The Dark Knight and St. Joseph School of San Jose City, Nueva Ecija: Difference between pages

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{{Infobox Film
<!-- The nomination page for this article already existed when this tag was added. If this was because the article had been nominated for deletion before, and you wish to renominate it, please replace "page=St. Joseph School of San Jose City" with "page=St. Joseph School of San Jose City (2nd nomination)" below before proceeding with the nomination.
| name = The Dark Knight
-->{{AfDM|page=St. Joseph School of San Jose City|date=2008 October 11|substed=yes}}
| image = Dark_Knight.jpg
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| image_size = 200 px
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| caption = Theatrical release poster
{{Infobox_School
| director = [[Christopher Nolan]]
|name =St. Joseph School of San Jose City, N.E., Inc.
| producer = Christopher Nolan<br>Charles Roven<br>[[Emma Thomas]]
|native_name = (formerly St. Joseph School)
| writer = '''Screenplay:'''<br>Christopher Nolan<br>[[Jonathan Nolan]]<br>'''Story:'''<br>[[David S. Goyer]]<br>Christopher Nolan<br>'''Comic Book:'''<br>[[Bob Kane]]<br>[[Bill Finger]]
|image = Josephinian logo.jpg
| starring = [[Christian Bale]]<br>[[Michael Caine]]<br>[[Heath Ledger]]<br>[[Gary Oldman]]<br>[[Aaron Eckhart]]<br>[[Maggie Gyllenhaal]]<br>[[Morgan Freeman]]
|motto = Self-Transformation among Josephinian Family
| music = [[Hans Zimmer]]<br>{{nowrap|[[James Newton Howard]]}}
|established = February 16, 1946
| cinematography = [[Wally Pfister]]
| editing = [[Lee Smith (editor)|Lee Smith]]
|type = [[Non-profit, Catholic Private School]],
|President =Se. Eterna S. Manangan, SFIC
| distributor = [[Warner Bros.]]
|province = [[Nueva Ecija]]
| released = '''Australia:'''<br>July 16, 2008<br>'''[[North America]]:'''<br>July 18, 2008<br>'''United Kingdom:'''<br>July 24, 2008
| runtime = 152 min.
|city = [[San Jose City]]
| country = United States
|country = [[Philippines]]
| language = English
|students = 800 (estimated)
|free_label = Hymn
| budget = [[United States dollar|$]]185 million<ref name=BOM>{{cite news|title=The Dark Knight (2008)|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=darkknight.htm|publisher=Box Office Mojo|date=2008-09-08|accessdate=2008-09-08}}</ref>
|free = St. Joseph School Hymn
| gross = $988,004,670 <ref name=BOM>{{cite news|title=The Dark Knight (2008)|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=darkknight.htm|publisher=Box Office Mojo|date=2008-09-29|accessdate=2008-10-07}}</ref>
|mascot = Josephinians
| preceded_by = ''[[Batman Begins]]''
|nickname = The Josephinians
| followed_by =
|colors = War/Battle Green
| website = http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/
|website= [http://www.friendster.com/stjosephschool www.friendster.com/stjosephschool]
| amg_id = 1:357349
|}}
| imdb_id = 0468569
'''St. Joseph School of San Jose City, N.E., Inc.''', formerly known as '''St. Joseph School''', is a Catholic private elementary and secondary school in [[San Jose City]], [[Philippines]].The elementary and secondary school is known as the ''Center of Elementary and Secondary Education in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija'' because it is located in [[San Jose City]], a city in the central part of the [[Philippines]]. The school is situated near the city market, [[Mary Help of Christian Church]], hotels, restaurants, and shopping malls.
}}


[[Category:Education in the Philippines]]
'''''The Dark Knight''''' is a [[2008 in film|2008]] [[Cinema of the United States|American]] [[superhero film]] directed and co-written by [[Christopher Nolan]]. Based on the [[DC Comics]] character [[Batman]], the film is part of [[Batman (film series)#Nolan_series|Nolan's ''Batman'' film series]] and a [[sequel]] to 2005's ''[[Batman Begins]]''. [[Christian Bale]] reprises the lead role. The plot of the film focuses on Batman's fight against a new villain, [[Joker (comics)|the Joker]] ([[Heath Ledger]]), and his relationships with police lieutenant [[James Gordon (comics)|James Gordon]] ([[Gary Oldman]]), district attorney [[Two-Face|Harvey Dent]] ([[Aaron Eckhart]]) and his old friend and love interest, assistant D.A. [[Rachel Dawes]] ([[Maggie Gyllenhaal]]).
For his conception of the film, Nolan was inspired by the Joker's first two appearances in the comics and ''[[Batman: The Long Halloween]]''. ''The Dark Knight'' was filmed primarily in [[Chicago]], as well as in several other locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and [[Hong Kong]]. Nolan used an [[IMAX]] camera to film some sequences, including the Joker's first appearance in the film.

On January 22, 2008, after he had completed filming ''The Dark Knight'', Ledger died of a prescription drug overdose, leading to intense press attention and memorial tributes from lots of fans as well as more people showing interest to the film. [[Warner Bros.]] had created a [[viral marketing]] campaign for ''The Dark Knight'', developing promotional websites and trailers highlighting screen shots of Ledger as the Joker, but after Ledger's death, the studio refocused its promotional campaign.<ref name="CrookSanders">{{Cite news|author=Marshall Crook and Peter Sanders|title=Advertising: Will Marketing Change After Star's Death?|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120113527501911813.html|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|publisher=''online.wsj.com''|date=2008-01-24|accessdate=2008-06-04|pages=B1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/24/ledger.films/index.html?iref=mpstoryview|title=Ledger's Death Puts Last Films in a Bind|work=[[CNN|CNN.com Entertainment]]|publisher=''[[CNN|cnn.com]]''|date=[[2008-01-24]]|accessdate=2008-07-10}}</ref> The film was released on July 16, 2008 in Australia, on July 18, 2008 in North America, and on July 24, 2008 in the United Kingdom. Prior to its [[box office]] debut in North America, record numbers of advance tickets were sold for ''The Dark Knight''. It was greeted with positive reviews upon release,<ref name="meta"/> and became the second movie ever to earn more than $500 million at the North American box office, setting numerous other records in the process.

==Plot==
<!-- Please do not add minute details about scenes. The plot section should be succinct and give an overview of what happens. -->
In [[Gotham City]], the [[Joker (comics)|Joker]] robs a mob-owned bank with his accomplices, whom he tricks into killing each other. That night, a trio of [[Batman]] impersonators interrupts a meeting between mobsters and the [[Scarecrow (comics)|Scarecrow]]. The real Batman appears and apprehends all of the criminals and impostors, but suffers injuries from dog bites, leading him to re-design his [[batsuit]]. Batman and [[James Gordon (comics)|Lieutenant James Gordon]] contemplate including new district attorney [[Two-Face|Harvey Dent]] in their plan to eradicate the mob, as he could be the public hero Batman cannot be. Bruce Wayne runs in to [[Rachel Dawes]] and Dent, who are dating, and after talking to Dent he decides to host a fundraiser for him.

When mob bosses meet to discuss Batman, Gordon, and Dent, a Chinese mobster accountant, Lau, informs the gang leaders that he has hidden their money to pre-empt a plan Gordon has hatched to seize the mobsters' funds, and fled to Hong Kong to escape Dent's jurisdiction. He also informs them that one of their deposits, worth $68 million, was stolen by the Joker. The Joker arrives unexpectedly, offering to kill Batman in return for half of the mob's money, but the offer is refused. After Batman abducts Lau in Hong Kong and delivers him to the [[Gotham City Police Department|Gotham City police]], the mobsters agree to hire the Joker. The Joker tells Gotham that if Batman does not turn himself in to the police and publicly reveal his identity, people will die each day. When Commissioner [[Gillian B. Loeb]] and the judge presiding over the mob trials are murdered, Wayne decides to reveal his identity. Before he can, Dent announces that he himself is Batman and is arrested as part of a plan to draw the Joker out of hiding. The Joker attempts to ambush the police convoy carrying Dent, but Batman and Gordon intervene and arrest him; in recognition of his actions, Gordon is appointed police commissioner.

Later that night, when Dent and Rachel disappear, Batman interrogates the Joker at the police station, who reveals that they have been captured by corrupt police and placed in warehouses rigged with explosives on opposite sides of the city; they are far enough apart that Batman cannot save them both. Batman leaves to save Rachel, while Gordon and the police head after Dent. With the help of a bomb planted at the police station, the Joker escapes with Lau. Having been deceived by the Joker, who gave him reversed addresses, Batman arrives at Dent's location in time to save him, but the left side of Dent's face is burned in the resulting explosion. Gordon does not arrive in time to save Rachel and she dies. In the hospital, Dent is driven to madness over the loss of Rachel. After burning Lau atop a pile of the mob's money, the Joker goes to the hospital and convinces Dent to exact revenge on the corrupt cops and mobsters responsible for Rachel's death, as well as Batman and Gordon.

Dent goes on a personal vendetta confronting the cops and mobsters one by one, deciding their fates with the flip of a coin. The Joker announces to the public that anyone left in Gotham at nightfall will be subject to his rule. With the bridges and tunnels out of the city closed due to a bomb threat by the Joker, authorities begin evacuating people by ferry. The Joker places explosives on two of the ferries&mdash;one ferry with convicts, the other with civilians&mdash;telling the passengers the only way to save themselves is to trigger the explosives on the other ferry; otherwise, he will destroy both at midnight.

Batman locates the Joker, and subdues him but refuses to kill him. Meanwhile, the Joker's plan to destroy the ferries fails after the passengers on both decide not to destroy each other. The Joker acknowledges that Batman is truly incorruptible, but that Dent was not, and his madness has been unleashed upon the city. Leaving the Joker for the [[SWAT]] team, Batman leaves in search of Dent. At the remains of the building where Rachel died, Batman finds Dent holding Gordon and his family at gunpoint. Dent judges the innocence of Batman, himself, and Gordon's son through three coin tosses. As a result of the first two flips, he shoots Batman in the [[Human abdomen|abdomen]] and spares himself. Before Dent can determine the boy's fate, Batman, who was wearing body armor, tackles him, and they both fall over the side of the building &mdash; Dent appears dead. Batman and Gordon realize that the morale of the city would suffer if Dent's murders would become known. Batman persuades Gordon to preserve Dent's image by holding Batman himself responsible for the murders. Gordon destroys the [[Bat-Signal]], and a manhunt for Batman ensues.

