The Dark Knight Variety Weblog: Dark Knight's Nolan and DC Comics Pics

[FlawlessVictory]

December 27, 2007

Dark Knight's Nolan and DC Comics Pics



Last weekend, I ran into youthful Dark Knight director Chris Nolan at a Christmas party in the Hollywood Hills. He was enthused about shooting entire sections of the movie in IMAX--entirely his idea. It's now possible to show the movie on some 150 IMAX screens that aren't just at science museums or in Las Vegas. He shot using IMAX cameras, which are four to five times heavier than 35 mm cameras--the first Hollywood film to do so. The opening first six minutes are being shown in front of I Am Legend in special IMAX locations. (Here's one ecstatic fan review.)


While the trailer makes the movie look pixel-big, the pic is character-driven PG, Nolan said. That way The Joker has to be really scary without resorting to real violence. The trailer is focused on creepy Heath Ledger as The Joker (played in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman by Jack Nicholson in a broadly comedic interpretation), not on district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), who is also a key player in the movie. There are plenty of intimate scenes of people talking, as well as a few big-scale set pieces.


(This week while cruising the channels we happened upon Joel Schumacher's ridiculously over-wrought penultimate 1995 Batman Forever, starring Val Kilmer, Chris O'Donnell sporting an earring as Robin, Nicole Kidman as a sexy therapist, a hyped-up Jim Carrey as The Riddler, and Tommy Lee Jones in piles of makeup as Two-Face. Give us Christian Bale and Nolan, please!)


Speaking of DC Comics pics, it is highly unlikely that Bryan Singer will return to shoot the next Superman movie. (The director is finishing up Tom Cruise's Nazi film Valkyrie, and prepping The Mayor of Castro Street). The next Superman we will see on the big screen will not be Brandon Routh, but a younger Superman among a cast of youthful superheroes in The Justice League. That movie will likely not be shot, however, until after the WGA strike is resolved. Warners is so happy with Dark Knight that their fondest hope is that Nolan will return to do another Batman.



http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2007/12/notes-chris-nol.html

 

[Boom]

The Joker without real violence? No thank you.

 

[Ozymandias]

George Miller, director of the Justice League, already said JLA wasn't affected by the strike. It's good to see though that WB wants Nolan back.

 

[Solidus]

PG driven my ass.

Even the rating for the prolouge alone was PG-13. I hate so many articles that just half a** stuff not getting all the info or quotes right. Thats news/media for you today.

And Look at the poster lol. They are like no violence then above there is a pic of Joker painting a window with blood lol. God the irony. My theatre here my friend said they took down that poster because people thought it was too dark .

This movie aint going to be happy bunnnies jumping around.

 

[Figs]

The Joker without real violence? No thank you.

Agreed, if that's true and they don't try to push the PG-13 rating I'm going to be pissed. This goes against how much Caine has been pumping him up as an extreme murdering psycho though so I don't know what to believe at this point.

 

[MrZombay]

What do they mean no "real violence" what is THAT supposed to mean? Sadly I understand this movie nor will the dvd be rated R but I was under the impression Joker would kill a whole lot of people.

Is it going to be like the opening footage where he kills but there is not one drop of blood? Because there just has to be a little blood here and there...

Or maybe most of his kills will be done via bombs and explosives like in the trailer which could be ok but I want to see atleast a few personal one on one kills ya know?

 

[ultimatefan]

PG driven my ass.

Even the rating for the prolouge alone was PG-13. I hate so many articles that just half a** stuff not getting all the info or quotes right. Thats news/media for you today.

And Look at the poster lol. They are like no violence then above there is a pic of Joker painting a window with blood lol. God the irony. My theatre here my friend said they took down that poster because people thought it was too dark .

This movie aint going to be happy bunnnies jumping around.

Yeah, the prologue alone has like five or six guys being shot dead stone cold and one of them is ran over by a bus on camera, and it´s a pivotal scene of the movie. Even Joker´s look can be considered a little too creepy for kids. The article´s writer´s out of his mind.

 

[Solidus]

I knew this was going to happen. I hate when articles like this are even posted. Because people are goin to think now that its going to be light hearted and PG. The Proulouge was rated PG-13, the first 5 minutes was. So yea the movie will be.

WB is not stupid like Fox, they just got done with a huge hit called 300 that was rated R. They know that darkness sells.

What they mean simply is that its not like saw, where you will see the violence, in the sense you won't see bullets going through flesh, or people getting guts shot out. And I don't want that in my Bat movie.

And the Joker will kill a lot of people lol. The first few minutes in the movie he kills technicaly 2 people.

 

[Stotch]

My theatre here my friend said they took down that poster because people thought it was too dark.

Seriousleh?

....That's kinda cool

 

[FlawlessVictory]

Crap, I'm starting to think I shouldn't have posted this article. Yea, this writer is most definitely out of his mind. This movie will be PG-13.

 

[Figs]

This guy deserves a swift kick in the nuts if he's posting misqouted lines from Christopher Nolan then.

