Trivia fact - Christian Bale is the first actor to play the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in three Batman movies.

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Nolan has stated that, due to the eight-year gap between the events of The Dark Knight (2008) and those of The Dark Knight Rises (2012), "he's an older Bruce Wayne; he's not in a great state."

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In preparation for his role Bale employed a mixed martial arts discipline called the Keysi Fighting Method, but due to Bruce's current physical state and Bane's style, the method was modified.

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Bale has stated that The Dark Knight Rises (2012) will be the final film in which he plays Batman, and describes the character's arc as finally confronting the pain of loss that he has deferred for years by fighting criminals balanced against the need to internalise that pain lest he give into his emotions and become the killer the city already believes him to be.

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Apparently Christian Bale would sometimes go to the Admiral Rodney pub in Wollaton, Nottingham, while filming the exteriors to Wayne Manor at Wollaton Hall, to enjoy some British craft ale.

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Tom Hardy had originally thought that he was cast in the role of Bane because of his performance in Bronson. However, once he arrived on set he learned that Christopher Nolan had never actually seen Bronson and he was becaus of his performanc in RocknRolla.

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Apparently Hardy accepted the role of Bane without reading the script and he was verbally told that he would have unprecedented access to extensive stunt training and equipment for his preparation of the role.

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Christopher Nolan has stated that Bane was chosen as the main antagonist "to test Batman mentally as well as physically."

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Bane's character has been described as "a terrorist in both thought and action" and is "florid in his speech, with the physicality of a gorilla". Tom Hardy stated; "He's brutal, but also incredibly clinical in the fact that he has a result-based and oriented fighting style. The style is heavy-handed, heavy-footed...it's nasty. It's not about fighting, it's about carnage!" Hardy went on to comment that he intended to portray the character as "more menacing" than Robert 'Jeep' Swenson's version of the character in Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin (1997) and that in order to do so, his portrayal entailed creating a contradiction between the voice and the body.

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To prepare for his role as Bane, Tom Hardy studied various fighting styles and gained 30 pounds (14 kg) in weight, increasing his weight to 198 pounds (90 kg).

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Hardy based Bane's voice on several influences, which include his intellect, Caribbean heritage, and Bartley Gorman. He stated; "The choice of the accent is actually based on a man called Bartley Gorman, who was a bare knuckle fighter, a Romani gypsy. So I wanted to underpin the Latin, but a Romani Latin opposed to Latino." Bartley Gorman (1944 - 2002), was an Irish Traveler who was the undefeated Bare-knuckle boxing champion of the UK.

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As Tom Hardy is 5'10", he wore 3 inch lifts in order to make his character appear as tall or taller than his co-stars.

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Tom Hardy is the fifth actor to play Bane in a movie. The other actors were Michael Reid MacKay who played serial killer Antonio Diego in Batman & Robin (1997), who is selected for the "Venom" experiment and is transformed into Bane, who is then played by wrestler Jeep Swenson. Then Hector Elizondo voiced Bane in animated movie Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman and Carlos Alazraqui also voiced Bane in Justice League: Doom.

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While doing promotional interviews, Tom Hardy stated that the fight scenes were the most difficult parts of the movie to shoot, not because of the physicality of them, but because he was such a huge Batman fan growing up and he stated "it felt like I was beating up my childhood hero". He also said that despite his worship of the character, the moment Nolan yelled 'action' Hardy just started throwing punches as hard as he could.

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Before Joseph Gordon-Levitt was cast in the role of John Blake, the following actors were considered for the role:

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Gordon-Levitt's character, Blake represent idealism that Gordon and Bruce once held, but then lost in their battle against crime in the city. He's portrayed as being intelligent enough to deduce Batman's identity, and is disgusted by the cover-up of the circumstances surrounding Harvey Dent's death and Gordon's role in it. The movie reveals his legal name is Robin John Blake, which is reference to Batman's sidekick in the comics.

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Before Anne Hathaway won the role of Selina Kyle, the following actresses auditioned for the role:

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Hathaway has revealed that during her initial audition, she thought she was auditioning for the role of Harley Quinn, who is The Joker's on again-off again girlfriend/partner-in-crime. It was only after her audition that she found out from Christopher Nolan that he was auditioning her for the role of Selina Kyle/Catwoman.