==Cast and characters==
'''[[Christian Bale]]''' as '''[[Batman|Bruce Wayne / Batman]]''': A billionaire dedicated to protecting Gotham City from the criminal underworld. Bale said he was confident in his choice to return in the role because of the positive response to his performance in ''Batman Begins''.<ref name=wizardworld>{{cite news | title=WWC — 'The Dark Knight' Panel | url=http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:fJQBrdKBeRAJ:www.wizarduniverse.com/movies/dark_knight/005609461.cfm| work=wizarduniverse.com | publisher=[[Wizard Entertainment]] | date=2007-08-11 | accessdate=2007-08-12 }}<!--The URL as cited goes to an error message; it does not currently function for verifying this source as stated.--></ref> He trained in the [[Keysi Fighting Method]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.keysikfm.com/darkknight.php | title=Dark Knight: Christian Bale: Batman/Bruce Wayne| work=keysikfm.com |publisher=Keysi Fighting Method | accessdate=2008-07-08}}</ref> and performed many of his own stunts,<ref name=wizardworld/> but did not gain as much muscle as in the previous film because the new Batsuit allowed him to move with more agility.<ref name=wild>{{cite news |title=Joker's Wild | url=http://www.wizarduniverse.com/020108darkknightsetvisit.html |work=wizarduniverse.com | publisher=[[Wizard Entertainment]] | date=2008-02-11 | accessdate=2008-02-11 }}</ref>

The actor described Batman's dilemma as whether "[his crusade is] something that has an end. Can he quit and have an ordinary life? The kind of manic intensity someone has to have to maintain the passion and the anger that they felt as a child, takes an effort after awhile, to keep doing that. At some point, you have to exorcise your demons."<ref name=Beale>{{cite news | first=Lewis | last=Beale | title=Fast Chat: Christian Bale | work=[[Newsday]] | url=http://web.archive.org/web/20070717185008/http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/movies/ny-fffast5289821jul15,0,3894445.story?coll=ny-movies-mezz|date=2007-07-15 | publisher=[[Tribune Company]] | accessdate=2008-04-19 }}</ref> He added, "Now you have not just a young man in pain attempting to find some kind of an answer, you have somebody who actually has power, who is burdened by that power, and is having to recognize the difference between attaining that power and holding on to it."<ref name=Halbfinger>{{cite news|author=David M. Halbfinger|title=A Director Confronts Darkness and Death|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/movies/09halb.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|publisher=''nytimes.com''|date=2008-03-09|accessdate=2008-03-08}}</ref> Bale felt that, because Batman's personality was strongly established in the first film, it was unlikely his character would be overshadowed by the villains, stating: "I have no problem with competing with someone else. And that's going to make a better movie."<ref name=Jolin1>{{cite journal | first=Dan | last=Jolin | title=Fear Has a Face | url=http://www.empireonline.com/magazine/covers/image.asp?id=24227&gallery=1365&caption=%23223%20%28January%202008%29 | journal=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] | volume=223 | month=January | year=2008 | pages=87–88 | publisher=[[Bauer Verlagsgruppe]] | accessdate=2008-07-08}}</ref>

'''[[Heath Ledger]]''' as '''[[Joker (comics)|The Joker]]''': Ledger described the Joker as a "[[psychopath]]ic, [[mass murder]]ing, [[schizophrenia|schizophrenic]] clown with zero [[empathy]]".<ref name=Lyall>{{cite news | first=Sarah | last= Lyall | title=Movies: In Stetson or Wig, He's Hard to Pin Down | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/movies/moviesspecial/04lyal.html | work=[[The New York Times]] | publisher=[[The New York Times Company]] | date=2007-11-04 | accessdate=2008-07-08 }}</ref> Nolan had wanted to work with Ledger on a number of projects in the past, but had been unable to do so.<ref name=Stax1>{{cite news | author=Stax | title=IGN interviews Christopher Nolan | url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/839/839933p1.html | work=[[IGN]] Movies |publisher=[[News Corporation]] | date=2007-12-06 | accessdate=2008-06-03 }}</ref> When Ledger saw ''Batman Begins'', he realized a way to make the character work consistent with the film's tone,<ref name=Lesnick>{{cite news | first=Silas |last=Lesnick | title=IESB Exclusive: Heath Ledger Talks the Joker! | url=http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3691&Itemid=99 | work=The Movie Reporter |publisher=IESB.net | date=2007-11-10 | accessdate=2007-11-12}}</ref> and Nolan agreed with his [[anarchy|anarchic]] interpretation.<ref name=Stax1/> To prepare for the role, Ledger lived alone in a hotel room for a month, formulating the character's posture, voice, and personality, and kept a diary, in which he recorded the Joker's thoughts and feelings.<ref name=Jolin1/><ref name=Richards>{{Cite news | first=Olly |last=Richards | title=World Exclusive: The Joker Speaks: He's a Cold-blooded Mass-murdering Clown | url=http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?nid=21560 | work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] | publisher=[[Bauer Verlagsgruppe]] | date=2007-11-28 | accessdate=2008-07-08 }}</ref> While he initially found it difficult, Ledger eventually generated a voice unlike that of [[Jack Nicholson]]'s character in [[Tim Burton]]'s [[Batman (1989 film)|1989 ''Batman'' film]].<ref name=Lyall/><ref name=Richards/> He was also given ''[[Batman: The Killing Joke]]'' and ''[[Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth]],'' which he "really tried to read and put it down".<ref name=Lesnick/> Ledger also cited ''[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]]'' and [[Sid Vicious]] as "a very early starting point for Christian [Bale] and I. But we kind of flew far away from that pretty quickly and into another world altogether."<ref name=noempathy>{{cite news | first=Josh |last=Horowitz | title=Heath Ledger Says His Joker Has 'Zero Empathy'&nbsp; | url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2007/11/10/heath-ledger-says-his-joker-has-zero-empathy/ | work=MTV Movies Blog | publisher=[[MTV]] | date=2007-11-10 | accessdate=2007-11-12 }}</ref><ref name=Carroll>{{cite news | first=Larry | last=Carroll | title='Dark Knight' Stars, Director Want Film To 'Celebrate' Heath Ledger's Work | work=MTV Movies Blog | publisher=[[MTV]] | url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1583563/story.jhtml | date=2008-03-18 | accessdate=2008-06-05 }}</ref> "There’s a bit of everything in him. There’s nothing that consistent," Ledger said, adding that "There are a few more surprises to him."<ref name=noempathy/> Before Ledger was confirmed to play the Joker in July 2006,<ref name="robinov">{{cite news | author=Warner Bros. Pictures | url=http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=15774|title=''Batman'' Sequel Title & Casting Confirmed! | work=Movie News | work=ComingSoon.net | publisher=Coming Soon Media, L.P | date=2006-07-31 | accessdate=2006-07-31}}</ref> [[Paul Bettany]],<ref>{{cite news | first=Kellvin | last=Chavez | url=http://www.latinoreview.com/news.php?id=233 | title=Bettany Talks ''Batman Begins'' Sequel! | work=latinoreview.com | publisher=Latino Review | date=2006-01-28 | accessdate=2006-07-31}}</ref> [[Lachy Hulme]],<ref>{{cite news | first=Mark | last=Beall | url=http://www.cinematical.com/2006/05/30/lachy-hulme-talks-joker/ | title=Lachy Hulme Talks Joker | work=cinematical.com | publisher=Moviefone | date=2006-05-30 | accessdate=2006-07-31}}</ref> [[Adrien Brody]],<ref name=Stax2>{{cite news | author=Stax | title=That Joker Adrien Brody | url=http://comics.ign.com/articles/679/679631p1.html | work=[[IGN]] Comics | publisher=[[News Corporation]] | date=2006-01-09 | accessdate=2006-07-31 }}</ref> [[Steve Carell]],<ref>{{cite news | first=Daniel | last=Saney | url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/a24568/steve-carell-to-play-the-joker.html | title=Steve Carell to play The Joker? | work=digitalspy.co.uk | publisher=[[Digital Spy]] |date=2005-09-21 | accessdate=2007-12-09}}</ref> and [[Robin Williams]]<ref>{{cite news | first=Jeff | last=Otto | url=http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/714/714752p1.html |title=Robin Williams, Joker? | work=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[News Corporation]] | date=2006-06-26 | accessdate=2006-07-31 }}</ref> publicly expressed interest in the role.

On January 22, 2008, after he had completed filming ''The Dark Knight'', Ledger died of a prescription drug overdose, leading to intense press attention and memorial tributes. "It was tremendously emotional, right when he passed, having to go back in and look at him every day," Nolan recalled. "But the truth is, I feel very lucky to have something productive to do, to have a performance that he was very, very proud of, and that he had entrusted to me to finish."<ref name=Carroll/> All of Ledger's scenes appear as he completed them in the filming; in editing the film, Nolan added no "digital effects" to alter Ledger's actual performance posthumously.<ref name=Brown>{{cite news | first=Scott | last=Brown | title=Dark Knight Director Shuns Digital Effects for the Real Thing | url=http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/magazine/16-07/ff_darknight?currentPage=all | work=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] | publisher=[[Condé Nast Publications]] | date=2008-06-24 | accessdate=2008-06-24 }}</ref> Nolan has dedicated the film in part to Ledger's memory, as well as to the memory of technician Conway Wickliffe, who was killed during a car accident while preparing one of the film's stunts.<ref name=Hough>{{cite news | title=Dark Knight Dedicated to Ledger | work=[[BBC News Online]] | date=2008-06-27 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7477095.stm | accessdate=2008-06-27 }}</ref><ref name=Jolin2>{{Cite journal | first=Dan |last=Jolin | title=The Dark Knight | journal=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] | volume=228 | month=July | year=2008 | pages=92–100 |publisher=[[Bauer Verlagsgruppe]] | accessdate=2008-06-28}}</ref>

'''[[Aaron Eckhart]]''' as '''[[Two-Face|Harvey Dent / Two-Face]]''': The Gotham district attorney who is hailed as Gotham's "White Knight"; Dent's battle with the Joker transforms Dent into a murderous, disfigured vigilante called "Two-Face".<ref name=Boucher>{{cite news | first=Geoff | last=Boucher | title=Aaron Eckhart: Not Just Another Pretty Face in 'The Dark Knight'&nbsp; | url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-ca-echkart-2008may04,0,932553.story | work=[[The Los Angeles Times]] | publisher=[[Tribune Company]] | date=2008-05-03 | accessdate=2008-05-03}}</ref><ref name=Purdin>{{Cite news | first=Rickey |last=Purdin | title=(Dark Knight Exclusive): Aaron Eckhart Q&A | url=http://www.wizarduniverse.com/030408eckhart.html | work=wizarduniverse.com | publisher=[[Wizard Entertainment]] | date=2008-03-04 | accessdate=2008-06-01 }}</ref> Producer Charles Roven described Dent as initially the "white knight of the city".<ref>{{cite journal | title=The 25 Most Exciting Movies of 2008 | journal=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] | url=http://www.empireonline.com/features/25_most_exciting_movies_of_2008/15.asp | publisher=[[Bauer Verlagsgruppe]] | accessdate=2008-02-09 }}</ref> Wayne sees Dent as his heir, demonstrating his realization that Batman will be a lifelong mission, and furthering the tragedy of Dent's downfall.<ref name=Jolin2/> Whereas Two-Face is an evil villain in the comics, Nolan chose to portray him as a twisted vigilante to emphasize his role as Batman's counterpart, much like his portrayal in Batman stories by [[Doug Moench]], and Eckhart, who has played corrupt men in films such as ''[[The Black Dahlia (film)|The Black Dahlia]]'', ''[[Thank You For Smoking]]'' and ''[[In the Company of Men]]'', notes: "[He] is still true to himself. He's a crime fighter, he's not killing good people. He's not a bad guy, not purely," while admitting: "I'm interested in good guys gone wrong."<ref name=Boucher/><ref name=Purdin/>

Nolan and [[David S. Goyer]] had originally considered using Dent in ''Batman Begins'', but they replaced him with the new character Rachel Dawes when they realized they "couldn’t do him justice".<ref name=NolanGoyerintrod>{{cite book |author=[[Christopher Nolan]] and [[David S. Goyer]] | chapter=Introduction | title=Absolute Batman: The Long Halloween | url=http://www.dccomics.com/comics/?cm=6764 | year=2007 | isbn=9781401212827 }}</ref> Before Eckhart was cast in February 2007, [[Liev Schreiber]],<ref>{{cite news | first=Kellvin | last=Chavez | url=http://www.latinoreview.com/news.php?id=607 | title=Video Interview: Schreiber & Stiles on The Omen! | work=latinoreview.com | publisher=Latino Review | date=2005-05-31 | accessdate=2006-08-15 }}</ref> [[Josh Lucas]],<ref name=Carroll2>{{cite news | first=Larry | last=Carroll | url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1529088/story.jhtml | title=Movie File: Brad Pitt, Chevy Chase, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Josh Lucas & More | work=MTV.com |publisher=[[MTV]] | date=2006-04-21 | accessdate=2006-07-31}}</ref> and [[Ryan Phillippe]]<ref name=Stax3>{{cite news | author=Stax | title=Phillippe Talks Two-Face | url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/760/760793p1.html | work=[[IGN]] | publisher=[[News Corporation]] | date=2007-02-02 | accessdate=2007-02-02}}</ref> had expressed interest in the role,<ref>{{cite journal | first=Dave | last=McNary | url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117959570.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 | title=Eckhart Set As Two-Face | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=[[2007-02-15]] | accessdate=2007-02-15 }}</ref> while [[Mark Ruffalo]] auditioned.<ref>{{cite news|first=Casey|last=Seijas|title=Mark Ruffalo Discusses His Try-Out For Harvey Dent/Two-Face Role In ‘The Dark Knight’|work=[[MTV]] Splash Page|date=2008-10-02|url=http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/10/02/mark-ruffalo-discusses-his-try-out-for-harvey-denttwo-face-role-in-the-dark-knight/|accessdate=2008-10-03}}</ref> Nolan chose Eckhart, whom he had considered for the lead role in ''[[Memento (film)|Memento]]'', citing his "extraordinary" ability as an actor, his embodiment of "that kind of chiselled, American hero quality" projected by [[Robert Redford]], and his subtextual "edge".<ref name=Jolin1>{{Cite journal | first=Dan |last=Jolin | title=The Dark Knight | journal=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] | volume=228 | year=2008 | month=July | publisher=[[Bauer Verlagsgruppe]] | accessdate=2008-06-05 | pages=92-100}}</ref>

