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Update: New audio for The Dark Knight Rises’ prologue has NOT been distributed to IMAX theaters. Collider has posted the update below to clear up any confusion:

Steve here. The other day we posted a story concerning the audio mix on the IMAX prologue of The Dark Knight Rises.  After speaking with Warner Bros. and IMAX, it appears our story was wrong and I’ve taken down the article as a result of my conversations.  While I could have just deleted the article, I feel it’s important to own up to your mistakes rather than just forget about them.  I’m sorry for any confusion.

SOURCE: Collider

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For the past hour on my drive home I’ve been trying to think how I can put into words what I just saw. Thanks to “Operation Early Bird” I got to see The Dark Knight Rises’ prologue this evening at my local IMAX theater. Warner Bros. representatives were there, and I was able to score both of the t-shirts they were handing out. A Batman shirt that reads “Legend” and a Bane shirt that says “End”, which are pictured above. This was just the start of an awesome night. I’m not going to give you a blow-by-blow description, if that’s what you’re looking for check out my post from last week. I’m just going to try to summarize everything that’s going through my head right now after seeing the first six minutes of The Dark Knight Rises.

For the past three years I’ve been wondering how Christopher Nolan could top The Dark Knight. Well, it only took him six minutes into The Dark Knight Rises to do it. Nolan told Empire that this would be the introduction of Bane, and give us a taste of the rest of the film too. It’s clear as to why Gary Oldman keeps saying this movie is going to be epic, I can’t think of a better way to describe it either. To put it simply, the opening sequence involves an airplane heist… which is already a step up from The Dark Knight’s bank heist — on paper. But Nolan delivers, in a way that only Nolan can. You’ve never seen anything like this before, and the crazy part is… most of this stunt was probably done without the aid of CGI. I did have one complaint though, which probably won’t surprise you if you’ve read other reviews. Bane is very hard to understand. Keep in mind, the scene takes place on a noisy airplane, so maybe if they tone down the background noise it won’t be so bad. But as it is now, it’s a struggle to keep up with what he’s saying.

Driving for two hours to see six minutes of The Dark Knight Rises was definitely worth it. If you have the opportunity, go see it in front of select showings of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol! After the prologue there was a montage of clips from the rest of the movie. We get a good look at Batman and his new gadget, a nice look at Catwoman in full costume (she looks fantastic!), a quick stare down between Batman and Bane, and lastly, as hinted by the new poster, a shot of Bane tossing aside a piece of Batman’s cowl. If nothing else, this got me extremely excited for The Dark Knight Rises trailer #2 which will be hitting theaters on Friday.

So what did you guys think? If you were lucky enough to attend a screening tonight, share your thoughts in the comments. I’ll try to answer any questions you might have too.

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Operation Early Bird, part of the The Dark Knight Rises’ viral campaign, is now live! The website now redirects to a map with coordinates of IMAX theaters that will be showing the prologue early, on December 13th. The site is very slow right now, but head on over and see if you can score yourself early access to The Dark Knight Rises’ prologue!

SOURCE: Operation Early Bird

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Lucky members of the press were treated to a special screening of The Dark Knight Rises’ prologue this evening. The screening was introduced by Christopher Nolan and official descriptions are starting to appear online. This was the introduction of Bane, much like how The Dark Knight’s prologue introduced us to The Joker. So how does The Dark Knight Rises begin? Unfortunately the press was asked to keep the details light, but Superhero Hype has a great write-up:

Even though the opening shot takes place immediately after The Dark Knight and features Commissioner Gordon speaking at Harvey Dent’s funeral (and is shot in 35mm), the footage moves immediately to IMAX and the events that transpire during the hostage situation discussed in the viral documents. There, we’re treated to a hostage transfer and the reveal of Bane aboard a private plane and an ensuing fight that takes every advantage of the IMAX frame. Think less The Dark Knight and more Inception or, even closer, an IMAX version of a James Bond film.

Though the response from the crowd was overwhelmingly positive, there was much discussion about Bane’s voice. Muffled by his mask and featuring a British accent, it’s difficult to fully understand exactly what he is saying (but likely intentionally).