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Hathaway has gone on to state that she really wanted the role of Catwoman and that she was a complete nervous wreck after her audition. When her agent called after her screen test, he told her he had good news and asked if she was sitting down. From this comment, Hathaway thought she had won the role of Catwoman and was in a frenzy from the excitement. However, after calming her down, her agent told her that he only called her to let her know that she'd been invited to host the Academy Awards. On hearing this Hathaway was in shock and felt numb at the offer. It was only shortly after that she found out from her agent that she had also been offered the role of Catwoman.

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After being cast in the role of Selina Kyle, there was a lot of speculation in the press as to whether Hathaway would portray Catwoman. The rumors were put to rest when Hathaway confirmed in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that her character would be portraying Kyle's alter-ego, Catwoman.

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Anne Hathaway had apparently been cast as Black Cat, AKA Felicia Hardy, in the 2010 production of Spider-Man 4, which was under Sam Raimi's direction and was going to feature the Vulture and Black Cat.

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To prepare for her role, Anne Hathaway apparently worked out five days a week involving extensive martial arts, vigorous exercise, stunt training and dancing. She has since called it her most physically demanding role to date and confessed that while she thought of herself as being fit she had to redouble her efforts in the gym to keep up with the demands of the role.

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As the original inspiration for Catwoman was Hedy Lamarr, this is who Anne Hathaway based her performance on.

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In a Saturday Night Live sketch, Anne Hathaway, appeared as Katie Holmes talking on a talk show about her role in Batman Begins (2005).

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Gary Oldman described his character, Commission Jim Gordon's work in cleaning up Gotham City has left him world-weary and slightly bored and likening Gordon to a soldier who leaps at the chance to be on the front lines. Gordon feels guilty over his role in covering up the death of Harvey Dent to the point where he is prepared to resign from his position as Commissioner over it, but refrains from doing so when he senses that Gotham is about to come under threat.

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Before Marion Cotillard was cast in the role of Miranda Tate, Naomi Watts and Rachel Weisz were considered.

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Apparently Christopher Nolan wanted Marion Cotillard so much for the role of Miranda Tate that he modified the filming schedule to accommodate her pregnancy. Cotillard started filming two months after giving birth to her son, Marcel.

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Cotillard denied speculation that she would be playing a dual role as Miranda Tate/Talia Al Guhl, stating that her character would be a completely original creation. However, the final cut of the movie revealed this to a misdirection.

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Child actress Joey King portrays the young Talia in flashbacks.

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Chloë Grace Moretz and Jennifer Lawrence auditioned for the role of Jen which eventually went to Juno Temple.

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This is the fifth movie that Christopher Nolan has worked with the actor Michael Caine. The other movies were Batman Begins (2005), The Prestige (2006), The Dark Knight (2008) and Inception (2010).

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Christopher Nolan emphasized the emotional bond between Alfred and Bruce in this movie, stressing its importance in the previous films and that the relationship will be strained as it never has before.

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The character Barsad, Bane's right-hand-man, played by Josh Stewart, is a sniper and heavy arms expert. In the movie he's always shown wearing a bulletproof vest which has large bullets on it and a red scarf. This is supposed to be a take on the Batman villain DeadShot, which is a character that co-writer David S. Goyer had expressed interest in bringing to the big screen.

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This movie reunites the following Inception (2010) actors:

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Trivia fact - Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy and Gary Oldman have now each appeared in three Batman movies. Only Michael Gough (played Alfred Pennyworth) and Pat Hingle (played Commissioner James Gordon) have achieved this by appearing in Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.

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It was rumored that Robin Williams would play the role of Hugo Strange.

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Apparently Diego Klattenhoff was cast for a part as a police officer but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with Homeland.

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According to Gary Oldman, Nolan only told the actors the ending of the movie verbally so as to avoid any leaks.

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Apparently Aaron Eckhart, who played Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight (2008), had expressed an interest in reprising his role for this movie. However, Christopher Nolan had confirmed that this was not possible as Dent was definitely dead and that his death would leave lasting repercussions across Gotham. Only archive footage of Eckhart from The Dark Knight appears in this movie.