'''[[Michael Caine]]''' as '''[[Alfred Pennyworth]]''': Bruce Wayne's trusted butler and advisor who tends to Wayne's penthouse. His supply of useful advice to Wayne and his likeness to a fatherly figure to him has led to him being labelled as "Batman's [[batman (military)|batman]]".<ref>{{cite news |first=Rob |last=Mackie |title=Batman Begins review |url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,1596464,00.html |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=[[2005-10-21]] |accessdate=2007-02-20 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Steve |last=Tilley |title=Michael Caine one tough butler |url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/Artists/C/Caine_Michael/2005/06/13/1084190.html |work=[[CANOE]] |publisher=[[Edmonton Sun]] |date=[[2005-06-13]] |accessdate=2007-02-20 }}</ref>

'''[[Gary Oldman]]''' as '''[[James Gordon (comics)|James Gordon]]''': Lieutenant of the [[Gotham City Police Department]] and one of the few police officers who is not corrupt. He forms a tenuous, unofficial alliance with Batman and Dent. When Police Commissioner Loeb is assassinated by the Joker, Gordon is given the position by Mayor Garcia. Oldman described his character as "incorruptible, virtuous, strong, heroic, but understated".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.darkhorizons.com/interviews/dk4.php | title=Exclusive Interview: Gary Oldman for "The Dark Knight" | last=Fischer | first=Paul | date=2008-07-09 | work=Darkhorizons.com|publisher=Dark Horizons Multimedia | accessdate=2008-07-22}}</ref> Nolan explained that "''The Long Halloween'' has a great, triangular relationship between Harvey Dent and Gordon and Batman, and that's something we very much drew from."<ref name="carroll">{{cite news | url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1590648/story.jhtml | title=In 'Dark Knight,' The Often-Incompetent Jim Gordon Actually Knows What He's Doing | last=Carroll | first=Larry | date=2008-07-10 | work=MTV Movie News | publisher=MTV | accessdate=2008-07-22}}</ref> Oldman added that "Gordon has a great deal of admiration for him at the end, but [Batman] is more than ever now the dark knight, the outsider. I'm intrigued now to see: If there is a third one, what he's going to do?"<ref name="carroll"/> On the possibility of another sequel, he said that "returning to [the role] is not dependent on whether the role was bigger than the one before".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/gary_oldman_discusses_his_role_as_jim_gordon_in_the_dark_knight | title=Gary Oldman Discusses His Role as Jim Gordon in 'The Dark Knight' | last=Brevet | first=Brad | date=2008-07-18 | work=RopeofSilicon.com | publisher=Ropeofsilicon | accessdate=2008-07-22}}</ref>

'''[[Maggie Gyllenhaal]]''' as '''[[Rachel Dawes]]''': The Gotham assistant D.A. and childhood friend of Bruce Wayne, she is one of the few people who knows he is Batman. Gyllenhaal took over the role from [[Katie Holmes]], who played it in ''Batman Begins''. In August 2005, Holmes was reportedly planning to reprise the role,<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.cinescape.com/0/Editorial.asp?this_cat=Movies&obj_id=49367&aff_id=0 | title=''Batman Begins'' Sequel Is Moving Along | work=cinescape.com | publisher=Cinescape | date=2005-08-10 | accessdate=2006-08-04 }}</ref> but in January 2007, she turned it down due to scheduling conflicts.<ref>{{cite news | first=Kate | last=Kelly | url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116977056966988402.html | title=Recasting Mrs. Cruise | work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | publisher=[[News Corporation]] |date=2007-01-26 | accessdate=2007-01-26}}</ref> By March 2007, Gyllenhaal was in "final talks" for the part.<ref>{{cite journal | first=Pamela | last=McClintock | url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117960782.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 |title=Gyllenhaal Joining Batman Sequel | publisher=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=[[2007-03-08]] | accessdate=2007-03-08 }}</ref> Gyllenhaal has acknowledged her character is a [[damsel in distress]] to an extent, but says Nolan sought ways to empower her character, so "Rachel's really clear about what's important to her and unwilling to compromise her morals, which made a nice change" from the many conflicted characters whom she has previously portrayed.<ref>{{cite news |first=Andrew | last=Williams | url=http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/interviews/article.html?in_article_id=82565&in_page_id=11 | title=Gyllenhaal Talks Sexy Underwear | work=[[Metro (Associated Metro Limited)|Metro]] |publisher=[[Associated Newspapers Ltd]] |date=2008-01-06 | accessdate=2008-01-08}}</ref>

'''[[Morgan Freeman]]''' as '''[[Lucius Fox]]''': The recently-promoted [[Chief Executive Officer|CEO]] of [[Wayne Enterprises]] who, now fully aware of his employer's double life as Batman, serves more directly as Wayne's [[armorer]] in addition to his corporate managerial duties.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-09-14|url=https://www.nypost.com/seven/07132008/entertainment/movies/morgan_freeman__how_i_mentored_batman_119635.htm|title=MORGAN FREEMAN: HOW I MENTORED BATMAN |work=New York Post|date=2008-07-13|author=Getlen, Larry }}</ref>

'''[[Eric Roberts]]''' as '''[[Sal Maroni]]''': A gangster who has taken over [[Carmine Falcone]]'s mob. [[Bob Hoskins]] and [[James Gandolfini]] previously auditioned for the role.<ref>{{cite news | first=Michael | last=Kane | url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/05142007/entertainment/heroic_save_entertainment_michael_kane.htm?page=0 | title=Heroic Save: 20-Year Old Career Skid Ends with Super Roles | work=[[New York Post]] | publisher=[[News Corporation]] | date=2007-05-14 | accessdate=2007-05-14 }}</ref>

'''[[Colin McFarlane]]''' as '''[[Gillian B. Loeb]]''': The Police Commissioner of Gotham until his murder at the hands of the Joker.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-09-14|url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1576589/story.jhtml|title='Dark Knight' Trailer: Shot-By-Shot Analysis Uncovers Clues About Batman's Next Fight |publisher=MTV|date=2007-12-17|author=Adler, Shawn }}</ref>

The film's Gotham officials and authorities include [[Nestor Carbonell]] as Mayor Anthony Garcia, [[Keith Szarabajka]] as Detective Gerard Stephens, Monique Curnen as Anna Ramirez, and Ron Dean as Detective Michael Wuertz. While Stephens is an honest and good cop, the latter two are two corrupt officers who betray Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes to the Joker. The film also casts [[Anthony Michael Hall]] as Gotham Cable News reporter Mike Engel, [[Joshua Harto]] as Coleman Reese, [[Melinda McGraw]] and [[Nathan Gamble]] as Gordon's wife and son, and [[Tom Lister, Jr.]] as a prison inmate on one of the bomb-rigged ferries. The film's criminals include [[Chin Han]] as Chinese business accountant Lau, [[Michael Jai White]] as gang leader Gambol, and [[Ritchie Coster]] as The Chechen. [[David Banner]] originally auditioned for the role of Gambol.<ref name=Carroll3>{{cite news | first=Larry | last=Carroll| title='Spawn' Star Takes a Gamble On 'Dark Knight' Role | url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2007/07/03/spawn-star-takes-a-gamble-on-dark-knight-role/ | work=MTV Movies Blog |publisher=[[MTV]] | date=2007-07-03 | accessdate=2007-07-03 }}</ref> [[Cillian Murphy]] returns in a cameo as [[Scarecrow (comics)|Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow]], who is captured early on in the film by Batman.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-09-14|url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1591147/20080718/story.jhtml?rsspartner=rssColdFusion|title='The Dark Knight': Ledgerdemain |publisher=MTV|date=2008-07-18|author=Loder, Kurt }}</ref>

[[William Fichtner]] is the Gotham National Bank branch manager; his casting was "a bit of a nod" to his role in [[Michael Mann (director)|Michael Mann]]'s 1995 film ''[[Heat (film)|Heat]]''.<ref name=Stax1/> Musician [[Dwight Yoakam]] was approached for the roles of either the manager or a corrupt cop, but he chose to focus on his album ''[[Dwight Sings Buck]]''.<ref>{{cite news | first=Ton | last=Lanham | url=http://www.examiner.com/a-993882~Dwight_Yoakam_pays_tribute_to_Buck_Owens.html | title=Dwight Yoakam Pays Tribute to Buck Owens | work=examiner.com | publisher=Examiner | date=2007-10-17 | accessdate=2007-10-17 }}</ref> Another cameo was [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] [[Patrick Leahy]], a Batman fan who previously was an extra in the 1997 ''[[Batman & Robin (film)|Batman & Robin]]'' and also was a guest voice actor on ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]''. Leahy cameos as a guest who defies the Joker at a fundraiser thrown by Bruce Wayne.<ref>{{cite news | first=Alexander |last= Mooney | coauthors=Lauren Kornreich | url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/08/14/senator-patrick-leahy-d-gotham/ | title=Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Gotham) | work=[[CNN]] | publisher=[[Turner Broadcasting System]] | date=2007-08-14 | accessdate=2007-08-14 }}</ref>

==Production==
===Development===
Before the release of ''[[Batman Begins]]'', screenwriter [[David S. Goyer]] wrote a [[film treatment|treatment]] for two sequels which introduced the Joker and Harvey Dent. His original intent was for the Joker to scar Dent during the Joker's trial in the third film, turning Dent into Two-Face.<ref name=prem>{{cite news | url=http://www.superherohype.com/news/batmannews.php?id=2978 | title=Premiere Features ''Batman Begins'' | work=[[Superhero Hype!]] | publisher=Coming Soon Media, L.P |date=2005-05-09 | accessdate=2006-11-02}}</ref> Goyer, who penned the first draft of the film, cited the [[DC Comics]] 13-issue [[comic book]] [[limited series]] ''[[Batman: The Long Halloween]]'' as the major influence on his storyline.<ref name=NolanGoyerintrod/> While initially uncertain of whether or not he would return to direct the sequel, Nolan did want to reinterpret the Joker on screen.<ref name=Jolin1/> On July 31, 2006, Warner Bros. officially announced initiation of production for the sequel to ''Batman Begins'' titled ''The Dark Knight'';<ref name="robinov" /> it is the first live-action ''Batman'' film without the word "Batman" in its title, which Bale noted as signaling that "this take on Batman of mine and Chris' is very different from any of the others."<ref name=Stax4>{{cite news | author=Stax | title=Dark Knight Talks ''Dark Knight'' | url=http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/723/723567p1.html | work=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[News Corporation]] | date=2006-08-04 | accessdate=2006-10-03 }}</ref>