At the conclusion of the footage, there’s a rapid montage of shots, all in IMAX, that feature a lot to excite fans, the most intriguing of which is Bane carrying a shattered half of Batman’s mask.

Update: Interested in an even more detailed report? Check it out after the break…

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The post Official descriptions of The Dark Knight Rises’ prologue, the introduction of Bane [Update] appeared first on Batman News.

Last week when Warner Bros. released the official list of locations playing The Dark Knight Rises’ IMAX prologue, a special city was omitted…Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh was home to The Dark Knight Rises this summer and now the Carnegie Science Center can be added to the list. Here’s all the official information on how to check it out:

“The Dark Knight Rises” prologue — the first six minutes of the 2012 movie — will be shown with the documentary “Tornado Alley” at the Carnegie Science Center starting Dec. 16.

Tickets, $8 for an adult and $6 per child (with $1 off for members), can be bought through CarnegieScienceCenter.org or 412-237-3400. No separate tickets for the prologue, rated PG-13 by the MPAA for some violence, will be sold.

In some cities, the much-anticipated preview is being paired with “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol” but not here where the Rangos Omnimax Theater will do the honors. It’s not known how long the Batman opening sequence will screen with the documentary, which runs about an hour.

“The Dark Knight Rises” was shot partially in Pittsburgh and residents were miffed and disappointed when they learned Pittsburgh was not on the list of North American cities getting the sneak preview. That perceived slight has been remedied.

“We are delighted to provide our visitors, both new and veteran Batman fans, a chance to see the opening sequence of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ on a giant screen,” Ann Metzger, co-director of Carnegie Science Center, said in announcing the booking coup.

“Christopher Nolan and his crew transformed Pittsburgh into Gotham City during filming, and while we miss seeing the Tumblers around town, we are honored to be one of select IMAX theaters to have this exciting opportunity.”

SOURCE: Post-Gazette

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Sadly the invitation above is not mine, but lucky members of the press have been invited to an early screening of The Dark Knight Rises’ prologue on Thursday, December 8th. The screening includes an introduction by Christopher Nolan and a reception immediately after. There have been a lot of descriptions of the prologue floating around the internet, but I’ve kept them off Batman-News.com because there was no way to tell how legitimate they were. Assuming that the press isn’t embargoed, we should get some official information about the first six minutes of The Dark Knight Rises in just four days. You’ll be able to see The Dark Knight Rises’ prologue for yourself in the next few weeks. Check out Warner Bros. press release with details on the official IMAX theaters and dates. We already know that the prologue will be an introduction to Bane, what do you think we’ll see? Let me know in the comments, and stay tuned to Batman-News.com next week for all the latest on The Dark Knight Rises’ prologue.

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Warner Bros. just put out an official press release confirming that The Dark Knight Rises’ prologue will be released in the US on December 16th in select IMAX theaters. The UK release date has been confirmed as December 21st, and additional international dates will be released soon. Check out an official list of IMAX theaters where you can catch The Dark Knight Rises prologue after the break.

BURBANK, CA, December 1, 2011 — Warner Bros. Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises”—the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy—is one of the most anticipated films of 2012, but moviegoers won’t have to wait until next year to see the six-minute opening sequence of the film. The film’s prologue will be unveiled exclusively in select 70mm IMAX^® theatres worldwide. The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

The Prologue will be released in North America on December 16, and in the UK on December 21, 2011. Additional international dates vary by territory and will be announced soon.

In making the 2008 blockbuster “The Dark Knight,” Nolan was the first to use IMAX^® cameras in a major motion picture release, and, as now, audiences were given an advance look at that film’s prologue months prior to the Summer 2008 opening. Nolan employed the extremely high-resolution cameras even more extensively on “The Dark Knight Rises”—including the film’s prologue—to achieve unprecedented crispness and clarity and a truly immersive experience for the moviegoers.

Christopher Nolan stated, “Our experience on ‘The Dark Knight’ shooting and projecting IMAX 15 perf 65mm/70mm film was inspiring. The immersive quality of the image goes beyond any other filmmaking tool available, and in revisiting Gotham, we were determined to shoot even more of the movie in this unique format. Giving the fans an early look at an IMAX sequence is a great way to draw attention to what I believe will be an incredible way to experience our story when it comes out next summer.”

