness can cheat the very meaning of life and break the curse of s***y third sequels. Even if it's just as spectacular as Begins, I'll still be a happily satisfied man.

3.) LOL That's been goin' on for years; if I could shut down the people and dumbass websites like movieweb and imdb about these rumors, I would; but there's no stopping them unfortunatly. We'll just have to build the SHH a brick wall that shuns it from all of society that will only accept the truth.

2.) Like in question 4 and 9, Nolan can top anything except TDK; everybody knows it won't be any better than that. All he can do is make it just as good as TDK and call it a tie; when he does that in a few years, I'll be happy as happy can be. t:

1.) Ending in TDK was perfect in many ways; instead of leaving an open or closed door, he left a revolving door. Anybody can walk in or walk out; it can end at TDK or can be Batman startin' off just where he was in BB and continue on with a new villian, characters, and story. And from all the comics, character, and an amazingly God like Nolan directing it, Batman's journey can go either way. Don't thank me, thank Nolan for making such an amazing and resilient ending.

 

[Doctor Jones]

That list is goddamn funny. But it's awesomness can indeed kill people. He was right there.

 

[Rasputin911]

there isn't really a good reason to make a third. It won't be as good, so why do it? Just to please people who say, "but there has to be a third one..."? After that they'll say "there has to be a 4th one...and a fifth...." and pandora's box will be open.

How can you have a Batman movie without Joker or Two-Face after both characters were introduced? We've already had one with Penguin and Catwoman, and the Riddler wouldn't be interesting without a majorly drastic change of character. It would just feel depressing without the two heavyweight rogues (Joker/Face).

Now if Nolan hadn't so clearly ruled out Two-Face's return, i might feel differently about all this.

 

[Rasputin911]

And he's right that Batman being hunted by the Police and feared by the public isn't necessarily a bad or strange thing. If anything, Batman was too accepted in TDK (allowed to interrogate Joker at a police station, walking right into a hospital to visit Harvey).

Now he's regained his edge. Criminals were practically spitting in his face in TDK (Maroni said "they know your act..you've got rules" or something), but now they will fear him again.

 

[Anita18]

And he's right that Batman being hunted by the Police and feared by the public isn't necessarily a bad or strange thing. If anything, Batman was too accepted in TDK (allowed to interrogate Joker at a police station, walking right into a hospital to visit Harvey).

Seeing the behind-the-scenes pic of Batman in Gotham General reminded me of how out-of-place that idea was, seeing Batman in a frequented area.

But who says he walked right in? Maybe he went in through the window.

 

[The Major]

4. The Threequel Curse

Superstitious? Sure. And I don’t refute the “Threequel Curse” makes a dumb reason not to attempt a third film. But then I remember in horror Batman Forever, Blade: Trinity, X-Men: The Last Stand, Superman III and etc. (Quaker edit: and let's not forget POTC: At World's end. Eek.) There has never been a good part 3 in a comic-book movie franchise (although, I won’t deny enjoying Spider-Man 3 wut, but it’s a deeply flawed film). I say don’t tempt the cinema Gods.

There is no such thing as curses. It's incompetence and greed which killed these franchises. Simply put, don't let the producers take it over. They have already destroyed the Batman franchise's credibility once with this tactic.

7.) Don't worry; they won't let Nolan leave. Either that or no Batman 3 period. We all know Bale, Oldman, Caine, Freeman, and Gyllenhaal will come back, it's just common sense; everybody else will just be new characters.

This can only be delayed.

A third film will happen whether Nolan is involved or not.

 

[Adam West]

10. Expect More Annoying Viral Sites

Oh God, as soon as Batman 3 is announced, the Warner Bros. marketing department will murder the Internet with viral sites. Yes, they will literally choke the Internet to death by unleashing 200 billion sites - none of which will add any substance to the film. I don’t know about you, but I like the Internet, and don’t want it to die. How else will I get my porn?

I felt the viral marketing added a lot to the film, especially the 'Gotham Tonight' episodes. And you don't HAVE to go to the viral sites.

9. Don’t Let Christopher Nolan Become the Next Sam Raimi

I remember a time long, long ago when Sam Raimi wasn’t the guy who only directed Spider-Man movies. He was a geek idol, a horror-film madman with a fetish for zany camera movements and hell-bent on forcing his audiences to simultaneously laugh while vomiting. And he even shocked critics with the stone-cold masterpiece A Simple Plan. Yet, all he makes these days are Spider-Man flicks. I know I know, he just finished Drag Me to Hell (yay for going back to your roots), but then he signed up for Spider-Man 4 and Spider-Man 5, to be filmed back-to-back. What a waste.