After much research, Nolan's brother and co-writer, [[Jonathan Nolan|Jonathan]], suggested the Joker's first two appearances, published in the first issue of ''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' (1940), as the crucial influences.<ref name=Stax1/> [[Jerry Robinson]], one of the Joker's co-creators, was consulted on the character's portrayal.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.insomniacmania.com/news_default.php?id=3543 | title=Updates on The Dark Knight Plus Our Own Exclusive on the Involvement of Joker Creator Jerry Robinson in the Batman Sequel! | work=insomniacmania.com | publisher=Insomniac Mania | date=2006-08-24 | accessdate=2006-08-28 }}</ref> Nolan decided to avoid divulging an in-depth [[origin story]] for the Joker, and instead portray his rise to power so as to not diminish the threat he poses, explaining to [[MTV News]], "the Joker we meet in ''The Dark Knight'' is fully formed...To me, the Joker is an absolute. There are no shades of gray to him&mdash;maybe shades of purple. He's unbelievably dark. He bursts in just as he did in the comics."<ref name=opening/> Nolan reiterated to [[IGN]], "We never wanted to do an origin story for the Joker in this film", because "the arc of the story is much more Harvey Dent's; the Joker is presented as an absolute. It's a very thrilling element in the film, and a very important element, but we wanted to deal with the rise of the Joker, not the origin of the Joker."<ref name=Stax1/> Nolan suggested ''[[Batman: The Killing Joke]]'' influenced a section of the Joker's dialogue in the film, in which he says that anyone can become like him given the right circumstances.<ref name=convention>{{cite journal | first=Anne | last=Thompson | title=Dark Knight Review: Nolan Talks Sequel Inflation | url=http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2008/07/dark-knight-rev.html | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=[[2008-07-06]] | accessdate=2008-07-07 }}</ref>

{{quote box|width=40%|quote=As we looked through the comics, there was this fascinating idea that Batman's presence in Gotham actually attracts criminals to Gotham, [it] attracts [[insanity|lunacy]]. When you're dealing with questionable notions like people taking the law into their own hands, you have to really ask, where does that lead? That's what makes the character so dark, because he expresses a vengeful desire.|source=—Nolan on the theme of escalation<ref name=Halbfinger />}}

Nolan also cited ''[[Heat (film)|Heat]]'' as "sort of an inspiration" for his aim "to tell a very large, city story or the story of a city": "If you want to take on Gotham, you want to give Gotham a kind of weight and breadth and depth in there. So you wind up dealing with the political figures, the media figures. That's part of the whole fabric of how a city is bound together."<ref name=Stax1/>

According to Nolan, an important theme of the sequel is "escalation", extending the [[denouement|ending]] of ''Batman Begins'', noting "things having to get worse before they get better".<ref name=Horowitz>{{cite news | first=Josh | last=Horowitz | url=http://www.betterthanfudge.com/?p=925|title=Exclusive! Dirt on The Dark Knight! | work=betterthanfudge.com | publisher=Better Than Fudge | date=2006-08-23 | accessdate=2006-08-23 }}</ref> While indicating ''The Dark Knight'' would continue the themes of ''Batman Begins'', including justice vs. revenge and Bruce Wayne's issues with his [[Thomas Wayne|father]],<ref name=Stax5>{{cite news | author=Stax | title=Exclusive: Nolan's ''Dark Knight'' Revelations | url=http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/736/736931p1.html | work=[[IGN]] | publisher=[[News Corporation]] | date=2006-10-03 | accessdate=2006-10-23 }}</ref> Nolan emphasized the sequel would also portray Wayne more as a [[detective]], an aspect of his character not fully developed in ''Batman Begins''.<ref name=wild/> Nolan described the friendly rivalry between Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent as the "backbone" of the film.<ref name=opening/> He also chose to compress the overall storyline, allowing Dent to become Two-Face in ''The Dark Knight'', thus giving the film an emotional arc the unsympathetic Joker could not offer.<ref name=convention/>

===Filming===
While scouting for shooting locations in October 2006, location manager Robin Higgs visited [[Liverpool]], concentrating mainly along the city's waterfront. Other candidates included Yorkshire, Glasgow, and parts of London.<ref>{{cite news | first=Catherine | last=Jones | url=http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/entertainment/previewsandreviews/tm_headline=batman-film-may-swoop-into-liverpool&method=full&objectid=17926461&siteid=50061-name_page.html | title=Batman Film May Swoop Into Liverpool | work=icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk | publisher=icLiverpool | date=2006-10-13 | accessdate=2006-10-13 }}</ref> In August 2006, one of the film's producers, Charles Roven, stated that its principal photography would begin in March 2007,<ref name=Newgen>{{cite news | first=Heather | last=Newgen | url=http://superherohype.com/news/featuresnews.php?id=4634 | title=Producer Chuck Roven on ''The Dark Knight'' | work=[[Superhero Hype!]]|publisher=Coming Soon Media, L.P | date=2006-08-12 | accessdate=2006-08-23 }}</ref> but filming was pushed back to April.<ref name=Lowman>{{cite news | first=Rob | last=Lowman | title=Tricks of the Trade (Part 2) | url=http://www.dailynews.com/entertainment/ci_5260002 | work=[[Los Angeles Daily News]] | publisher=[[MediaNews Group]] | date=2007-02-19 |accessdate=2007-02-20 }}<!--URL cited by earlier editors in this note no longer functions; as per error message, it needs replacement with an archived version or another source.--></ref> For its release in [[IMAX]] theaters, Nolan shot four major sequences in that format, including the Joker's introduction, and said that he wished that it were possible to shoot the entire film in IMAX: "if you could take an IMAX camera to [[Mount Everest]] or outer space, you could use it in a feature movie."<ref>{{cite news | first=Scott | last=Bowles | title=First Look: Enter the Joker&nbsp;— In the IMAX Format | work=[[USA Today]] | publisher=[[Gannett Company]] | url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2007-05-28-dark-knight-firstlook_N.htm | date=2007-05-28 | accessdate=2007-05-29}}</ref> For fifteen years Nolan had wanted to shoot in the IMAX format, and he used it also for "quiet scenes which pictorially we thought would be interesting."<ref name=opening/>
[[Image:Jokerbehingdthaglass.jpg|thumb|left|Director [[Christopher Nolan]] (far left) and actor [[Heath Ledger]] (in [[Cosmetics|make-up]]) filming a scene in ''The Dark Knight'' with an IMAX camera]]

Warner Bros. chose to film in Chicago for 13 weeks, because Nolan had had a "truly remarkable experience" filming part of ''Batman Begins'' there.<ref name=Armour>{{cite news | first=Terry | last=Armour | url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-0701280414jan28,1,5821076.column | title=Quiet on the Set? Not in This Town | work=[[The Chicago Tribune]] | publisher=[[Tribune Company]] | date=2007-01-28 | accessdate=2007-01-30}}</ref><ref name=Pearlman>{{cite news | first=Cindy | last=Pearlman | url=http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/movies/109454,CST-FTR-Knight25.article | title=Caped Crusader May Alight Here Next Year | work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] | publisher=[[Sun-Times Media Group]] | date=2006-10-25 | accessdate=2006-10-25 }}<!--Note cites an outdated URL; needs replacement with archived version or another reliable third-party published source.--></ref> Instead of using the [[Chicago Board of Trade Building]] as the location for the headquarters of [[Wayne Enterprises]], as ''Batman Begins'' did,<ref>{{cite web|author=Ebert, Roger|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050613/REVIEWS/50525003|publisher=rogerebert.suntimes.com|title=Batman Begins|date=2005-06-13| accessdate = 2007-02-25}}</ref> ''The Dark Knight'' used the [[Richard J. Daley Center]].<ref name=MG>{{cite web|url=http://landmarksocietywny.blogspot.com/2008/07/miess-gotham.html|title=Mies’s Gotham|accessdate=2008-08-04|date=2008-07-29|author=Palmer, Dan|publisher=The Landmark Society of Western New York, Inc.|work=Confessions of a Preservationist}}</ref> While filming in Chicago, the film was given the false title ''Rory's First Kiss'' to lower the visibility of production, but the local media eventually uncovered the ruse.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2129988,00.html | title=Film: Chicago Journalists Smell a Bat in 'Rory's First Kiss' | work=[[The Guardian]] | publisher=[[Guardian Media Group]] | date=2007-07-19 | accessdate=2008-06-03}}</ref> [[Richard Roeper]] of ''[[The Chicago Sun-Times]]'' commented on the absurdity of the technique, "Is there a Bat-fan in the world that doesn't know ''Rory's First Kiss'' is actually ''The Dark Knight'', which has been filming in Chicago for weeks?"<ref name=Roeper>{{cite news | first=Richard | last=Roeper | title=Potter Leaks Won't Ruin Book's Magic&nbsp;— Piracy Usually Hits Movies, But Publishers Also Affected | work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] | publisher=[[Sun-Times Media Group]] | date=2007-07-18 }}</ref> Production of ''The Dark Knight'' in Chicago generated $45 million in the city's economy and created thousands of jobs.<ref name=chicagoeconomy>{{cite news | first=Lorene |last=Yue | title=Batman Movie Filming to Start Saturday | url=http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=25284 | work=chicagobusiness.com | publisher=[[Crain Communications Inc.|Crain Communications Inc]] | date=2007-06-08 | accessdate=2007-06-08 }}</ref> For the film's prologue involving the Joker, the crew shot in Chicago from April 18, 2007 to April 24, 2007.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nbc5.com/entertainment/12403161/detail.html?dl=headlineclick | title=Batman's Back in Chicago | work=nbc5.com | publisher=[[WMAQ-TV]] | date=2007-04-18 | accessdate=2007-04-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | first=Carolyn | last=Giardina | title='Dark Knight' Heeds Imax Signal | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ieac90360954f656741f97fb3a117d32c | journal=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | publisher=[[Nielsen Company]] | date=2007-05-29 | accessdate=2007-05-29}}</ref> They returned to shoot from June 9, 2007 to early September.<ref name=chicagoeconomy/> Shooting locations included [[Navy Pier]], [[330 North Wabash]], [[James R. Thompson Center]], [[LaSalle Street]], [[The Berghoff (restaurant)|The Berghoff]], [[Millennium Station]], Hotel 71, the old Brach's factory, the old Van Buren Street Post Office and [[Wacker Drive]].<ref name=AKTR>{{citation | title=A Knight to Remember: Death, drama and a Chicago setting — The Dark Knight blasts onto screens this month | periodical=Chicago Social | date=July 2008 | page=66 | last=Gardener | first=Chris }}</ref><ref name=MG/> [[Pinewood Studios]], near London, was the primary studio space used for the production.<ref>[http://www.pinewoodgroup.com/gen/z_sys_infoProduction.aspx?intProductionId=1832 Pinewood Studios - The Dark Knight (2008) production information]</ref> [[Marina City]] was in the background throughout the movie.<ref name=MG/>

While planning a stunt with the [[Batmobile]] in a special effects facility near [[Chertsey|Chertsey, England]] in September 2007, technician Conway Wickliffe was killed when his car crashed.<ref>{{cite news | first=Andrew | last=Hough | title='Batman' Film Technician Dies in Accident | url=http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSL2576601720070925 | work=[[Reuters]] | publisher=[[The Thomson Corporation]] | date=2007-09-25 | accessdate=2007-09-25}}</ref> The film is dedicated to both Ledger and Wickliffe.<ref name=Hough/> The following month in London at the defunct [[Battersea Power Station]], a rigged 200-foot fireball was filmed, reportedly for an opening sequence, prompting calls from local residents who feared a terrorist attack on the station.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.thelondonpaper.com/cs/Satellite/london/news/article/1157149322813?packedargs=suffix%3DArticleController|title=Battersea Power Station Explosion | work=thelondonpaper.com | publisher=[[The London Paper]] | date=2007-10-12 | accessdate=2007-10-12}}</ref> A similar incident occurred during the filming in Chicago, when an abandoned [[Brach's]] candy factory (which was Gotham Hospital in the film) was demolished.<ref>{{Citation |last= |first= |title=Batman Film Crews Blow Up Brach's Candy Building |url=http://www.nbc5.com/news/14006347/detail.html |publisher=[[WMAQ-TV]] |date=2007-08-29 |accessdate=2008-08-17}}</ref>

