THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Chris Nolan & Christian Bale Reflect On Nolan's Last Batman Film

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Chris Nolan & Christian Bale Reflect On Nolan's Last Batman Film

The Dark Knight Rises' Christopher Nolan, Morgan Freeman, and Christian Bale share their thoughts with the L.A. Times about working on the final chapter of Nolan's Batman trilogy.

By nailbiter111 - Apr 27, 2012 03:04 PM EST
Filed Under: Batman
Source: herocomplex.latimes.com



Director Christopher Nolan has wowed Batman fans with his artistic approach to filming major studio films. His ability to wipe away all the harm that was done upon the character by Joel Schumacher's atrocious Batman and Robin, was truly remarkable. No longer was would a Batman film be a two hour long toy commercial

With all journeys they must come to an end and Christopher Nolan discusses the importance of bringing his trilogy to a rightful conclusion.
“Without getting into specifics, the key thing that makes the third film a great possibility for us is that we want to finish our story. And in viewing it as the finishing of a story rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story … unlike the comics, these things don’t go on forever in film and viewing it as a story with an end is useful.”


Many of us fans will feel excitement the first time we see Batman back on the screen this summer, but deep down most us know there will also be a deep sadness when the credits roll. One of the best chapters in comic book movie history will have concluded, and the search for a new director and most likely a new Batman will begin again. Christian Bale who has been behind the mask for Nolan's franchise felt that impact the first time he read the script.
“I remember when I first read the script, of course it was all top secret. I went round by Chris’ house, was shut in the room with the script — not allowed to leave with it — and it hit me that this was the last one. What Chris couldn’t believe was how slow I read because I go back and re-read until I have it all in my mind. I was in there six or seven hours. It was dark when I came out. And I was smiling.”


Morgan Freeman also feels the weight of knowing that he has worked on Christopher Nolan's last Batman film.
“Back in Gotham, back in Chris Nolan’s city,” actor Morgan Freeman said as he stepped past barbed wire and debris used in a just-finished scene. A moment later, he added: “The only drawback is this is the last one we get to work on with him. And a lot of us won’t really get that until later. It’s not until the curtain goes down that you think, ‘Jesus, that’s the last one.’”



The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters July 20th 2012 and stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon, Tom Hardy as Bane, Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake and Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate.

BANE And DEATHSTROKE Live-Action Movie In Development At DC Studios
Related:

BANE And DEATHSTROKE Live-Action Movie In Development At DC Studios

Hayden Christensen Responds To BATMAN Rumors And Explains Why Darth Vader Would Beat Thanos
Recommended For You:

Hayden Christensen Responds To BATMAN Rumors And Explains Why Darth Vader Would Beat Thanos

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

1 2 3 4
antonio
antonio - 4/27/2012, 4:11 PM
Excellent find! I am pumped as hell to watch Avengers again and to see the final trailer for TDKR!



And TASM as well.
Irons
Irons - 4/27/2012, 4:17 PM
Nothing like finishing a great story.
BlueMex
BlueMex - 4/27/2012, 4:26 PM
" -unlike the comics, these things don’t go on forever in film and viewing it as a story with an end is useful"


When i read this kind cheer me up about this being nolans last batman movie. When it comes to good movies i guess they should come to end in 3 or 6 movies. They cant go longer with same directors same actors.
BJD
BJD - 4/27/2012, 4:37 PM
ehrrr...wrong Nolan!

"unlike the comics, these things don’t go on forever in film and viewing it as a story with an end is useful.”

Chris, you should take a tip from Kevin Feige who has an entirely different idea of what comic book movies can be.

“I think Bond is a good example,” Feige said. “Let’s put it this way: I hope [Robert] Downey [Jr.] makes a lot of movies for us as Stark. If and when he doesn’t, and I’m still here making these movies, we don’t take him to Afghanistan and have him wounded again. I think we James Bond it.”

And this is why DC movies will never really get off the ground.
Irons
Irons - 4/27/2012, 4:48 PM
Bond? They haven't been able to maintain quality consistently throughout the years at all.
rockerdude22
rockerdude22 - 4/27/2012, 5:02 PM
Nolan's movies are just one story that was always meant to end in a trilogy. Marvel's movies are a bunch of different stories taking place in the same universe. They don't know when it'll end. Nolan and Marvel just have their own ways of doing their movies.
BJD
BJD - 4/27/2012, 5:09 PM
@Gaston: I never said that he did. Directors change all the time in movies with continuing story lines. IMO Mr. Nolan is wrong because he views CBM's as isolated events. He was given creative license by the executives and producers to make these movies under that assumption.