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Nolan confirmed the Joker would not return in the third film, and dismissed rumors that he considered using unused footage of Heath Ledger from The Dark Knight (2008). Also the Joker was never mentioned throughout the whole film out of respect for Heath Ledger.

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As some scene's were shot in Pittsburgh, there is a cameo appearance from Luke R. Ravenstahl, the Mayor of Pittsburgh, as the kicker for the Gotham Rogues' opponents, the Rapid City Monument during Gotham Stadium football scene. Ravenstahl was Washington & Jefferson college's starting place kicker on the football team for three years and was team captain for his senior year. He holds the school record for most consecutive extra points.

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Several members of the Pittsburgh Steelers make cameo appearances as members of the fictional Gotham Rogues football, including former Pittsburgh Steelers coach, Bill Cowher playing the head coach of the Rogues and the football players included:

Hines Ward Ben Roethlisberger Troy Polamalu Willie Colon Maurkice Pouncey Mike Wallace

Heath Miller Aaron Smith Ryan Clark James Farrior LaMarr Woodley Casey Hampton

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The of Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, Miranda Nolan appears in the scene as one of the maids that's gossiping about Bruce Wayne at the beginning of the movie.

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US Senator from Vermont, Patrick Leahy, cameos as a Wayne Enterprises Board Member. Leahy, who's a fan of Batman, had also previously cameoed in The Dark Knight (2008) and Batman and Robin (1997).

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Thomas Lennon, who had a cameo as a doctor in Memento (2000), has a cameo also as a doctor in this movie.


Nolan only agreed to a third film on the basis of finding a worthwhile story, fearing that he would become bored halfway through production if he discovered the film to be unnecessary.

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Trivia fact - Christopher Nolan is the first director to complete a trilogy of Batman movies and the second to direct a full trilogy of films on one superhero, after director Sam Raimi who completed the Spider-Man movies.

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Christopher Nolan, confirming his involvement in The Dark Knight Rises; "The key thing that makes the third film a great possibility for us is that we want to finish our story, rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story. Unlike the comics, these things don't go on forever in film and viewing it as a story with an end is useful. Viewing it as an ending, that sets you very much on the right track about the appropriate conclusion."

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Warner Bros. president of production Jeff Robinov had hoped a third film would be released in 2011 or 2012. Nolan wanted the story for the third installment to keep him emotionally invested. "On a more superficial level, I have to ask the question," he reasoned, "how many good third movies in a franchise can people name?" Nolan stated that he never even thought a third film was possible in the foreword for his book 'The Art and Making of the Dark Knight Trilogy.'

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On December 2008, Nolan completed a rough story outline, before he committed himself to Inception. Then later in December, Alan F. Horn confirmed that while discussions with Nolan about a third film were ongoing, no casting had been done, and Horn denied all such rumors.

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Christopher Nolan has stated that this film's theme deals with "Pain", whereas Batman Begins (2005) dealt with "Fear" and The Dark Knight (2008) dealt with "Chaos".

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Originally David S. Goyer had set up the story so that at the end of The Dark Knight (2008), the Joker would have scarred Harvey Dent at a courtroom trial, setting up the premise for the third movie. However, Dent's fall and death was used for the ending of the second movie instead to set up the aftermath that follows in the final installment.

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Following the success of the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008), studio executives wished for The Riddler to be included as the main villain as he was considered a similar character and encouraged the casting of Leonardo DiCaprio. However, Nolan felt that the character was too derivative and wanted the antagonist to be strikingly different than the previous incarnations and committed to using Bane instead, citing the need for a character with a physical presence within the film.

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Nolan was initially unfamiliar with the Bane's back-story, but pointed out the appeal of an archetype, labeling it as "the extreme of some type of villainy". When comparing the choice of Bane with the Joker, Nolan highlighted the Joker as an example of "diabolical, chaotic anarchy and has a devilish sense of humor", juxtaposing him against Bane, who he likened to "a classic movie monster with a terrific brain."

