We've got all your Caped Crusader news in The Weekly Rising, MTV News' new 'Dark Knight Rises' column.
By Kevin P. Sullivan
Christian Bale and Tom Hardy on the New York City set of "Dark Knight Rises"
Photo: Getty Images
Because we know you're as obsessed with all things Batman as we are, we're kicking off The Weekly Rising, a brand-new column that will cover everything "The Dark Knight Rises," from news roundups to rumors and analysis. Every Monday, we'll give you the lowdown on the week in Bats and prep you for the big release next July.
Spoilers are inevitable, and we'll be sure to do our best to give you the heads-up when you might need to start covering your ears and saying "Na na na na na na na na Batman!" This week, we'll fill you in on our NYC set visit from last week, give an update from filming back on Wall Street over the weekend and offer a tip on how to get your voice into "The Dark Knight Rises" (hint: It involves screaming at your computer, so make sure no one else is home).
NYC Becomes Gotham
It would have taken a lot of will power to work and live in New York City and not feel at least a small impulse to go check out what they've been filming around the city. The location shoots in Manhattan began a little over a week ago, and there has been a ton of great stuff happening. Production converted Trump Tower into the headquarters for Wayne Enterprises, making it the third form of Gotham's mystical shape-shifting skyscraper. Outside the building, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake helped a very Patrick Bateman-looking Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne through a crowd of reporters.
Spoilers ahead! We'll let you know when you can come back out.
Last weekend, things got more interesting. There was a Batwing hovering over Wall Street and, even more interesting, a large bomb-like object with a timer on it. Lots of theories got thrown around, including the popular "Bane's earthquake machine," which honestly seems too unrealistic. True believers in the earthquake-gadget theory were quick to reply, "What about the microwave emitter from 'Batman Begins,' smart guy? Huh? Is that more realistic? You think you're so smart." Our response: Anyone who has seen a workplace microwave after someone nuked a bowl of chili without covering it knows what kind of destruction microwaves can dole out.
End spoilers.
On the Scene
So after that, how could we not stake out the set? Maybe we'd catch another motorcycle chase or at least see Bale in full Batman regalia, so we headed down to the set of "Magnus Rex," the fake title of the production, at 32nd Street and Fifth Avenue to see what we could see.
Turns out, we picked the wrong day to go. Check out the embedded video from our set visit; there aren't any spoilers, because we had no idea what was going on. Not a total disappointment, but the real sadness didn't set in until Saturday, the day we didn't visit the set, and all hell broke loose.
Spoilers are back!
Batman and Bane literally fought a battle, full armies in tow, on Wall Street over the weekend — the cops with Bats and some pissed-off citizenry with Bane. Pictures and videos from the downtown war popped up everywhere, the best ones over at SuperheroHype.com, all of them mocking us. But enough about our deep, deep sadness — what the hell was going on? Most of the talk about the general arc of "Rises" points to the disintegration of Gotham's infrastructure with Bane leading point. The fight looked like a continuation from the L.A. shoot, where Batman and Bane duked it out in the snow, so we could be seeing the same sequence here. Is Bane's army just the citizens of Gotham or the long-rumored return of the League of Shadows? We say it was citizens — not shadowy enough.
End spoilers.
Make Your Voice Heard
Finally, last week, composer Hans Zimmer offered fans a unique opportunity to join in on some cult-like chanting. If you head over to UJAM, you can record your own version of the "Bah-Sah-Rah" chant from the trailer and the viral campaign that unveiled the first picture of Tom Hardy as Bane.
Speaking of which, where the hell is the viral campaign? "Why So Serious" was a major component of the lead-up to "The Dark Knight," and all we've seen so far is the Bane picture. We can't be the only ones who miss receiving clues from the Joker and waiting while more enthusiastic fans completed tasks, so we could reap the rewards of their hard work.
Now we want to hear from you: It was rumored last week that a new trailer for "The Dark Knight Rises" will premiere December 16 in front of "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," the same day the six-minute prologue appears before IMAX screenings of "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol."
What do you want to see from the trailer and prologue? Let me know on Twitter via @KPSull, and we'll discuss next week. Also, be sure to check out our new weekly discussion show, "Talk Nerdy to Me."
Check out everything we've got on "The Dark Knight Rises."
For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.
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