Don’t get me wrong. I love that Warner Bros handed the Batman franchise over to Christopher Nolan. This guy is a brilliant director (with the exception of Following, all of his films have ended up on my Top 10 Lists). And that’s the problem. I want to see the films Nolan has up his sleeve not involving men playing dress-up. It was great he made The Prestige in-between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. I only hope he does the same before Batman 3. Otherwise, he’ll risk following in Raimi’s footsteps.

Sam Raimi chose to make the movies he did. Nolan isn't only going to make Batman movies forever. I doubt he will return after 3, except as a producer.

8. Batman 3 Could Cause the Global Economic Meltdown to Go Nuclear

Often a sequel is referendum on the previous film. For instance, just about everyone liked Batman Begins. However, it didn’t break any box-office records. Yet the millions who liked it told others about it and those people caught it on DVD or TV and liked it. And then when The Dark Knight opened, everyone wanted to see it in the theater because they really enjoyed the first one. And that translated into a smash-fest of box-office records. Then what normally happens is that people don’t like the sequel as much as the first one, and so they don’t flock to the third film. However, just about everybody loved The Dark Knight. So that means when part 3 opens, EVERYONE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD will skip work and see this film opening day. If you think the global economy is bad now, Batman 3 will vaporize it. Think about this. Nothing in the entire world will get done for one day, perhaps even 3 if it opens on a Wednesday and everyone sees it again during the following days. Companies will go bankrupt from the billions lost in work productivity. Utter chaos. However, the upside is that Warner Bros., the one company in the entire world left in business, will have a nice day at the stock market and pretty much own Earth afterwards.

Well, if everyone is spending money at the movies that day, I think the economy will be just fine.

7. If EVERYONE Isn’t Back Then Just Don’t Make the Film

Yes, this is slightly contradictory to “Don’t Let Christopher Nolan Become the Next Sam Raimi.” However, if either Christopher Nolan and his writer brother Jonathan, Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine or Morgan Freeman don’t return for part 3, then why bother? Threequels often go awry because the original filmmakers or actors move on and the studio replaces them with hacks (paging Joel Schumacher and Brett Ratner). Every one of these guys is instrumental in the success of this franchise. Yes, even Caine and Freeman are integral. Their roles may be small. Yet, their performances lend a level of gravitas and credibility that has helped Nolan’s Batman transcend the popcorn flick stigmata.

Not everyone returned from Batman Begins to Dark Knight, and it turned out just fine. I would definately PREFER everyone come back though.

6. Its Awesomeness Could Kill People

Perhaps Christopher Nolan will top the awesomeness of The Dark Knight. However, if he does, that will truly test the limits of how much awesomeness the human mind can take. And I wager that such awesomeness can kill.

Can't argue here, but what a way to go!

5. How Do You Top Heath Ledger’s Joker? You Probably Can’t

I don’t know how you top Heath Ledger’s Joker, in both performance and character. Two-Face was a viable option. But noooo. Christopher Nolan had to create an epic and include Batman’s two greatest foes within the same film and kill off the one who could truly follow-up the Joker (Two-Face IS dead, deal with it). So since Nolan blew his wad, there’s a decent chance the next villain could be a major letdown, After all, how do you create villain who can inflict more pain on Batman that what the Joker did in The Dark Knight? Yeah, well his special lady friend already got blown up. So that’s out the window. Most people believe the next villain will be the Riddler, the Penguin or Catwoman. All fine villains. Yet none as good as Two-Face or the Joker. And don’t expect a recasting of the Joker. No actor in the world has the balls to try to fill Ledger’s clown shoes. However, whatever actor decides to take on the villain role in the next installment better bring their best game. The Ledger comparisons are a certainty.

And I remember everyone saying no one would ever top Jack Nicholson. It is possible. From what I've seen, everyone in the Dark Knight brought their A game, so whoever the actor is who plays whoever the next villain is, will likely do the same.

4. The Threequel Curse

Superstitious? Sure. And I don’t refute the “Threequel Curse” makes a dumb reason not to attempt a third film. But then I remember in horror Batman Forever, Blade: Trinity, X-Men: The Last Stand, Superman III and etc. (Quaker edit: and let's not forget POTC: At World's end. Eek.) There has never been a good part 3 in a comic-book movie franchise (although, I won’t deny enjoying Spider-Man 3 wut, but it’s a deeply flawed film). I say don’t tempt the cinema Gods.