Filming took place in Hong Kong from November 6 to November 11, 2007, at the [[Central-Mid-Levels escalators]], [[Queen's Road]], [[The Center]], and [[International Finance Centre]].<ref name=nine>{{cite news | title=New Batman Flick to Be Filmed in HK | url=http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=317405 | work=ninemsn.com | publisher=[[NineMSN]] | date=2007-11-03 | accessdate=2007-11-03}}</ref><ref name=hkend>{{cite news | title=New Batman Movie Completes High Profile Shooting in Hong Kong | work=[[International Herald Tribune]] | publisher=[[The New York Times Company]] | date=2007-11-12 | url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/12/arts/AS-A-E-MOV-Hong-Kong-Batman.php | accessdate=2007-11-12 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first=Scarlett | last=Chiang |title=Holy Chaos, Batman! | url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=12&art_id=53868&sid=15486249&con_type=3 | work=[[The Standard]] | publisher=Sing Tao Newspaper Limited | date=2007-09-21 | accessdate=2007-09-21 }}</ref> The city's [[Kowloon Walled City|walled city of Kowloon]] influenced the [[Notable areas, landmarks, institutions and businesses of Gotham City#Landmarks in other media|Narrows]] in ''Batman Begins''.<ref>{{cite news | first=Jeff | last=Otto | url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/622/622719p1.html | title=Interview: Christopher Nolan | work=[[IGN]] | publisher=[[News Corporation]] | date=2005-06-05 | accessdate=2007-01-10}}</ref> The shoot hired helicopters and [[C-130]] aircraft.<ref name=nine/> Officials expressed concern over possible noise pollution and traffic.<ref name=hkend/> In response, letters sent to the city's residents promised that the sound level would approximate noise decibels made by buses.<ref name=nine/> Environmentalists also criticized the filmmakers' request to tenants of the waterfront skyscrapers to keep their lights on all night in order to enhance the cinematography, describing it as a waste of energy.<ref name=hkend/> Cinematographer [[Wally Pfister]] found the city officials a "nightmare", and ultimately Nolan had to create Batman's jump from a skyscraper (which Bale had looked forward to performing) digitally.<ref name=Brown/>

===Design===
[[Image:HeathJoker.png|thumb|Heath Ledger as the Joker. The Joker's scruffy and grungy make-up is intended as a reflection of his "edgy" character.]]
Costume designer [[Lindy Hemming]] described the Joker's look as reflecting his personality &mdash; that "he doesn't care about himself at all"; she avoided designing him as a [[Vagrancy (people)|vagrant]] but still made him appear to be "scruffier, grungier", so that "when you see him move, he's slightly twitchier or edgy."<ref name=Richards/><ref name=Jolin1/><ref name=Richards/> Nolan noted, "We gave a [[Francis Bacon (painter)|Francis Bacon]] spin to [his face]. This corruption, this decay in the texture of the look itself. It's grubby. You can almost imagine what he smells like."<ref>{{cite news | first=David | last=James |title=Indy, Batman, Narnia All Return in 2008 | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22653902/ | work=[[MSNBC]] | publisher=[[NBC Universal]], [[Microsoft]] | date=2008-01-14 | accessdate=2008-01-16 }}</ref> In creating the "anarchical" look of the Joker, Hemming drew inspiration from such [[Counterculture|countercultural]] [[pop culture]] artists as [[Pete Doherty]], [[Iggy Pop]], and [[John Lydon|Johnny Rotten]].<ref name=IGNStaff>{{cite news | author=IGN Staff | title=Dressing the Joker | url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/854/854616p1.html | work=[[IGN]] | publisher=[[News Corporation]] | date=2008-02-25 |accessdate=2008-02-26 }}</ref> During the course of the film, the Joker only once removes his [[Cosmetics|make-up]], causing it to become more unkempt and resemble an [[infection]] as it worsens.<ref name=Jolin1/> Ledger described his "clown" mask, made up of three pieces of stamped [[silicone]], as a "new technology", taking much less time for the [[make-up artist]]s to apply than more-conventional [[Facial prosthetic|prosthetics]] usually requires—the process took them only an hour—and resulting in Ledger's impression that he was barely wearing any make-up at all.<ref name=Jolin1/><ref name=sfx>{{cite journal | title=Joker in the Pack | journal=[[SFX magazine]] |volume=164| month=Winter | year=2007 | pages=18 | publisher=[[Future Publishing]] | accessdate=2008-07-08}}</ref>

Designers improved on the design of the [[Batsuit]] from ''Batman Begins'', adding wide elastic banding to help bind the costume to Bale, and suggest more sophisticated technology. It was constructed from 200 individual pieces of [[rubber]], [[fiberglass]], metallic [[mesh]], and [[nylon]]. The new cowl was modeled after a [[motorcycle helmet]] and separated from the neck piece, allowing Bale to turn his head left and right and nod up and down.<ref name=suit>{{cite news | first=Jeff | last=Jensen | title=Batman's New Suit | journal=[[Entertainment Weekly]] | publisher=[[Time Inc.|Time Inc]] | url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20042739,00.html | date=2007-06-15 | accessdate=2007-06-18}}</ref> The cowl is equipped to show white lenses over the eyes when the character turns on his [[sonar]] detection, which gives Batman the white eyed look from the comics and animation.<ref name=kino>{{cite news | url=http://www.kino.de/news/batman-flattert-nach-hongkong/242400/nr-242400,channel-kino,ref-rssfeed.html|title=Batman flattert nach Hongkong | publisher=Kino.de | language=German | date=2007-10-15 | accessdate=2007-10-25 }}</ref> The [[Gauntlet (gloves)|gauntlets]] have retractable razors which can be fired.<ref name=suit/> The gloves also possess [[hydraulic]]s for Batman to crush objects. The original suit was also worn during part of the film. Though the new costume is eight pounds heavier, Bale found it more comfortable and less hot to wear.<ref name=wild/>
[[Image:Batpod.jpg|thumb|left|The "Batpod" on display in [[Los Angeles]].]]

The film introduces the Batpod, which is a recreation of the [[Batcycle]]. [[Production designer]] Nathan Crowley, who designed the Tumbler for ''Batman Begins'', designed six models (built by special effects supervisor [[Chris Corbould]]) for use in the film's production, because of necessary crash scenes and possible accidents.<ref name=goy/> Crowley built a prototype in Nolan's garage, before six months of safety tests were conducted.<ref name=wild/> The Batpod is steered by shoulder instead of hand, and the rider's arms are protected by sleeve-like shields. The bike has 508 millimeter (20-inch) front and rear tires, and is made to appear as if it is armed with grappling hooks, cannons, and machine guns. The engines are located in the hubs of the wheels, which are set 3 1/2 feet (1067 mm) apart on either side of the tank. The rider lies belly down on the tank, which can move up and down in order to dodge any incoming gunfire that Batman may encounter. [[Stuntman]] Jean-Pierre Goy doubled for [[Christian Bale]] during the riding sequences in ''The Dark Knight''.<ref name=goy>{{cite news | first=Susan | last=Carpenter | url=http://www.latimes.com/classified/automotive/highway1/la-hy-throttle18jun18redo,0,6121661.story?coll=la-highway1-reviews-motorcycle | title=Wholly High-Tech, Batman | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | publisher=[[Tribune Company]] | date=2007-06-18 | accessdate=2007-11-24}}</ref>

For Two-Face's make-up, Eckhart warned, "When you look at [him], you should get sick to your stomach. Being the guy under all that, well, that was a lot of fun for me. It's like you would feel if you met someone whose face had pretty much been ripped off or burned off with acid [...] There are fans on the Internet who have done artist's versions of what they think it will look like, and I can tell you this: They're thinking small; Chris is going way farther than people think."<ref name=Boucher/> Nolan described Two-Face's appearance in the film as one of the least disturbing, explaining, "When we looked at less extreme versions of it, they were too real and more horrifying. When you look at a film like ''Pirates of the Caribbean''—something like that, there's something about a very fanciful, very detailed visual effect, that I think is more powerful and less repulsive."<ref>{{cite news | first=Kevin | last=Williamson | url=http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Today/Entertainment/2008/07/15/6158716-sun.html | title= Two Face a gruesome delight | work=[[London Free Press]] | publisher=[[Quebecor Media]] | date=2008-07-15 | accessdate=2008-07-20 }}</ref>

The depiction of [[Gotham City]] is less gritty than in ''Batman Begins''. "I've tried to unclutter the Gotham we created on the last film," said Crowley. "Gotham is in chaos. We keep blowing up stuff, so we can keep our images clean."<ref name=Halbfinger />

===Music===
{{seealso|The Dark Knight (soundtrack)}}
''Batman Begins'' composers [[Hans Zimmer]] and [[James Newton Howard]] returned to score the sequel. Zimmer originally said the main ''Batman'' theme was purposely introduced at the end of ''Batman Begins'', and would be fleshed out in the sequel as the character develops.<ref name=Goldwasser>{{cite news | first=Dan | last=Goldwasser | url=http://www.soundtrack.net/features/article/?id=210 | title=Breaking the Rules with Hans Zimmer, Part 3 | work=soundtrack.net | publisher=SoundtrackNet | date=2006-11-02 | accessdate=2006-11-03}}</ref> Zimmer and Howard both realized that creating a heroic theme that a viewer could [[hum (sound)|hum]] would ignore the complexity and darkness of the character. That the heroic theme is audible only twice, early on in the film, creates what Zimmer described as a "[[red herring (narrative)|red herring]]", a kind of musical [[foreshadowing]].<ref name=Martens>{{cite news | first=Todd | last=Martens |title=Zimmer Brings 'punk attitude' to Batman with 'The Dark Knight' |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/extendedplay/2008/06/batman-the-dark.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | publisher=[[Tribune Company]] |date=2008-06-02 |accessdate=2008-06-04}}</ref>

Composition began before shooting, and during filming Nolan received an [[iPod]] with ten hours of recordings, which Zimmer claimed Nolan fully memorized.<ref name=brass>{{cite journal | first=Phil | last=Gallo | title=A different kind of 'Knight' music | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=[[2008-07-14]] | url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117988909.html?categoryid=2857&cs=1 | accessdate=2008-07-15}}</ref> Their nine-minute [[suite]] for the Joker is based around two notes. Zimmer compared its style to the band [[Kraftwerk]], who come from his native Germany, as well as his work with bands like [[The Damned]].<ref name=Martens/> When Ledger died, Zimmer felt like scrapping and composing a new theme, but decided that he could not be sentimental and compromise the "evil [performance] projects".<ref name=Wolf>{{cite web | first=Jeanne | last=Wolf | title=Singing the Joker's Praises | work=[[Parade (magazine)|Parade]] | publisher=[[Advance Publications]] | url=http://www.parade.com/celebrity/celebrity-parade/archive/pc_0185.html | date=2008-07-01 | accessdate=2008-07-08}}</ref> Howard composed Dent's "elegant and beautiful" themes,<ref name=Martens/> which are [[brass instrument|brass]]-focused.<ref name=brass/>

==Release==
===Marketing===
In May 2007, [[42 Entertainment]] began a [[viral marketing]] campaign utilizing the film's "Why So Serious?" [[tagline]] with the launch of a website featuring the fictional political campaign of Harvey Dent, with the caption, "I Believe in Harvey Dent."<ref name=IBHD>{{Cite web | title=Harvey Dent for Gotham District Attorney: Harvey Dent: Latest News | work=ibelieveinharveydent.com | publisher=Warner Bros. | url=http://ibelieveinharveydent.com/ | accessdate=2008-06-01}} [This is an updated version of that website.]</ref> The site aimed to interest fans by having them try to earn what they wanted to see and, on behalf of Warner Bros., 42 Entertainment also established a "[[vandalism|vandalized]]" version of ''I Believe in Harvey Dent'', called "I believe in Harvey Dent too," where e-mails sent by fans slowly removed [[pixel]]s, revealing the first official image of the Joker; it was ultimately replaced with many "Haha"s and a hidden message that said "see you in December."<ref>{{cite journal | title=Now You See Him... | journal=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] | volume=228 | year=2008 | month=July | pages=26 |publisher=[[Bauer Verlagsgruppe]] }}</ref>
[[Image:Norulessensible.jpg|thumb|left|horizontal|''WhySoSerious.com'' directed fans to find letters composing [[Joker (comics)|the Joker's]] message "The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules," to send in photographs of these letters, and then featured their photos in a collage.]]