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On February 9, 2010, that it was announced that Nolan had "cracked" the story of a sequel to The Dark Knight and was committed to return to the project. Shortly afterward, it was announced David S. Goyer and Jonathan Nolan were working on a screenplay. Goyer then left the project during pre-production to begin work on Man of Steel. Jonathan continued writing the script based on the story by his brother Chris and Goyer.

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The filmmakers cite the Batman comics 'The Dark Knight Returns'; where an aged Batman operates in a future Gotham, 'Knightfall'; where Bane pushes Batman physically and mentally, causing him to burn out and 'No Man's Land'; when Gotham descends into gangland territory and are cut off from the rest of the US, as major influences on the story of this movie. The film's story also borrows from the 'Legacy' storyline, which involves Bane becoming Ra's Al Ghul's successor and plotting with the League of Shadows to destroy Gotham City.

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According to co-writer Jonathan Nolan, a major influence on the story was Charles Dickens's socio-political novel "A Tale of Two Cities", which dealt with revolution and class conflict. In homage to the novel, two characters in the movie were named Stryver and Barsad, after two similarly named characters from the novel. Also when Commissioner Gordon gives his eulogy for Bruce, he uses the ending soliloquy in regards to Batman, who like the novel's hero, Sydney Carton, sacrificed himself to save people.

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This movie reunited Nolan with many of his past collaborators, including cinematographer Wally Pfister, production designer Nathan Crowley, editor Lee Smith, costume designer Lindy Hemming, special effects supervisors Paul Franklin and Chris Corbould, and composer Hans Zimmer.

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In December 2010, Nolan began searching for locations such as India, Romania, and Michigan. According to the Romania Insider, Nolan was interested in the Bucharest's historical center, Edgar Quinet Street, Palace of the Parliament, and the Turda salt mines.

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The film had an estimated budget of $250 million.

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As both director, Christoper Nolan, and cinematographer, Wally Pfister, dislike shooting in 3-D, the movie features approx. over an hour of IMAX footage and the rest of the movie was shot in a combination of 35mm and 70mm, as IMAX cameras proved to be too noisy for shooting the films dialogue scenes.

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Nolan had several meetings with IMAX Vice-President David Keighley to work on the logistics of projecting films in digital IMAX venues. Chairman and president of the IMAX Corporation Greg Foster stated that IMAX plans to run the film in its theaters for two months, despite only being contractually committed to run the film for two weeks.

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According to producer, Emma Thomas, they chose Pittsburgh to shoot the movie so as to emphasize Gotham's immense size and scope. And she also stated because "they literally shot every inch" in Chicago, where the previous two films were shot. It was shot under the title "Magnus Rex" in Pittsburgh.

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Filming was scheduled to start in May and conclude in November 2011. Principal photography began on May 6, 2011, in Jodhpur, India at the Mehrangarh Fort before moving to Pittsburgh, where it operated under the working title Magnus Rex to reduce the visibility of the production.

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Filming in Pittsburgh also took place at the Mellon Institute and Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. A letter sent out to residents and business owners detailing road closures revealed that the streets of the city would be featured "as the start of the film". 9-1-1 operators were told to expect an increase in calls related to gun shots and explosions in the film's production.

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In May 2011, the movie's official website was launched, introducing a viral marketing campaign similar to the one used to promote The Dark Knight (2008). When the website was opened, an encrypted audio file played the chanting "deshi basara". When the audio file was decrypted, it gave a hashtag "#TheFireRises". For every person who commented on Twitter with the hashtag, a pixel was removed from the webpage, eventually revealing the first official image of Bane. TheDarkKnightRises.com was then replaced with a dossier of an "anonymous vigilante", which contained a photo of Batman, presenting information on the suspect, as well as several accusations, and depicting a warning claiming that the "suspect should be considered armed and dangerous".

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On August 21, 2011 the Pittsburgh leg of production wrapped after three weeks, before moving on to Los Angeles and New York. The Trump Tower replaced the Richard J. Daley Center as the location for the headquarters of Wayne Enterprises.

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In November 2011, shooting shifted to Newark, New Jersey. Newark City Hall and Military Park were among the locations used for filming. Other shooting locations include London and Glasgow, the latter of which was used for "additional exterior filming". Principal photography concluded on November 14, 2011.