 

[Solidus]

Nolan does not make light movies. Just as Stephen King does not make kid stories. Nolan's all past movies...I mean I don't even know why I'm typing this, its not even a worry of mine by one bit.

The Prolouge was officaly rated PG-13.

So from the footage/pics/posters I've seen, with blood smeered on windows and bricks. As well as parts of the script. The movie is PG-13 and I'll bet a billion dollars on it.

There is not much difference in parents eyes from PG to PG-13, Spidey 3 was PG-13 don't worry TDK will be PG-13.

 

[Figs]

Nolan does not make light movies. Just as Stephen King does not make kid stories. Nolan's all past movies...I mean I don't even know why I'm typing this, its not even a worry of mine by one bit.

The Prolouge was officaly rated PG-13.

So from the footage/pics/posters I've seen, with blood smeered on windows and bricks. As well as parts of the script. The movie is PG-13 and I'll bet a billion dollars on it.

There is not much difference in parents eyes from PG to PG-13, Spidey 3 was PG-13 don't worry TDK will be PG-13.

I'm not worried about the rating, I know it will be PG-13. What my initial concern was when I read that was that most of the deaths from the Joker will be off screen. I know in the prologue he shoots a couple of guys but I mean some nastier stuff.

I know they can't show a lot of blood, but with some of the viral marketing sites like the dead guy with the toe tag...I want their to be some morbidity in this film.

 

[donk70]

Well, I guess so much for being an action movie

 

[Boom]

I'm starting to wonder if a Rated R Batman movie could work. I mean, it's obvious a box office risk, but characters like The Joker could have their violent natures given justice.

I still dream of a scene where The Joker beats somebody to death with a crowbar, blood spattering on his face, while he laughs hysterically the entire time.

 

[batmaluco]

Yeah, the prologue alone has like five or six guys being shot dead stone cold and one of them is ran over by a bus on camera, and it´s a pivotal scene of the movie. Even Joker´s look can be considered a little too creepy for kids. The article´s writer´s out of his mind.

And the bus driver asks where's the rest of the guys and gets a shot which is an answer and also a cold-blooded-killing-joke.

 

[Final Night]

Crap, I'm starting to think I shouldn't have posted this article. Yea, this writer is most definitely out of his mind. This movie will be PG-13.

Naw, it's not like you misrepresented what we've seen of the movie so far. The writer of the article did. You simply posted another item related to TDK.

 

[Frank Noir]

I'm starting to wonder if a Rated R Batman movie could work. I mean, it's obvious a box office risk, but characters like The Joker could have their violent natures given justice.

I still dream of a scene where The Joker beats somebody to death with a crowbar, blood spattering on his face, while he laughs hysterically the entire time.

I have also been dreaming of similar scenes. But aren't the kids that come see THE DARK KNIGHT used to some violence? What I mean to say is: wouldn't they come see TDK if it had a R-rating? I don't think movie theaters have a policy about keeping children out of R-rated movies. Every person is more money for them.

 

[Final Night]

I'm starting to wonder if a Rated R Batman movie could work. I mean, it's obvious a box office risk, but characters like The Joker could have their violent natures given justice.

I still dream of a scene where The Joker beats somebody to death with a crowbar, blood spattering on his face, while he laughs hysterically the entire time.

Yeah, I don't think that would work. I was six when Batman 1989 came out, and I remember that I wasn't even allowed to watch it at PG-13. I remember my Dad telling me that it was the "bad Batman." Later on when Iw as older we watched it of course.

You'd alienate a BIG chunk of your audience.

 

[Final Night]

I have also been dreaming of similar scenes. But aren't the kids that come see THE DARK KNIGHT used to some violence? What I mean to say is: wouldn't they come see TDK if it had a R-rating? I don't think movie theaters have a policy about keeping children out of R-rated movies. Every person is more money for them.

I highly doubt that most parents would bring their young kids to a Rated R movie. At the very least you're going to get people who say "I'm not going to go see a Rated R Batman movie." While I highly doubt anyone is going to say "Psshh... it isn't rated R? I'm not going to go see it."

 

[Rezzo]

I don't think movie theaters have a policy about keeping children out of R-rated movies.

Yes they do, if you are not 18+ or accompanied by an adult they are not allowed to let you in to the theater.

 

[Cousin Itt]

December 27, 2007

Speaking of DC Comics pics, it is highly unlikely that Bryan Singer will return to shoot the next Superman movie.

YAY!!!!!

 

[Juha]

I don't think TDK will be a "hard" PG-13. I'm guessing it will be very similar to Batman Begins when it comes to graphic stuff etc. The overall tone might be a bit darker, sadder and even more desperate but that's it. I mean the WB ninjas are very happy with TDK so that means they have a real money maker in their hands. If TDK was a hard PG-13, I don't think everything would've gone this smoothly with the studio.

Warners is so happy with Dark Knight that their fondest hope is that Nolan will return to do another Batman.

 

[Two-Face]

Nolan has to return and good that Singer won't return he ruined Superman.

 

[fabman]

Good news!