During the 2007 [[Comic-Con International]], 42 Entertainment launched WhySoSerious.com, sending fans on a [[scavenger hunt]] to unlock a teaser trailer and a new photo of the Joker.<ref>{{cite journal | first=Marc | last=Graser | coauthors=Anne Thompson | url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117969414.html?categoryId=13&cs=1 | title=Jokes Join Joker at Comic-Con | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=[[2007-07-29]] | accessdate=2007-07-30 }}</ref> During that month, WhySoSerious.com featured an animated [[jack-o'-lantern]] whose mouth was shaped like a bat-logo. The candle in the jack-o'-lantern melted as time progressed, while half of the pumpkin's face simultaneously deteriorated.<ref name=treat>{{cite news |title=The Joker's Halloween Treat |url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/831/831681p1.html | work=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[News Corporation]] |date=2007-10-31 |accessdate=2007-11-01}}</ref>

On October 31, 2007, the film's website morphed into another scavenger hunt with hidden messages, instructing fans to uncover clues at certain locations in major cities throughout the United States, and to take photographs of their discoveries. The clues combined to reveal a new photograph of the Joker from the film, accompanied by an audio [[MP3]] clip of Ledger's recorded voice saying, "And tonight, you're gonna break your one rule." Completing the scavenger hunt also led to another website called ''[http://www.rorysdeathkiss.com Rory's Death Kiss]''<ref name=treat/> (referencing the false working title of ''Rory's First Kiss''), where fans could submit photographs of themselves costumed as the Joker set in various landscapes. Those who sent photos were mailed a copy of a fictional newspaper called ''The Gotham Times'', whose electronic version led to the discovery of numerous other websites.<ref name=GT>{{Cite web | title=''The Gotham Times''| url=http://www.thegothamtimes.com/page1.htm | publisher=[[Warner Bros.]] | accessdate=2008-03-17 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Update #12: The Dark Knight Viral Campaign | url=http://www.superherohype.com/news/topnews.php?id=6470 | work=[[Superhero Hype!]] |publisher=Coming Soon Media, L.P | date=2007-11-30 | accessdate=2008-03-17}} (Source: The Fans.)</ref>

''The Dark Knight'''s opening sequence, (showing a bank raid by the Joker) and closing montage of other scenes from the film, was screened with selected [[IMAX]] screenings of ''[[I Am Legend (film)|I Am Legend]]'', which was released on December 14, 2007.<ref name=opening>{{cite news | first=Josh | last=Horowitz | title='Dark Knight' Opening Scenes Reveal 'Radical' New Joker | url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1575671/20071203/story.jhtml | work=MTV.com | publisher=[[MTV]] | date=2007-12-03 | accessdate=2007-12-04}}</ref> A theatrical [[teaser]] was also released with non-IMAX showings of ''I Am Legend'', and also on the official website.<ref>{{cite news | first=Shawn | last=Adler | title='Dark Knight' Trailer Shows A Joker Hellbent On Chaos | url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1576559/20071214/story.jhtml | work=MTV.com | publisher=[[MTV]] | date=2007-12-14 | accessdate=2007-12-16}}</ref> The sequence was released on the [[Blu-ray Disc]] edition of ''Batman Begins'' on July 8, 2008.<ref>{{cite news | first=David | last=McCutcheon | title=Batman Begins Anew | url=http://dvd.ign.com/articles/859/859998p1.html | work=[[IGN]] | publisher=[[News Corporation]] |date=2008-03-17|accessdate=2008-03-17}}</ref> Also on July 8, 2008, the studio released ''[[Batman: Gotham Knight]]'', a [[direct-to-DVD]] animated film, set between ''Batman Begins'' and ''The Dark Knight'' and featuring six original stories, directed by [[Bruce Timm]], co-creator and producer of ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]''. Each of these segments, written by [[Josh Olson]], [[David S. Goyer]], [[Brian Azzarello]], [[Greg Rucka]], [[Jordan Goldberg]], and [[Alan Burnett]], presents its own distinctive artistic style, paralleling numerous artists collaborating in the same [[DC Universe]].<ref>{{cite news | title='Batman: Gotham Knight' Set for July 8 Release | url=http://www.wizarduniverse.com/022608gothamknightpr.html | work=wizarduniverse.com | publisher=[[Wizard Entertainment]] | date=2008-02-25 | accessdate=2008-03-17 }}</ref>

After the death of [[Heath Ledger]], on January 22, 2008, [[Warner Bros.]] adjusted its promotional focus on the Joker,<ref name=CrookSanders/> revising some of its websites dedicated to promoting the film and posting a memorial tribute to Ledger on the film's official website<ref>{{Cite web | title=Heath Memorial | url=http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/HeathMemorial.html | publisher=[[Warner Bros.]] |date=2008-01-23 | accessdate=2008-03-17 }}</ref> and overlaying a black memorial ribbon on the photo collage in ''WhySoSerious.com''.<ref name=WSSrev>{{Cite web | publisher=[[Warner Bros.]] | title=Why So Serious? | url=http://www.whysoserious.com/ | work=whysoserious.com | accessdate=2008-03-17}}</ref> On February 29, 2008, ''I Believe in Harvey Dent'' was updated to enable fans to send their e-mail addresses and phone numbers.<ref>{{cite news | author=IGN Staff | title=Harvey Dent Wants You | url=http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/855/855926p1.html | work=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[News Corporation]] | date=2008-02-29 | accessdate=2008-02-29}}</ref> In March 2008, Harvey Dent's fictional campaign informed fans that actual campaign buses nicknamed "Dentmobiles" would tour various cities to promote Dent's candidacy for district attorney.<ref>{{cite news | title='Dentmobiles' Promote ''Dark Knight'' | url=http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?id=50270 | work=[[Sci Fi Wire]] |publisher=[[Sci Fi Channel (United States)|Sci Fi Channel]] | date=2008-03-13 | accessdate=2008-03-14}}</ref>

[[Image:Jarno Trulli 2008 Britain.jpg|thumb|right|[[Toyota F1|Toyota]] [[Formula One]] racing car featuring the Batman insignia, at the [[2008 British Grand Prix]]]]
On May 15, 2008, [[Six Flags Great America]] and [[Six Flags Great Adventure]] theme parks opened ''[[The Dark Knight (roller coaster)|The Dark Knight]]'' [[roller coaster]], which cost [[United States dollar|$]]7.5 million to develop and which simulates being [[stalked]] by the Joker.<ref>{{cite news | first=Lee | last=Filas | title=Great America Getting New 'Dark Knight' Coaster Next Year | url=http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=46662 | work=[[Daily Herald (Arlington Heights)|Daily Herald]] |publisher=Paddock Publications, Inc | date=2007-09-27 | accessdate=2007-09-29}}</ref> [[Mattel]] has been producing toys and games for ''The Dark Knight'', action figures, [[role play]] costumes, board games, puzzles, and a special-edition [[UNO (game)|UNO]] card game, which began commercial distribution in June 2008.<ref name=mattel>{{cite news | title=Mattel on Board for Speed Racer & The Dark Knight | url=http://www.superherohype.com/news/topnews.php?id=5877 | work=[[Superhero Hype!]] | publisher=Coming Soon Media, L.P | date=2007-06-19 | accessdate=2008-03-18 }} (Source: [[Warner Bros.]] Consumer Products.)</ref> Also to promote the film, the [[Toyota F1|Toyota]] [[Formula One]] team raced with a special livery featuring the Batman insignia and "The Dark Knight" at the [[2008 British Grand Prix]], held from July 4, 2008 to July 6, 2008.

[[Warner Bros.]] devoted six months to an anti-piracy strategy which involved tracking the people who had a pre-release copy of the film at any one time. Shipping and delivery schedules were also staggered and spot checks were carried out both domestically and overseas to ensure illegal copying of the film was not taking place in cinemas.<ref>{{cite news | title=The Dark Knight Pirate Movie Update - Batman’s 38 Piracy Free Hours Deemed Success | url=http://www.webtvwire.com/batman-the-dark-knight-movie-how-warner-bros-stopped-film-leaking-to-internet/ | publisher= webtvwire.com | date=2008-07-29 }}</ref> A pirated copy was released on the Web approximately 38 hours after the film's release. [[BitTorrent (protocol)|BitTorrent]] search engine [[The Pirate Bay]] taunted the movie industry over its ability to provide the movie free, replacing its logo with a taunting message.<ref>{{cite news | title=The Dark Knight Torrent Used To Mess With Hollywood | url=http://www.webtvwire.com/the-dark-knight-torrent-used-to-mess-with-hollywood-the-pirate-bay-uses-batman-hype/ | publisher= webtvwire.com | date=2008-07-26 }}</ref>

===Theatrical run===
Warner Bros. held the world premiere for ''The Dark Knight'' in [[New York City]] on July 14, 2008, screening in an IMAX theater with the film's composers [[James Newton Howard]] and [[Hans Zimmer]] playing a part of the film score live.<ref name=buzz>{{cite journal | first=Steven | last=Zeitchik | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3icbacc817cd9e1b4e40577f631ccf89fc | title='Dark Knight' buzz keeps building | journal=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | publisher=[[Nielsen Company]] | date=[[2008-07-14]] | accessdate=2008-08-01 }}</ref> Leading up to ''The Dark Knight'''s commercial release, the film had drawn "overwhelmingly positive early reviews and buzz on Heath Ledger's turn as the Joker". ''The Dark Knight'' was commercially released on July&nbsp;16, 2008 in Australia, grossing almost $2.3 million in its first day.<ref name=high>{{cite journal | first=Carl | last=DiOrio | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i7c9fb5e8533a7a9cc7f96524fbfccac7 | title=High expectations for 'Dark Knight' | journal=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | publisher=[[Nielsen Company]] | date=[[2008-07-16]] | accessdate=2008-07-16 }}</ref>

In the United States and Canada, ''The Dark Knight'' was distributed to 4,366 theaters, breaking the previous record for the highest number of theaters held by ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End]]'' (2007). The number of theaters also included 94 IMAX theaters, with the film estimated to be played on 9,200 screens in the United States and Canada.<ref name=high/> Online, ticketing services sold enormous numbers of tickets for approximately 3,000 midnight showtimes as well as unusually early showtimes for the film's opening day. All IMAX theaters showing ''The Dark Knight'' were sold out for the opening weekend.<ref>{{cite journal | first=Carl | last=DiOrio | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ic89034626f7645c385ca5977ca529ca2 | title='Dark Knight' sells out quickly online | journal=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | publisher=[[Nielsen Company]] | date=[[2008-07-17]] | accessdate=2008-08-01 }}</ref>