There's a first time for everything. I never thought a comic book movie would be the #2 highest grossing film of all time either. Doesn't mean we shouldn't strive for excellence in part three.

3. The Inevitable Dumbass Villain-Guessing Game for the 4th Film

You know what the most annoying thing has been since the day after The Dark Knight opened? All the ******** casting rumors - reported as legitimate fact - for the next installment’s villain. The avalanche of ******** was slightly irritating after Batman Begins, but at least that was mostly between movie news sites. But holy Cher-as-Catwoman horse****! After The Dark Knight all journalistic integrity belly-flopped off the ledge. Major news organizations were running with stories, such as Johnny Depp is the Riddler, despite the fact that the filmmakers haven’t created a story for the third film yet, much less begin offering roles to actors. And then I have to tell friends and family - who ask me, “Did you hear in the ‘New York Times’ that Burt Reynolds is playing Poison Ivy” - that they’re ****ing idiots for believing such rubbish. And let me tell you, when they say they read it from a legit news source it’s much more difficult convincing them it’s hogwash, which means a migraine for yours truly.

Hmmm...don't read the internet for a while after?

2. How Can it Possibly Live Up to the Hype?

So everyone loved The Dark Knight. It made a billion dollars. There’s a good chance it will receive Oscar nominations in major categories. With that alone, the hype for the third one is nearly insurmountable. And it’s only going to snowball over the next few years. Christopher Nolan (assuming he is the director) will have to deliver a sure-fire masterpiece to please fans. And even if he does accomplish that, I’m certain many will still be disappointed. Nothing kills like overhype.

Remember how everyone was worried that Dark Knight wouldn't live up to the hype? How could it? Then it not only lived up to the hype, but proceeded to exceed it.

1. We Don’t Even Need a Third Movie

While the The Dark Knight leaves a path open for a third story, it still provides closure on both a thematic and narrative level. Sure, Batman is the bad guy in the eyes of the police force, but that’s a common, continuing element of the Batman mythos, not necessarily a loose story thread. Shouldn’t we just be happy with the fact Nolan got it oh-so right in a one-two punch? What’s wrong with ending the story here? Absolutely nothing. If Warner Bros. announced tomorrow that they were pleased with the two films they got and weren’t bothering with a third one, I could live with that. Unfortunately, most could not.

So they should have stopped publishing Batman comics when The Dark Knight Returns came out? Because at that point it was the 'best' Batman story to date. If they had done that, we never would have gotten The Long Halloween. Yes Dark Knight is the best Bat-flick TO DATE. Doesn't mean there can never be a better Batman story told on celluloid. I'd prefer it be by Nolan, and Bale and crew rather than someone else.

 

[jmc]

Humourous, but there are some valid points.

 

[Laderlappen]

Putting aside if the movie should or should not be made, his reasons are the most ******ed ones I've heard. All 10 of them.

 

[I Am The Knight]

Are people actually rebuffing the reasons presented in the article, point by point?

 

[Lando81]

alot of these arent actual points, just how the guy feels.

 

[protoctista]

Seriously though...

If I were Nolan there's no way I'd make a third Batman film.


1) He has ludicrous amounts of leverage right now. He could say to Warner Bros. "I want to make a film about X, Y and Z" and no matter what X Y or Z consisted of, they'd happily hand him 40 million to make it. Financially, his career is in the best place it has ever been - but artistically he has the greatest scope that any director anywhere can ever desire. A film-maker is an artist, and most film-makers aim to reach the position where their artistic vision can garuntee to be realised. Low-budget films are restricted artistically in all sorts of ways. Christopher Nolan is now in the position I can bet he's always dreamed of - he can do anything that he wants. So why, as an artist, would he return to a franchise that would essentially be the same artistic pursuit that he has already realised in perfection? Think of all the other projects he must have dreamed of as he climbed the ladder of success - there's so many other projects to do besides Batman that as an artist he will want to explore, but as a man in an industry, may not be given the financial opportunity to do again.

You might say that doing Batman 3 would not hinder this leverage, but there is a risk (no matter your faith in the guy) that it would. Why, having won the jackpot big time, go back to the same gamble? Why not pursue the (artistic) opportunities that success affords you with? At the very least he should agree to directing a third on the proviso that Warner Bros. funds a couple of less easily financed projects.