Now compare that to Kevin Feige. He does not see a CBM as a closed system unto itself but rather just another molecule in an infinite universe. If one director leaves, SO WHAT..we'll just get another one...like we did with THOR.

My previous comment, while it singled out Christopher Nolan was not necessarily directed at him but rather at the WB execs who have their tail between their legs and hide behind a man who, while artistically brilliant seems to suffer from tunnel vision when it comes to realizing the full potential of any given CBM
Gerrit
Gerrit - 4/27/2012, 5:15 PM
@BJD, come on man. Nolan and WB are not wrong for not liking the idea of a shared universe. It's just a matter of taste. But I do prefer Marvel's aproach a lot.
Comix
Comix - 4/27/2012, 5:20 PM
I find it funny that The Avengers releases at the beginning of the summer and is the start of the something new and is just beginning, while the dark knight rises comes out near the end of the summer and this one is the ending conclusion.
headlopper
headlopper - 4/27/2012, 5:22 PM
@BJD- Smart!


However , one point:

Their comments were based on Nolan's Batman in film, not the end of Batman movies forEVER.
thewonderer
thewonderer - 4/27/2012, 5:23 PM
@BJD

Chris Nolan actually understands that a film franchise is nothing without the actors that started it.

I think Feige's plan is god awful. It didn't work for the original Batman did it?

I have no problem with a director change if the previous film allows for continuation. I DO have a problem with actor changes and honestly a reboot is needed.

But why is a reboot a bad thing? Skip the origin story, maybe cover it in 5 mins, and go with the new film story.

Do it as TIH. In this sense a reboot is a million times better than changing actors.

Feige doesn't give a rats ass about the fans. These movies all make money and thats great, but when it comes time to give it innovation he won't care. If they still make money, he won't care how good or bad they are. Look at Hulk, abandoned

Kudos to Chris Nolan for walking away from something he could continue to make millions of dollars.
Comix
Comix - 4/27/2012, 5:24 PM
@rockerdude

Sorry man but you are wrong, Nolan never intended for a trilogy. He was originally going to leave it at just TDK...
headlopper
headlopper - 4/27/2012, 5:24 PM
@Ironman53- Sh** brudda! 'Nuff said!
TheLokey1
TheLokey1 - 4/27/2012, 5:25 PM
Nolan never set out to make a batman trilogy, he was simply asked to do more movies by the studio. In fact it kind of seemed as though he didn't really want to make a third one but was talked into it. By making this the end of a trilogy Nolan basically shuts the door on the franchise and doesn't have to look like a jerk for not returning which is pretty brilliant on his part.

I really hope WB keeps all the DC properties separate, a JL movie just doesn't sound that cool. Those characters will feel more epic in their own franchises.
BackwardGalaxy
BackwardGalaxy - 4/27/2012, 5:31 PM
I love how morons on here think they have something to "teach" Nolan about how to make movies. It's really very amusing.
BJD
BJD - 4/27/2012, 5:31 PM
@Gerrit: Look, by the time WB figures out that a Justice League Movie was a good idea after all, Marvel entertainment will releasing the INFINITY GAUNTLET movies.

Also consider that a DC/MARVEL crossover movie is inevitable, in fact i think it's the 5th and most immutable law of thermodynamics. Who will be spearheading this cross over...Marvel Entertainment. Who will go to see the crossovers...everybody. Who will like these cross over...everybody. Who will not be primarily responsible for bringing us these crossovers...WB. Why? Because they have no vision and therefore perish
MovieMann
MovieMann - 4/27/2012, 5:34 PM
This whole thing that marvel doing will not last long, I give it 5 maybe 10 years.

Regular people who are not obsessed with comics will start to get confused over all of these marvel movies with a shared universe.

Example:
Ironman showing up in like Thor 4, talking about something that happened in ironman 3 and stuff like that. People that arent obsessed with marvel comics wont know what the hell is going on.

Yes i know it may come as a shock to some of you, but most people dont lavishly read comic books, or look forward to every Marvel movie in anticipation.