''The Dark Knight'' set a new midnight record on the opening day of July&nbsp;18, 2008 with $18.5 million, beating the $16.9 million record set by ''[[Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith]]'' (2005).<ref>{{cite news | first=Anthony | last=D'Alessandro | url=http://www.variety.com/VR1117989149.html | title='Dark Knight' sets midnight record | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=[[2008-07-18]] | accessdate=2008-08-01 }}</ref> $640,000 of the record gross came from IMAX screenings.<ref>{{cite journal | first=Gregg | last=Kilday | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ifcadec3fe426ce3cc558d6b67854119c | title='Dark Knight' sets midnight record | journal=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | publisher=[[Nielsen Company]] | date=[[2008-07-18]] | accessdate=2008-08-01 }}</ref> ''The Dark Knight'' ultimately grossed $67,165,092 on its opening day,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/days/?page=open&p.htm | title=Opening Day Records at the Box Office | work=[[Box Office Mojo]] | publisher=Box Office Mojo, LLC | accessdate=2008-08-01 }}</ref> beating the previous record of $59.8 million held by ''[[Spider-Man 3]]'' (2007).<ref name=earns>{{cite journal | first=Pamela | last=McClintock | url=http://www.variety.com/VR1117989204.html | title='Dark Knight' earns $67 million | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=[[2008-07-18]] | accessdate=2008-08-01 }}</ref> For its opening weekend in the United States and Canada, ''The Dark Knight'' accumulated a total of $158,411,483 from 9,200 screens at 4,366 theaters, for an average of $36,283 per theater, or $17,219 per screen,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/ | title=Biggest Opening Weekends at the Box Office | work=[[Box Office Mojo]] | publisher=Box Office Mojo, LLC | accessdate=2008-08-01 }}</ref> topping the previous record of $151,116,516 held by ''Spider-Man 3'', while playing in 114 more theaters but on 800 fewer screens. ''The Dark Knight'' also set a new record for opening weekend gross in IMAX theaters, accumulating $6.2 million to beat ''Spider-Man 3'''s previous record of $4.7 million.<ref name=spidey>{{cite journal | first=Carl | last=DiOrio | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i1da5db18eb0203bb06464245988651de | title=Batman beats Spidey with $158.4 mil haul | journal=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | publisher=[[Nielsen Company]] | date=[[2008-07-20]] | accessdate=2008-08-01 }}</ref>

Besides the United States and Canada, ''The Dark Knight'' premiered in 20 other territories on 4,520 screens, grossing $41.3 million in its first weekend.<ref name=beater>{{cite journal | first=Hy | last=Hollinger | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i11f792c8aef008a087b6419a92386a7a | title='Dark Knight' eyes world-beater status | journal=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | publisher=[[Nielsen Company]] | date=[[2008-07-21]] | accessdate=2008-08-01 }}</ref> The film came in second to ''Hancock'', which was in its third weekend, screening in 71 territories. ''The Dark Knight'''s biggest territory for the weekend was Australia, grossing $13.7 million over the weekend, the third largest Warner Bros. opening and the largest superhero film opening to date. The film also grossed $7 million from 1,433 screens in Mexico, $4.45 million from 548 screens in Brazil,<ref>{{cite journal | first=Frank | last=Segers | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i1da5db18eb0203bb1a4bb902e91072cb | title='Hancock' holds on overseas | journal=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | publisher=[[Nielsen Company]] | date=[[2008-07-20]] | accessdate=2008-08-01 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | first=Dave | last=McNary | coauthors=Pamela McClintock | url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117989269.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 | title=Batman box office gets better | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=[[2008-07-21]] | accessdate=2008-08-01 }}</ref> and $2.12 million from 37 screens in Hong Kong.<ref>{{cite journal | first=Patrick | last=Frater | url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117989272.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2564 | title='Knight' makes WB's day in HK | journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] | date=[[2008-07-21]] | accessdate=2008-08-01 }}</ref>

''The Dark Knight'' sold an estimated 22.37 million tickets with today's average admission of $7.08, meaning the film sold more tickets than ''Spider-Man 3,'' which sold 21.96 million with the average price of $6.88 in 2007.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=95261 | title='Dark Knight' sets record with help of ever pricier tickets | publisher=Northwestern University | accessdate=2008-08-07}}</ref><ref name="tickets">[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/20/DDP011SAGC.DTL ‘'Dark Knight' breaks box office record] Accessed on July 21, 2008</ref> It also broke the record for the biggest opening weekend ever.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.accesshollywood.com/article/10464/dark-knight-crosses-200m-mark-in-record-time/|title=‘Dark Knight’ Crosses $200M Mark In Record Time|date=2007-07-23|accessdate=2007-07-27}}</ref> As of October 6, 2008, ''The Dark Knight'' has grossed $525,904,670 in the domestic box office, breaking the previous record of the fastest film to hit $500 million<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2505&p=.htm |title='Tropic Thunder' Leads Quiet Summer Close |accessdate=2008-09-02 |author=Box Office Mojo |authorlink=Box Office Mojo |date=2008-09-02 |work=boxofficemojo.com}}</ref> and $462,100,000 in other countries.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117989593.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 | title='Dark Knight' reigns overseas | publisher=Variety | work=Variety Film | date=2008-09-29 | last=Mcnary | first=Dave}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-10-07|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=darkknight.htm|title=The Dark Knight |publisher=Box Office Mojo }}</ref> As of October 6, 2008, its total worldwide gross stands at $988,004,670, and is the fourth highest grossing film of all time unadjusted for inflation. ''The Dark Knight'' is currently the highest grossing movie of 2008 in domestic box office and worldwide. Unadjusted for inflation, it is now the second highest grossing film domestically of all time with a total of $525,904,700, behind only ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'' with $600,788,188. It was the second film in history to pass the $500 million barrier, also in the fastest time, in 43 days (compared to ''Titanic'''s 98 days).

Warner Bros. plans on re-releasing the film in IMAX theaters in January 2009, the height of the voting for the [[Academy Awards]], in order to further the chances of the film winning Oscars. There is no official word yet on if it will be re-released in traditional theaters.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSN1044022120080911|title="Dark Knight" plans re-release for Oscar push|last=DiOrio|first=Carl|date=2008-09-11|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|publisher=[[Reuters]]|accessdate=2008-09-11}}</ref>

===Home video===
The film will be released on [[DVD]] and [[Blu-ray Disc]] in North America on December 9, 2008, Australia December 10, 2008 and December 8, 2008 in the United Kingdom. This will include a one-disc edition DVD; a two-disc Special Edition DVD; a two-disc edition Blu-ray; and a Special Edition Blu-ray package featuring a statuette of the Bat-pod.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Dark Knight Swoops In|work=[[IGN]]|date=2008-0929url=http://dvd.ign.com/articles/914/914260p1.html|accessdate=2008-08-20}}</ref>

==Critical reception==
<!-- Please note, when updating Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic ratings, you should also update the "accessdate" field within the citation tags to reflect the date on which you have updated them. -->
Based on 257 reviews collected by [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''The Dark Knight'' has an overall approval rating of 95 percent, with a [[weighted average]] score of 8.5/10.<ref name="rt">{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_dark_knight/|title=The Dark Knight Movie Reviews|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=''IGN Entertainment''|accessdate=2008-09-27}}</ref> Among Rotten Tomatoes' ''Cream of the Crop'', which consists of popular and notable critics from the top newspapers, websites, television and radio programs,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/pages/faq#creamofthecrop|title=Rotten Tomatoes FAQ: What is Cream of the Crop|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|accessdate=2008-07-20}}</ref> the film holds an overall approval rating of 90 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_dark_knight/?critic=creamcrop|title=The Dark Knight: Rotten Tomatoes' Cream of the Crop|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|accessdate=2008-07-25}}</ref> By comparison, [[Metacritic]], which assigns a [[normalization|normalized]] rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, calculated an average score of 82 from the 39 reviews it collected.<ref name="meta">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/darkknight|title=The Dark Knight (2008): Reviews|work=[[Metacritic]]|publisher=''CNET Networks''|accessdate=2008-07-21}}</ref><!--PLEASE DO NOT ADD IMDb RANKINGS, THEY ARE UNRELIABLE. SEE THE TALK PAGE FOR THE DISCUSSION ALREADY UNDERWAY!-->

[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' describes ''The Dark Knight'' as a "haunted film that leaps beyond its origins and becomes an engrossing tragedy." He praises the performances, direction, and writing, and says the film "redefine[s] the possibilities of the comic-book movie". Ebert states that the "key performance" is by Heath Ledger, and ponders whether he will become the first posthumous [[Academy Award]] winner since [[Peter Finch]] in 1976.<ref>{{cite web|author=[[Roger Ebert]]|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080716/REVIEWS/55996637|title=The Dark Knight|format=Web|work=[[Chicago Sun Times]]|publisher=''rogerebert.com''|date=2008-07-16|accessdate=2008-07-19}}</ref> Peter Travers of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' writes that the film is deeper than its predecessor, with a "deft" script that refuses to scrutinize the Joker with [[popular psychology]], instead pulling the viewer in with an examination of Bruce Wayne's [[psyche]],<ref name=TraversDK>{{cite web|author=[[Peter Travers]]|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/16155928/review/21477208/the_dark_knight|title=Dark Knight|format=Web|work=[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]|publisher=''rollingstone.com''|date=2008-07-18|accessdate=2008-07-09}} (Postdated)</ref> while David Denby of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' holds that the story is not coherent enough to properly flesh out the disparities. He says the film's mood is one of "constant climax", and that it feels rushed and far too long. Denby criticizes scenes which he argues are meaningless or are cut short just as they become interesting.<ref name=denby>{{cite news | url= http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2008/07/21/080721crci_cinema_denby | title=Past Shock | first=David | last=Denby | work=[[The New Yorker]] | publisher=''newyorker.com'' | date=2008-07-21 | accessdate=2008-07-16 }} (Postdated)</ref> Todd Gilchrist of [[IGN]] remarks that, unlike most "[[Mythopoeia (genre)|mythology]]"-centred films, ''The Dark Knight'' covers everything concerning the logical or conceptual challenges such films present, giving the viewer everything they expect, but in ways which catch the viewer off-guard.<ref name=Gilchrist>{{cite web|author=Todd Gilchrist|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/884/884876p1.html|title=IGN: The Dark Knight Review|work=[[IGN]] Movies|publisher=[[IGN]]|date=2008-06-30|accessdate=2008-07-09}}</ref> David Ansen in ''[[Newsweek]]'' says the film is "impressive" in discussing the [[moral dilemma]] at its heart: the question about whether a hero has to abandon his code in order to defeat the villain.<ref name=ansen>{{cite journal | url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/145509 | title=Gotham City’s Grave New World | author=David Ansen | journal=[[Newsweek]] | publisher=''[[The Washington Post Company]]'' | date=[[2008-07-21]] | accessdate=2008-07-16 }} (Postdated)</ref>

Joe Neumaier of the ''[[New York Daily News]]'' compares the film's sober depiction of characters that are "ticking time bombs" to those in [[Clint Eastwood]]'s ''[[Unforgiven]]'' (1992). He says that Bale, Gyllenhaal, Oldman, and Eckhart combine to add a maturity that was not present in ''Batman Begins''.<ref name=Neumaier>{{cite news|author=Joe Neumaier|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/2008/07/15/2008-07-15_ledgers_dark_joker_raises_pic_to_a_class.html|title=Ledger's 'Dark' Joker raises pic to a classic|work=[[New York Daily News|Daily News]]|publisher=''nydailynews.com''|date=2008-07-16|accessdate=2008-07-16}}</ref> Travers has praise for all the cast, saying each brings his or her "'A' game" to the film. He says Bale is "electrifying", evoking [[Al Pacino]] in ''[[The Godfather Part II]]'', and that Eckhart's portrayal of Harvey Dent is "scarily moving". Travers reserves the most acclaim for Ledger, saying the actor moves the Joker away from [[Jack Nicholson]]'s interpretation into darker territory. He expresses his support for any potential campaign to have Ledger nominated for an Academy Award,<ref name=TraversDK/> a call echoed by filmmaker [[Kevin Smith]],<ref name=Sciretta>{{cite web|author=Peter Sciretta|title=Kevin Smith Reviews The Dark Knight ...|url=http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/06/29/kevin-smith-reviews-the-dark-knight-new-zack-and-miri-photo/|work=Slashfilm|publisher=''slashfilm.com''|date=2008-06-29|accessdate=2008-07-09}}</ref> and [[Emanuel Levy]], among others. Levy writes that Ledger "throws himself completely" into the role,<ref name=Levy/> and Todd Gilchrist calls Ledger's performance "transcendent". Gilchrist also shows admiration for Oldman's depiction of virtue, self-doubt and authority, and says Gyllenhaal adds depth and vigor to her role.<ref name=Gilchrist/> David Denby remarks that the central conflict is workable, but that "only half the team can act it", saying that Bale's "placid" Bruce Wayne and "dogged but uninteresting" Batman is constantly upstaged by Ledger's "sinister and frightening" performance, which he says is the film's one element of success. Denby concludes that Ledger is "mesmerising" in every scene.<ref name=denby/>