2) What story is there left to tell? In two films Nolan has conclusively acquired the majority of the Batman mythos real estate (in terms of the films). He's told the origin story. He's told the story of the greatest villains and the most tragic arch. Another film wouldn't be telling something that is essential to the Batman mythos - everything that is essential (everything that, without, Batman wouldn't be Batman) is there on screen - all the fundamental foundations of the character and his world.

He stated that he hadn't intended to do The Dark Knight, but that he did because he wanted to see how the Joker would operate in the world they established in Batman Begins. Without the Joker, Nolan would not have told a Batman story - because the Joker is essential to the Batman mythos. It would have been like telling the story of Luke Skywalker's journey from farmer to star-fighter-pilot-***-jedi without mentioning Darth Vader. Does Catwoman... or the Riddler... or the Mad-Hatter exhibit the same appeal?????

With Nolan having cast the essential characteristics of this mythology in celluloid, what else could he feel the compulsion to tell?

Another threat to Gotham? Another villain doing an escalated attempt at what the Joker did so well? All of that is story told in The Dark Knight. Taking established canon and telling another story with those elements is called seriality. I don't think Nolan is interested in seriality - his stories are singular, hallmark pictures.


Is there any story left to tell that he could feel the compulsion to tell personally? He's already achieved a perfect batman film. He's nailed every part of the mythos.

I doubt that he would want to be a machine to recurrently translate people's favourite villains to his vision.



3) 'Trilogy' has no bearing on this franchise. Batman is a serial character. He is meant to recurr, to never end, to never change so dramatically that his audience feels disconnected. Nolan couldn't write a concluding finale, because how would he wrap it up?

With batman aware that his fight against crime cant end? That was already demonstrated in The Dark Knight.

With the city accepting him as their protector? That was already evident in the early part of The Dark Knight, and was shown to be a superficial comfort to Batman - it dillutes his means.

With his crusade being passed on to someone else? That would kill Batman.


Nolan doesn't have to return to complete a trilogy - there is no trilogy, just as there is no conclusion. He's going to have to leave parts of Batman's story untold at some point, so why not now when he's done everything he set out to do?









Don't get me wrong, I'd love another Nolan-and-crew Batman film, because they're so ****ing enjoyable. I was just pointing out legitimate reasons why he might not want to do it.

 

[Anita18]

Seriously though...

If I were Nolan there's no way I'd make a third Batman film.

1) He has ludicrous amounts of leverage right now. He could say to Warner Bros. "I want to make a film about X, Y and Z" and no matter what X Y or Z consisted of, they'd happily hand him 40 million to make it. Financially, his career is in the best place it has ever been - but artistically he has the greatest scope that any director anywhere can ever desire. A film-maker is an artist, and most film-makers aim to reach the position where their artistic vision can garuntee to be realised. Low-budget films are restricted artistically in all sorts of ways. Christopher Nolan is now in the position I can bet he's always dreamed of - he can do anything that he wants. So why, as an artist, would he return to a franchise that would essentially be the same artistic pursuit that he has already realised in perfection? Think of all the other projects he must have dreamed of as he climbed the ladder of success - there's so many other projects to do besides Batman that as an artist he will want to explore, but as a man in an industry, may not be given the financial opportunity to do again.

You might say that doing Batman 3 would not hinder this leverage, but there is a risk (no matter your faith in the guy) that it would. Why, having won the jackpot big time, go back to the same gamble? Why not pursue the (artistic) opportunities that success affords you with? At the very least he should agree to directing a third on the proviso that Warner Bros. funds a couple of less easily financed projects.

I imagine they're taking so long to decide their next move since Nolan is figuring out what the heck he should do with his newfound leverage.

"Oh crap! I can do anything I want now! Uhhhh, lemme get back to you with my wish list!"

 

[protoctista]

Exactly.


If I were him, I'd be such a prick about it. I'd be having a Warner Bros executive personally hired to wipe my ass. I'd be having all sorts of sick, fetishistic compulsions to prove that power truly does corrupt.

Meh.

Maybe Nolan's normal though...

 

[Rasputin911]

Seriously though...


Nolan doesn't have to return to complete a trilogy - there is no trilogy, just as there is no conclusion. He's going to have to leave parts of Batman's story untold at some point, so why not now when he's done everything he set out to do?









Don't get me wrong, I'd love another Nolan-and-crew Batman film, because they're so ****ing enjoyable. I was just pointing out legitimate reasons why he might not want to do it.

Exactly. He's covered what needs to be covered.

 

[BestGirl]

Seeing the behind-the-scenes pic of Batman in Gotham General reminded me of how out-of-place that idea was, seeing Batman in a frequented area.