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Approximately seven months before its release a six-minute prologue of the film was attached to 70mm IMAX prints of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2012). Although critical reaction was positive some reviews found Tom Hardy’s lines difficult to hear, so in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Nolan stated, "I think when people see the film, things will come into focus. Bane is very complex and very interesting and when people see the finished film people will be very entertained by him."

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Just before Christmas of 2011, Nolan invited some of the most prominent directors, including Edgar Wright, Michael Bay, Bryan Singer, Jon Favreau, Eli Roth, Duncan Jones and Stephen Daldry, to Universal CityWalk's IMAX for a private screening of the first six minutes of The Dark Knight Rises, which had been shot on IMAX film and edited from the original camera negative. Nolan, feeling that the use of film stock in cinema is currently being phased out due to the introduction of digital cinematography and projection, used this screening to make a case for the continued use of film, which he asserts still offers superior image quality to any digital format, and warned the filmmakers that unless they continued to assert their choice to use film in their productions, they may eventually lose it as an option. He explained; "I wanted to give them a chance to see the potential, because I think IMAX is the best film format that was ever invented. It's the gold standard and what any other technology has to match up to, but none have, in my opinion. The message I wanted to put out there was that no one is taking anyone's digital cameras away. But if we want film to continue as an option, and someone is working on a big studio movie with the resources and the power to insist on film, they should say so. I felt as if I didn't say anything, and then we started to lose that option, it would be a shame. When I look at a digitally acquired and projected image, it looks inferior against an original negative anamorphic print or an IMAX one."

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Several accidents occurred during the production:

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Christopher Nolan uses a heavy mask motif through out the movie; Batman, Bane, and Catwoman all wear masks, Bruce Wayne also has a collection of African tribal masks in the room where he and John Blake first talk in Wayne manor, and Miranda Tate hosts a masquerade party.

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In the movie Selina Kyle is never referred to as "Catwoman". Newspaper articles and police files refer to her as "The Cat." This is in keeping with the original incarnation of the character, who was a jewel thief, and was known only as "The Cat" before becoming "The Catwoman." However, various official merchandise and marketing material do refer to Selina Kyle as Catwoman when she is in her costume.

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In the scene where Daggett says; "Everyone knows that Wayne's hold up in there with eight-inch nails, peeing in a Mason jar." This is a reference to reclusive and eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes.

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In the scene where Bruce visits a doctor and the doctor lists all of the degenerative injuries to his body (lack of cartilage, scar tissue, etc.) and in the scene when Bruce uses a mechanical knee brace; both are reminiscent of comic book series Kingdom Come, where an older Bruce Wayne requires the use of an exoskeleton to move due to years of physical wear and tear on his body.

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During the charity ball scene, Miranda says to Bruce "You have to invest to restore balance to the world." In Batman Begins (2005), Ra's Al Ghul says that the mission of The League of Shadows is to restore balance to the world.

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In the Gotham Stock Exchange hostage scene, when Bane enters the stock exchange trading floor, he is seen wearing a backpack with the logo 'DCS courier services.' This stands for DC Comics superhero.

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The building used for the exterior of the Gotham Stock Exchange is the J.P. Morgan building on the corner of Broad & Wall Streets in lower Manhattan. this is directly across the street from the actual NY Stock Exchange building, which can be seen in the background in some shots.

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A plan to shoot some scenes for the film during Occupy Wall street was abandoned after a permit wasn't granted.

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During the bike chase scene after taking the stock exchange traders hostage, Bane is seen wearing a red helmet with black visor as well as a brown motorcycle jacket. This is the original costume Jason Todd took under his Red Hood persona, which is itself a callback to The Joker's original criminal identity.

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When Batman and the police are chasing after Bane after the stock exchange robbery, we see one of the cops tell his younger partner to "Oh boy! You are in for a show tonight, son." This is taken from a similar quote used in the graphic novel 'Batman: The Dark Knight Returns'.

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In the scene where Selina Kyle is on the rooftop with Batman and she disappears, Batman comments; "So that's what that feels like." This is taken directly from the DC graphic novel "Kingdom Come", except that Batman was with Superman.