Following is a list of the theatres in North America in which the Prologue of “The Dark Knight Rises” will be revealed on December 16^th:

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Ever since the news broke that the first 6 minutes of The Dark Knight Rises would play before IMAX showings of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol there’s been confusion as to which IMAX theaters would be showing it. Last month AMC reported that it would show in front of 70mm IMAX screens only, but Warner Bros. kindly asked them to remove their post…adding to the confusion.

Today, we finally have confirmation! Paul Franklin, Christopher Nolan’s Oscar winning VFX guy, shared the news on Twitter. To ensure you’ll be seeing The Dark Knight Rises’ prologue you need to go to an IMAX theater with a 70mm, 15-perf screen. Franklin also confirmed that we’ll be getting the first full trailer to The Dark Knight Rises sometime before Christmas. I’ve heard from my sources that the trailer will be playing in front of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, so hopefully it’s released online shortly after that.

Big thanks to Franklin for also tweeting a handy link to help you find a theater that will be playing The Dark Knight Rises’ prologue. Look for “1570″ on the key at the source links below.

Update: You’ll be able to see the prologue in Sydney, Australia on December 14th and the US on December 16th. December 21st is when it’ll be available everywhere else. Call your local IMAX theater for exact dates and times.

SOURCE: Paul Franklin (Twitter), IMAX Theaters (US), IMAX Theaters (International)

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The Dark Knight Rises issue of Empire doesn’t go on sale until Thursday, but subscribers have received the magazine early, and with a special edition Bane cover. Tons of new details about The Dark Knight Rises are revealed, and Empire chats with Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale, and Tom Hardy. Here are some interesting points from the article:

• The Dark Knight Rises takes place 8 years after The Dark knight.
• The prologue is the first 6 minutes of the movie. It’s the introduction to Bane, and a taste of the rest of the film.
• Batman doesn’t just stick to the shadows, he goes out in daylight in The Dark Knight Rises.

Costume designer Lindy Hemming spilled some details on Bane’s mask:

He was injured early in his story. Hes suffering from pain and he needs gas to survive. He cannot survive the pain without the mask. The pipes from the mask go back along his jawline and feed into the thing at the back where there are two cannisters of what ever it is…the anesthetic.

Christopher Nolan talks about the story:

Our story picks up eight years after The Dark Knight. In terms of finishing our story and increasing its scope, we were trying to craft an epic. It’s really all about finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne’s story. We left him in a very precarious place. Perhaps surprisingly for some people, our story picks up quite a bit later, eight years after The Dark Knight. So he’s an older Bruce Wayne; he’s not in a great state. With our choice of villain and with our choice of story we are testing Batman both physically as well as mentally. Also, in terms of finishing the our story and increasing its scope, we were trying to craft epic so the physicality of the film became very important.

Tom Hardy on Bane:

He’s brutal. Brutal. He’s a big dude who’s incredibly clinical, in the fact that he has a result-based and oriented fighting style. It’s not about fighting. It’s about carnage. The style is heavy-handed, heavy-footed, it’s nasty. Anything from small-joint manipulation to crushing skulls, crushing rib cages, stamping on shins and knees and necks and collarbones and snapping heads off and tearing his fists through chests, ripping out spinal columns. He is a terrorist in mentality as well as brutal action. He’s a smashing machine. He’s a wrecking ball. If we’re going to shoot somebody, shoot the pregnant woman or the old lady first. Make sure everybody stands up. He’s a terrorist in his mentality as well as brutal actions. He’s horrible piece of work.

Christian Bale on Bane:

I wasn’t familiar with Bane. Although I vaguely remembered just a crazy “roid-looking” guy with a mask. You know what I mean? I remember him less actually on screen, and more people telling me that, and wincing just like you did. I just trust and have faith in Chris I know he wasn’t gonna mess around with making poor decision on the bloody villain was!

There are also some new pictures in Empire from The Dark Knight Rises. I’ll post those on Batman-News.com as soon as they’re released online in high quality.

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