The majority of people just see a movie being advertised and then go and watch it
Frogman
Frogman - 4/27/2012, 5:54 PM
You can't compare Nolan to Fiege, Nolan is a Director, Fiege is the Head Honcho so stop acting like Nolan is controlling DC Entertainment. He's just making his bat trilogy and producing Man of Steel. He wasn't involved at all with Green Lantern.
MechTech9
MechTech9 - 4/27/2012, 5:55 PM
BJD - You fail to notice that you are talking about Nolan---a director, mostly---and Kevin Feige---a producer of Marvel, a main contributor. Of course Feige looks at this in a long string of movies. Nolan was only given the license to work with Batman. I doubt Warner Bros./DC had The Justice League in mind when starting Batman Begins---look at where their movies have gone. If anything, they were probably banking on Green Lantern to lead the way, like Iron Man did---and that didn't work out as well. So, I would suggest maybe taking in mind that they are both different people in terms of what they are mainly trying to do. I can see why Feige would say what he said, and I can see why Nolan said what he said. They are both in two different positions. This is how I see it.
Frogman
Frogman - 4/27/2012, 5:58 PM
Also a DC/Marvel crossover is not "inevitable" and WB won't perish, DC Entertainment is just one part of WB. MArvel Studios are only making CBMs, WB make a whole range of movies other than CBMs.
sonofsamadams
sonofsamadams - 4/27/2012, 5:58 PM
For those comicbook nerds who hate on Nolan's movies simply because they don't stick close to the comics and even before its not released:

You've Been Erased GIF - You've Been Erased
see more Gifs

Sit back and enjoy the movie damnmit. Its Batman, not the cure for world terrorism or some shit like that.
DeadManDann
DeadManDann - 4/27/2012, 5:59 PM
@MovieMann

They're obviously not going to do that. Thor movies will be just about Thor, not Iron Man or any other characters. Even if there is a cameo in one of the solo movies, it would be just that-- a cameo. Nothing that'll confuse regular moviegoers.
wolfgangdarkknight
wolfgangdarkknight - 4/27/2012, 6:01 PM
hahahahahahah BJD i think it is hilarious that you said dc movies dont get off the ground, with TDK being one of the highest grossing films ever....
Irons
Irons - 4/27/2012, 6:05 PM
Is CBM.com acting up for anyone else or is it just my god awful internet?
BJD
BJD - 4/27/2012, 6:06 PM
@wolfgangdarkknight: "Superman Returns" "Jonah Hex" "Green Latern"...nuff said!
BJD
BJD - 4/27/2012, 6:06 PM
@Irons: it's not just you, I'm having trouble to
Gerrit
Gerrit - 4/27/2012, 6:09 PM
@BJD, that's exactly why I said I prefer Marvel's aproach. And @MechTech9 is right, you can't blame Nolan for the lack of a DCCU. He isn't the one who has the power to start a shared universe. The problem with WB and DC is that they are doing everything wrong. The way I see it, they should have waited for Nolan's last Batman flick to hit theaters and then to start production of a movie about other DC character to start a shared universe. Instead, we are getting Man of Steel and they say it is a stand-alone film.
sonofsamadams
sonofsamadams - 4/27/2012, 6:09 PM
@BJD

Superman Returns made quite a lot of money,actually.

Don't forget Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Road to Perdition, V,
RidiculousFanBoyDemands
RidiculousFanBoyDemands - 4/27/2012, 6:15 PM
Nothing lasts forever.
RidiculousFanBoyDemands
RidiculousFanBoyDemands - 4/27/2012, 6:16 PM
And Nolan never meant to make The Dark Knight. He always meant for Batman Begins to be a stand alone film, he even said as much in countless interviews. I am glad he decided to make a trilogy and I can't wait to see the TDKR.
BJD
BJD - 4/27/2012, 6:19 PM
@MechTech9: I understand everything you just said. The thrust of my argument is that executives and producers have the ability to corral any given director into their preconceived vision because they're the ones with the bucks and power.

There is no reason that the events of the first two Nolan Batman films couldn't have been woven into a larger universe and simply have another director pick up after the third one. The only explanation is that the "IN NOLAN WE TRUST" philosophy has become a security blanket for short sighted producers at WB
95
95 - 4/27/2012, 6:20 PM
I always felt the MCU worked because Marvel Comics had phases in form of universe-wide story arcs (i.e. Civil War, Kree-Skrull War), whereas DC makes solid standalones and graphic novels (i.e. Batman: Year One, Kingdom Come). DC don't have many universe-wide events to fuel a Cinematic Crossover Universe, in my opinion. Let Nolan finish his awesome trilogy!
DudeGuy
DudeGuy - 4/27/2012, 6:26 PM
Batman started my school experience and it ended it. Batman Forever came out when I was in first grade and the Dark Knight Rises is coming out right after i graduate college.
rockerdude22
rockerdude22 - 4/27/2012, 6:29 PM
At least Nolan will be able to make a fitting conclusion to a story that HE started. Some other franchises have the original director leave at one point, and then another director comes in and the franchise doesn't get a proper ending because the new director has a different vision then the original one. I'm just glad the Dark Knight series will have a fitting conclusion. I would hate it if this series went on with another director. Wouldn't feel right.
1 2 3 4
View Recorder