Travers says that the filmmakers move the film away from comic book cinema and closer to being a genuine work of art, citing Nolan's direction and the "gritty reality" of [[Wally Pfister]]'s cinematography as helping to create a [[fictional universe|universe]] that has something "raw and elemental" at work within it. In particular, he cites Nolan's action choreography in the IMAX-tailored heist sequence as rivaling that of ''[[Heat (film)|Heat]]'' (1995).<ref name=TraversDK/> Orr from ''[[The New Republic]]'' also praised the sparing use of [[CGI]], such as in the chase scenes.<ref name="TNR"/> Gilchrist praises the film's blending of comic book theatrics into realistic surroundings, and says that the film is the first comic book adaptation to qualify as a superior artistic achievement in its own right. Gilchrist says that Nolan examines the grand themes in "beautifully human" terms, and that the director reaches further than the first film with both his storytelling and camerawork, sustaining the "haunting" atmosphere, momentum and tension throughout the entire runtime.<ref name=Gilchrist/> Emanuel Levy proclaims that the film represents Nolan's "most accomplished and mature" work, and the most technically impressive and resonant of all the ''Batman'' films. He calls the action sequences some of the most impressive seen in an American film for years, and talks of the [[Hong Kong]]-set portion of the film as being particularly visually impressive.<ref name=Levy/> While Denby has praise for Pfister's cinematography, he does not rate the film as a remarkable piece of craftmanship. He puts forward that while a lot happens in the film, it is often difficult to follow due to the close, dark photography and editing. Denby says the film is too grim and is seemingly "jammed together".<ref name=denby/>

Dean Richards of [[WGN-TV]] calls the film not only the year's best film, "but one of the best films in years." Richards further compliments the film, noting how Chicago has never been used more effectively as a canvas for a story and stating, "It's not just a stunning super hero movie; it's a stunning film, period".<ref>{{cite video|people=Dean Richards|title=Dean's List: ''The Dark Knight'' review|medium=WGN Morning News broadcast|publisher=[[WGN-TV]]|location=Chicago, IL|year2=2008}}</ref> Todd Gilchrist describes the film as "dark, complex and disturbing", and the most ambitious film of its type. He concludes that it breaks the boundaries set by any previous comic book adaptation—and even those of good filmmaking—in its weighty, thoughtful examination of the implications of heroism.<ref name=Gilchrist/> Emanuel Levy and Peter Travers conclude that the film is "haunting and visionary",<ref name=TraversDK/><ref name=Levy>{{cite web|author=[[Emanuel Levy]]|url=http://www.emanuellevy.com/article.php?articleID=10176|title=Movie Review: Dark Knight, The: A|publisher=''emanuellevy.com''|date=N.d.|accessdate=2008-07-09}}</ref> while Levy goes on to say that ''The Dark Knight'' is "nothing short of brilliant".<ref name=Levy/> David Denby surmises that the heavy-handed score and "thunderous" violence only serve to coarsen the property from [[Tim Burton]]'s vision of the franchise into a "hyperviolent summer action spectacle", and that the film embraces the themes of terror that it purports to scrutinize.<ref name=denby/> Larry Carroll at ''[[MTV|MTV.com]]'' says that the chase sequences, suggestions of ''[[The Godfather]]'', and "beautiful" cinematography combine to make the film feel "Oscar-worthy",<ref name=Carroll4>{{cite news|author=Larry Carroll|url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1590122/story.jhtml|title='Dark Knight': Is It Good? We Rate the Batman Flick On Key Superhero-Movie Factors|work=[[MTV|MTV.com]], Movies News|publisher=''[[MTV Networks]]''|date=2008-06-27|accessdate=2008-07-09}}</ref> and David Ansen questions whether the viewer will come away from the film more exhausted than invigorated. He says that while ''The Dark Knight'''s ambition to be more than disposable entertainment is admirable, he wishes it could be more fun.<ref name=ansen/>

[[NPR]] film critic [[David Edelstein]] has been less enthusiastic toward the film, saying it "plays as if it were written by [[University of Oxford|Oxford]] philosophy majors trying to tone up [[American pop]]." Edelstein also criticized the decision to set Gotham City in the real world, but then undercut its own realism with action scenes that he called "spectacularly incoherent". Said Edelstein, "I defy you to make spatial sense of a truck/Bat-tank/police car chase, or the climax with Batman, the Joker, hostages, [[SWAT]] teams, fake Batmen and [[Morgan Freeman]] on some kind of sonar monitoring gizmo".<ref name="NPR">{{cite web|author=[[David Edelstein]]|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92624890|title=The Dark Knight: A Cheerless Blood-Drenched Allegory|publisher=National Public Radio|date=2008-07-17|accessdate=2008-07-21}}</ref> Additionally, in his appraisal of Ledger's Joker, Edelstein both praises Ledger's attempts and laments his realization as he summarizes "My heart went out to him. He’s working so very hard to fill the void, to be doing something every second. It’s rave and rage and purge acting...Ledger revs it higher and higher...He bugs his eyes...He tries on different voices...I couldn’t take my eyes off him, but in truth, I found the performance painful to watch. Scarier than what the Joker does to anyone onscreen is what Ledger must have been doing to himself &mdash; trying to find the center of a character without a dream of one".<ref name="New York Magazine (Movies Section).">{{cite web|author=[[David Edelstein]]|url=http://nymag.com/movies/reviews/48514/index1.html|title=Bat Out of Hell: They don’t make superhero franchises much darker than this.|publisher=New York Magazine|date=2008-07-12|accessdate=2008-08-08}}</ref> ''[[The New Republic]]'''s Christopher Orr also considers Ledger's performance powerful but disturbing, calling it "the film's most remarkable special effect" and adding that "to call it compelling would be a criminal understatement," but opining that "Even without Ledger's death, this would be a deeply discomfiting performance; as it is, it's hard not to view it as sign or symptom of the subsequent tragedy."<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-09-03|url=http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=757af21c-1026-44f3-918b-ea35b135e350|title=The Movie Review: 'The Dark Knight' |work=The New Republic|date=2008-07-17|author=Orr, Christopher }}</ref>

The violence and "jolts of brutality"<ref name="NPR"/> of the movie have received some criticism, related to the [[Motion Picture Association of America|MPAA]] giving the movie a [[Motion Picture Association of America film rating system|PG-13 rating]], a decision that Christopher Orr considered "shameful acquiescence",<ref name="TNR">[http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=757af21c-1026-44f3-918b-ea35b135e350 ''The Movie Review: 'The Dark Knight''] - Christopher Orr, ''[[The New Republic]]'', Post Date Thursday, July 17, 2008</ref> and which has also been questioned by others for a movie that "celebrates violence" instead of laws and justice.<ref>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=Tookey|title=The Dark Knight: Holy Moly! Batman's a big noise - but loses the plot|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/reviews/article-1037123/Holy-Moly-Batmans-big-noise--loses-plot.html|publisher=[[Daily Mail]]|date=2008-07-24|accessdate=2008-08-05}}</ref> The [[British Board of Film Classification]] has defended its stance on rating the film a 12A certificate in the UK.<ref>{{cite news|title=Film censor defends Batman rating|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7540292.stm|publisher=[[BBC News]]|date=2008-08-04|accessdate=2008-08-05}}</ref> [[CinemaScore]] reports that audiences have graded the film "a solid A" with demographics skewed slightly male and older.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Joshua|last=Rich|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20213630,00.html|title='Dark Knight' Nabs Biggest Debut Ever|journal=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|publisher=[[Time Inc.]]|date=[[2008-07-20]]|accessdate=2008-07-20}}</ref>

Mystery writer [[Andrew Klavan]], writing in ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', compared the extreme measures that Batman takes to fight crime with those [[U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]] has used in the [[War on Terror]]. Klavan claims that, "at some level" ''The Dark Knight'' is "a paean of praise to the fortitude and moral courage that has been shown by George W. Bush in this time of [[terrorism|terror]] and war." Klavan supports this reading of the film by comparing Batman &mdash; like Bush, Klavan argues &mdash; "sometimes has to push the boundaries of [[civil rights]] to deal with an emergency, certain that he will re-establish those boundaries when the emergency is past."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB121694247343482821.html | work=Wall Street Journal | title=What Bush and Batman Have in Common | last=Klavan | first=Andrew | date=2008-07-25}}</ref> Klavan's article has received a great deal of criticism on the Internet and in mainstream media outlets, such as in ''[[The New Republic]]'s'' "The Plank."<ref>{{cite web|author=Christopher Orr|url=http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/07/25/batman-as-bush-ctd.aspx|title= Batman as Bush, Ctd.|publisher=The New Republic|date=2008-07-25|accessdate=2008-08-05}}</ref>

''The Dark Knight'' was ranked the 15th greatest film in history on ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'''s 2008 list of the "500 Greatest Movies of All Time", based upon the votes of 10,000 readers, 150 film directors, and 50 key film critics.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2008-09-27|url=http://www.empireonline.com/500/93.asp|title=Empire's 500 Greatest Movies of All Time}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes (endnotes) using the <ref(erences/)> tags!-->

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |title=The Dark Knight: Featuring Production Art and Full Shooting Script |last=Byrne |first=Craig |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2008 |publisher=Universe |location= |isbn=0789318121 |format=Hardcover |pages= }}
*{{cite book |title=Absolute Batman: The Long Halloween |last=Nolan |first=Christopher |authorlink=Christopher Nolan |coauthors=[[David S. Goyer]] |year=2007 |publisher=[[DC Comics]] |location=New York |isbn=1401212824 |format=Hardcover |chapter=Introduction}}
*{{cite book |title=The Dark Knight |last=O'Neil |first=Dennis |authorlink=Dennis O'Neil |coauthors= |year=2008 |publisher=Berkley |location= |isbn=0425222861 |format=Paperback |others=Novelization of the film |pages= }}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
<!--Please do not proliferate external links unnecessarily or redundantly; please see [[WP:EL]] and talk for further guidance. These links last accessed on July 9, 2008.-->

*[http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com Official website]
*{{imdb title|id=0468569|title=The Dark Knight}}
*{{mojo title|id=darkknight|title=The Dark Knight}}
*{{myspace|thedarkknight|''The Dark Knight''}}
*{{rotten-tomatoes|id=the_dark_knight|title=The Dark Knight}}
*{{metacritic film|id=darkknight|title=The Dark Knight}}

{{Box Office Leaders USA
| before = [[Hellboy II: The Golden Army]]
| date = July 20
| date2 = August 10
| year = 2008
| after = [[Tropic Thunder]]
}}

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Revision as of 00:59, 11 October 2008

St. Joseph School of San Jose City, N.E., Inc.
(formerly St. Joseph School)
File:Josephinian logo.jpg
Location
Map
San Jose City
,
Nueva Ecija

Philippines
Information
TypeNon-profit, Catholic Private School,
MottoSelf-Transformation among Josephinian Family
EstablishedFebruary 16, 1946
Number of students800 (estimated)
Color(s)War/Battle Green
MascotJosephinians
NicknameThe Josephinians
HymnSt. Joseph School Hymn
Websitewww.friendster.com/stjosephschool

St. Joseph School of San Jose City, N.E., Inc., formerly known as St. Joseph School, is a Catholic private elementary and secondary school in San Jose City, Philippines.The elementary and secondary school is known as the Center of Elementary and Secondary Education in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija because it is located in San Jose City, a city in the central part of the Philippines. The school is situated near the city market, Mary Help of Christian Church, hotels, restaurants, and shopping malls.

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