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Apparently in the scene where Bruce visits Selina at her apartment and she says she feels sorry that they took all his money, and then Bruce turns and replies to her, 'No, you're not', this line as improvised by Christian Bale and kept in the final cut. Also in the scene where Bane listens to the young boy singing the national anthem in the football stadium and he comments, 'What a lovely, lovely voice', this line was improvised by Tom Hardy.

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In the fight between Bane and Batman in the sewers, Bane lifts Batman above his head and drops him across his knee. This is a direct parallel to the first fight between Batman and Bane from the comics where Bane broke Batman's back during the "Knightfall" story line.

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The Gotham Football Stadium scene was shot in Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and more than 11,000 extras were used. The stadium was slated for extensive pitch resurfacing at the time of filming. It was executive producer Thomas Tull who gave the film crew access to use the stadium since he's the co-owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team. Explosive squibs were placed in the field to simulate explosion points for the field to collapse.

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Co-owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team Thomas Tull, is also the CEO and president of Legendary Pictures, which is producing The Dark Knight Rises.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers' team colors are black and yellow, same as the Gotham Rogues

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When the nuclear bomb is shown, the design is almost identical to the microwave emitter design that Ra's Al Ghul stole from Wayne Enterprises and brought into the city in Batman Begins (2005).

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In the scene when Bane is outside Blackgate prison and he tears Harvey Dent's photo in half he does it vertically through the middle of Harvey's face. This is apparently replicating his transition to Two Face at the end of The Dark Knight (2008).

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When Dr. Jonathan Crane first appears as the sentencing judge, he is seen wearing a heavily tattered coat that looks like it has straw coming out of the shoulders. This is a nod to his alter ego, Scarecrow.

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As a bit of foreshadowing as to Miranda Tate's true nature, in the scene after Bruce apologizes for being unable to get her out of the city, she tells Bruce to "Do what's necessary." Her father, Ra's Al Ghul, repeatedly scorned Bruce for lacking "the courage to do what is necessary" in Batman Begins (2005).

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The fight scene on Gotham City Hall steps included an explosion that cleared the steps of all the fighters still alive, although this was not shown in the final cut. When filming the actual explosion, apparently the heat triggered a fire alarm that went directly to the authorities. This caused production to stop for more than 30 minutes while the production crew cleared everything with the police and fire marshal when they arrived.

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This is the only Batman movie which shows Commissioner Jim Gordon learning the true identity of Batman.

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The final chase scene and countdown to the bomb going off is shown as 11 minutes. In the movie this is depicted as though in real time.

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Christian Bale had stated that he would not play Batman if Robin was going to be included in the any of the Batman movies. Christopher Nolan had also confirmed that he would not include Robin in the trilogy as it would undermine the dark tone of his series. However, at the end of this movie, it is revealed that John Blake's legal first name is Robin (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and he quits the police force and is shown to enter the Batcave by following the instructions left to him Bruce in his will.

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Blackgate Penitentiary is a prominent feature in the Batman comics (inmates have included Bane and Catwoman in the comics) and the prison also features in this movie.

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The Pit/Bane's prison was shot in Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. In the comics, Batman visited India to learn how to control his pain.

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In the comics, Bane carried an apparatus that contains a steroid that amplifies his strength and fighting ability. However, In this movie the apparatus he carries contains an anesthetic for his constant chronic pain.

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Bane has a triangle shaped scar on the side of his head, most visible during the stock exchange scene. Miranda Tate also has an identical scar on her back, noticeable during her love scene with Bruce, thus hinting at her membership in the League of Shadows and true identity as Talia.

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Nolan spent several weeks with Christian Bale and Michael Caine filming exterior shots of Wayne Manor at Wollaton Hall, Nottingham. However, in the end Nolan just used one shot of Bale as Batman in silhouette on the roof and one shot of Caine at the graveside.

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As Anne Hathaway's stunt double broke one of the IMAX cameras when she crashed the Batpod into it, this makes it the second time an IMAX camera has been destroyed on a Christopher Nolan Batman film. A previous camera was smashed when filming the Joker's underground truck chase in The Dark Knight (2008).

