We’ve been running Wayne Week…er…all week long, and now, the wait is finally over as The Dark Knight Rises explodes into cinemas. So we present to you, a pretty big ass selection of Bat-Facts. So, when your friends are rockin the TDKR conversation over the days ahead, you can blow their mind!
That scene where Bane blows up the football stadium….10,000 extras were used. None of them were blown up.
According to some reports, Anne Hathaway’s stunt double decide to make shit of one of the IMAX cameras, by hurtling the bat pod into it. This wasn’t a first for Chris Nolan either. In The Dark Knight, they managed to smash another IMAX camera into pieces during the underground truck chase.
Leonardo Di Caprio, Ryan Gosling and Mark “Hulk” Ruffalo were considered to play the role of John Blake, but ultimately Joseph-Gordon Levitt was cast. So, they nearly had a Hulk.
Christopher Nolan has said that Bane was chosen as the bad guy because he could test Batman mentally as well as physically.
Many of you reading this right now are featured in the soundtrack, composed by Hans Zimmer. Come on, how many of you chanted into your webcam mic and submitted it online for inclusion? You did? So did we!
The IMAX screenings in New York sold out six months in advance, and 2 days before release IMAX screenings in London (BFI Waterloo) pulled in a whopping 1 million quid, selling 62,300 tickets.
For you comic book fans, The Dark Knight Rises takes inspiration from “Knightfall” and “No Mans Land” which are quite dark in tone.
Anne Hathaway auditioned for what she thought was the role of Harley Quinn, but after a discussion with Christopher Nolan, discovered it was for the role of Catwoman.
The films theme is “CHAOS”. The Dark Knight’s theme was “FEAR” and Begins was “PAIN”.
Tom Hardy has worked with Nolan in the past on the likes of Inception, and accepted the role of Bane without even bothering to read the script.
Heath Ledger’s Joker character is not mentioned even once in The Dark Knight Rises. This is out of respect for the late actor.
Marion Cotillard was having a baby and the filming schedule was modified to accommodate her pregnancy. Nolan wanted her that bad!
Christopher Nolan has said that the story didn’t fit 3D, and had no interest in shooting the movie in the third dimension. Neither did Wally Pfister, the cinematographer. If Pfister had his way, he would have shot the whole thing in IMAX.
Robin was never part of the plan for the Nolan Trilogy. If he was, Christian Bale was out.
The actors never read the ending. Nolan told the cast the ending verbally, so to avoid any leaks.
The Batsuit is comprised of 110 separate pieces.
Bane’s mask was made by the costume effects department using a 3D printer.
A plan to shoot some scenes for the film during Occupy Wall street was abandoned after a permit wasn’t granted.
50 capes were created in total, varying in length, shape and size.
The billowing of the cape in the wind, came from a wind machine that was designed by the special effects crew, to be completely silent.
The Batpod design is unchanged from The Dark Knight
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The Batpod is designed and developed to give Batman a swifter mode of travel around Gotham City streets. Like the Batmobile, the bike is fast and ferocious and perfectly suited for hostile situations. It is built for all-terrain surfaces and equipped with three guns on each side: a blast cannon, a grappling gun and a machine gun.
The tires are identical to those on the Batmobile.
The entire weight of the Batpod is 730 lbs.
The bike is designed so that the rider can stay level at all times even when the bike is tilting.
It runs as fast as the Batmobile.
It’s a self-righting bike. In other words, it does not require a foot stand.
Every element of the Batpod has a designated function, nothing exists for aesthetic purposes only.
The Batmobile has not changed since Batman Begins, but in The Dark Knight Rises, a number of tumbler vehicles appear in their original camouflage colors.
There are three different types of customized camouflage tumbler, one with a swivelling turret gun, another with a guided missile launcher and a third with a gun.
The Batmobile was designed by Christopher Nolan and Production Designer Nathan Crowley in the filmmaker's garage in Los Angeles. The prototype was made by sticking together toy cars, eventually combining a Hummer and a Lamborghini – the inspiration being an ex-military vehicle.
The tumbler name comes from its military history due to its ability to jump and tumble.
The car has no front axel. Nolan wanted the wheels to be held from the side, which, at first, was believed to be impossible. However, Special Effects Supervisor Chris Corbould and Workshop Supervisor Andy Smith did eventually find a way to make side-mounted wheels work.
Everything on the Batmobile has been built from scratch. It is not an existing vehicle that has been remodelled or customized.
The Batmobile has six wheels – two in the front and four at the back, which are monster truck tires. Three different sets of tires with varying amounts of tread were created so that stunt driver George Cottle could decide how much skid power he required at any one time.
The vehicle runs on regular unleaded fuel and weighs two-and-a-half tons.
The vehicle can jump six feet in height and has jumped a distance of 60 feet.
Its top speed is 105 miles per hour and acceleration is 0-60 in five seconds
So there you have it! Impress your mates!
And if, for some unknown reason you haven't purchased The Dark Knight Rises, here's some ways to fix that (affiliate links)
The Dark Knight Trilogy (Batman Begins / The Dark Knight / The Dark Knight Rises) [Blu-ray]
The Dark Knight Rises (Blu-ray/DVD Combo+UltraViolet Digital Copy)
The Dark Knight Rises (+Ultraviolet Digital Copy)
The Dark Knight Trilogy (Batman Begins / The Dark Knight / The Dark Knight Rises)
