By: Mark Julian
TDKR PICKS UP 8 YRS AFTER THE DARK KNIGHT
Without a doubt, this was probably the biggest bit of news to emerge about The Dark Knight Rises. It's pretty hard to shock people in today's been-there-done-that society but I'm sure I wasn't alone in picking my jaw off the floor when Christopher Nolan dropped that
bombshell.
JUST WHO THE HELL IS JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT PLAYING?
From the moment it was announced that Christopher Nolan was bringing his Inception co-stars Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt onto The Dark Knight Rises, speculation has run rampant about which roles they might play. While it is pretty much given these days that Cotillard is playing Miranda Tate/ Talia al Ghul, no one is really buying the statement from WB that Levitt is playing Gotham City beat-cop, John Blake. There are rumors running rampant that Levitt is playing everyone from the Holiday Killer to Dick Grayson and some even believe he's a member of the Falcone crime family, in fact the son of Tom Wilkinson's character in "Batman Begins.
NEVER MIND LEVITT, WHO IS JUNO TEMPLE PLAYING?
Is she Harley Quinn, is she Holly Robinson, Stephanie Brown? There has been no official word from WB on Temple's character. However,
Total Film sure seems to think she's playing Holly Robinson. When asked about her character, "Holly Robinson" Temple replied with a typical evasive answer but interestingly, didn't deny that she's playing Robinson. This may be one question that doesn't get answered until we actually get to see the film.
NO VENOM FOR BANE?
Can't say I'm surprised by this bit of news that
emerged from an interview with costume designer Lindy Hemming, as a toxin that insanely increases muscle mass doesn't really fit into the realism that Nolan has crafted into his Batman movies. Said Hemming,
"He was injured early in his story. Hes suffering from pain and he needs gas to survive. He cannot survive the pain without the mask. The pipes from the mask go back along his jawline and feed into the thing at the back where there are two canisters of what ever it is..the anesthetic."
DID LIAM NEESON FILM A CAMEO?
Liam Neeson was apparently
spotted on the set of TDKR filming scenes. The real question here is whether Neeson is alive and well or was he filming scenes for a flashback? This scoop also led to certain rumors involving a certain pit with incredible "restorative" properties...
IS THIS THE LAZARUS PIT?
BATMAN GETS A NEW VEHICLE.
SCARECROW RETURNS
He's been a constant in all of the Batman films from Nolan and after a brief appearance in The Dark Knight, it looks like Cillian Murphy will receive more screen time in TDKR. Reportedly, the Scarecrow has moved up the judicial ladder and is now a
judge who will preside over court cases that decide whether Gotham's Elite live or die.
THE BATCAVE GETS AN UPGRADE
CATWOMAN'S BACKSTORY IN TDKR
Well, yours truly had the exclusive
scoop way back in July that Catwoman would have a background akin to her portrayal in the graphic novel, Batman: Year One. Thanks to a certain concept artist, I was told that bit of news but I was forced to reign in assurances at the time due to the nature of concept art and it being super-early in the production. However, for all intents and purposes, many sites are presently considering it a given that Anne Hathaway's Selina Kyle will have a very checkered past. Those of you lucky enough to see the TDKR prologue got a quick glimpse of a sullen Selina Kyle, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and riding in the back of a squad car.
EVEN MTV CAN'T PULL INFO OUT OF THE CAST
All thing's considered, not a whole lot has leaked out from the TDKR production that Christopher Nolan didn't plan on. We still don't really know who Juno Temple is playing, heck, we never even got a set photo of her. Is Joseph Gordon-Levitt Batman's ally or another adversary? And if Bane does indeed break the Bat, how exactly does he "rise" again? One thing's for sure, Christopher Nolan will have the answers on July 20, and they probably won't be the one's we expect but that's why we love the Batman movies to begin with.
Running Time: Unknown
Release Date: July 20 2012 (USA)
MPAA Rating: Unknown
Starring: Christian Bale, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Juno Temple, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Written by: Jonathan Nolan (screenplay), Christopher Nolan (screenplay), David S. Goyer (story)
Click
here to read a rundown of THE AVENGERS spoilers for 2011.