But who says he walked right in? Maybe he went in through the window.

That's how I assumed he got in. I can't imagine him walking through a public hallway.

 

[Melkay]

Is there any story left to tell that he could feel the compulsion to tell personally? He's already achieved a perfect batman film. He's nailed every part of the mythos.

Of course he didn't. That's absurd and you know it. TDK storyline spawns over a few weeks. And we still lacked many of the things that constantly haunt Batman.

We still haven't see him struggle with the problems of being a hero fighting for a city that has set him apart, that considers him a criminal and a monster. For all we know, the torment of what happened to his parents is gone forever... but that isn't supposed to be so.

We need to see him dealing with his grief once again, and know in a more permanent way. And on top of that know he has to deal with the guilt of Rachel's and Harvey's deaths. REALLY deal with it. And not just any guilt, but 'guilt-in-front-of-the-Waynes-grave-iconic-scene'. That kind of guilt.

We still haven't seen Catwoman. We still haven't seen how would Batman react in the temptation of having a personal relationship that isn't bound to 'normality'.

He still doesn't know what is to be REALLY hunted... to be really persecuted by the Police. What is to not have allies.

With the city accepting him as their protector? That was already evident in the early part of The Dark Knight, and was shown to be a superficial comfort to Batman - it dillutes his means.

Agreed, but I don't think that should be the final goal.

With his crusade being passed on to someone else? That would kill Batman.

Totally agreed.

Nolan doesn't have to return to complete a trilogy - there is no trilogy, just as there is no conclusion.

Agreed, but there are still things to be told. The focus must be taken from the villains back to the Batman. We need to see how tough it is to keep fighting when the fight seems to be eternal and unrewarding.

With batman aware that his fight against crime cant end? That was already demonstrated in The Dark Knight.

Was it? Quoting the good ol' Morpheus: "In time you'll realize that it's a different thing knowing the path... than walking the path."

He's going to have to leave parts of Batman's story untold at some point, so why not now when he's done everything he set out to do?

Was that the only things that Nolan set out to do? How do you know?

In Begins we had the promise of escalation, and in TDK we got another promise...

JOKER: 'They need you right now, but when they don't, they'll cast you out.'

GORDON: '...he can take it.'

Basically, the Nolans gave us the ultimate cliffhanger and now it's their time to show us how would that be. Their time to fulfill that promise. And whil there are many irrelevant things in the comics that don't deserve their spot in the big screen, there are also many who are most important, because they show all the pains and anguish of being Batman, not in a day, but all the time. And we didn't get that neither in Begins nor in The Dark Knight.

And it's integral to the mythos.

 

[BestGirl]

Ledger's Joker won't be topped, but he doesn't have to be. Nolan should focus on making a solid movie, not surpassing TDK. I think that's the root of the threequel curse: too many directors/studios become obsessed with topping the previous installment by adding more villains and more storylines until the movie becomes a convoluted mess.

BB3 likely won't live up to the hype, but it doesn't have to. If the movie is simply good, in the future the GA will remember that, not that it didn't live up to their every expectation. Just make a well-directed, well-acted, well-plotted movie and the rest will take care of itself.

One more thing: the story most certainly can continue. Batman has to redeem himself and become the hero that Gotham both needs and deserves. That's how you end the trilogy.

 

[Anita18]

Ledger's Joker won't be topped, but he doesn't have to be. Nolan should focus on making a solid movie, not surpassing TDK. I think that's the root of the threequel curse: too many directors/studios become obsessed with topping the previous installment by adding more villains and more storylines until the movie becomes a convoluted mess.

But Nolan did feel he had to top BB....by adding more explosions. At least that's what Wally Pfister claimed.

 

[The Major]

Ledger's Joker won't be topped, but he doesn't have to be. Nolan should focus on making a solid movie, not surpassing TDK. I think that's the root of the threequel curse: too many directors/studios become obsessed with topping the previous installment by adding more villains and more storylines until the movie becomes a convoluted mess.

BB3 likely won't live up to the hype, but it doesn't have to. If the movie is simply good, in the future the GA will remember that, not that it didn't live up to their every expectation. Just make a well-directed, well-acted, well-plotted movie and the rest will take care of itself.

One more thing: the story most certainly can continue. Batman has to redeem himself and become the hero that Gotham both needs and deserves. That's how you end the trilogy.

Agreed.

 

[itsthebatman]

No. 8 is pretty funny alright

 

[Joker8906]

funny...and true