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Concept artist Tully Summers commented on Nolan's style of cinematography; "One of the things that makes his Batman movies so compelling is their tone of plausibility. He will often prefer a raw, grittier design over one that is very sleek and product design pretty. It's sort of a practical military aesthetic. This stuff is made to work, not impress shoppers. The Dark Knight Rises is a war film."

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Producer Emma Thomas stated this movie had a different visual aesthetic than the first two Nolan-directed features, explaining that "it's meant to be winter in Gotham, so that right there is going to lend a whole different look to the film."

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This is the first Batman movie not to feature Batman driving the Batmobile. We only see him use the Batpod and the Bat. Although we do see several variations of Tumblers, they are all operated by Bane and his thugs, after they steal them from Wayne Enterprises' Applied Science Division, and these have a desert camouflage paint job.

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The Tumbler name comes from its military history due to its ability to jump and tumble.

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There are three different types of customized camouflage Tumbler used in the movie; one with a swiveling turret gun, another with a guided missile launcher and a third with a gun.

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Everything on the Batmobile/Tumbler was built from scratch. It is not an existing vehicle that has been remodeled or customized. It was designed by Christopher Nolan and Production Designer, Nathan Crowley in the filmmaker's garage in Los Angeles. The prototype was made by sticking together toy cars, eventually combining a Hummer and a Lamborghini, the inspiration being an ex-military vehicle.

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The Tumbler has no front axel and Nolan wanted the wheels to be held from the side, which, at first, was believed to be impossible. However, Special Effects Supervisor Chris Corbould and Workshop Supervisor Andy Smith did eventually find a way to make side-mounted wheels work. It has six wheels; two in the front and four at the back, which are monster truck tires. Three different sets of tires with varying amounts of tread were created so that stunt driver, George Cottle, could decide how much skid power he required at any one time. The vehicle runs on regular unleaded fuel and weighs two-and-a-half tons.

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Every element of the Batpod has a designated function, nothing exists for aesthetic purposes only. It was designed so that the rider can stay level at all times, even when the bike is tilting. It's a self-righting bike, meaning, it doesn't require a foot stand. It runs as fast as the Batmobile. The tires are identical to those on the Batmobile.

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The film introduces a vehicle that has been compared with the Batplane, dubbed "the Bat". Production designer Nathan Crowley, designed the Bat as if it were an actual military project, emphasizing the need for it to "fit into the same family as the Tumbler and the Batpod". He incorporated designs from military aircraft, including the Harrier Jump Jet, Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey and the Boeing AH-64 Apache.

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Chris Corbould described the Bat's size and shape as presenting a major challenge for filming given Christopher Nolan's emphasis on practical effects over computer-generated imagery. In order to make the Bat "fly", it was variously supported by wires, suspended from cranes and helicopters, and mounted on a purpose-built vehicle with hydraulic controls to simulate movement.

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When designing the Batcave set, Crowley and fellow production designer Kevin Kavanaugh hit upon the idea of flooding the Batcave and having Batman's equipment, the Batsuit and a supercomputer rise from the water.

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This is only Batman film in the trilogy where Batman never uses his grapple gun.

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Bane's underground prison was designed and set at Cardington. It consisted of a rough-hewn labyrinth of stone cells in a vast abyss with a 120 foot (37 m) vertical shaft leading to the surface. Exteriors above the prison were filmed in Jodhpur, India, chosen because the "forbidding landscape added to the desolation".

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The Batsuit apparently consisted of 110 separate pieces, each of which had to be replicated dozens of times over the course of the production. The base layer was made of a polyester mesh, utilized by the military and high-tech sports manufacturers due to its breathability and moisture-retaining properties; molded pieces of flexible urethane were then attached to the mesh to form the overall body armor plating. Carbon fiberpanels were placed inside the sections on the legs, chest and abdomen. The cowl was sculpted from a cast of Christian Bale's face and head to become a perfect fit for Bale. The suit remained the same as it was on The Dark Knight (2008). 50 capes were created in total, varying in length, shape and size.

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In all of the three Batman movies, the spiked gauntlets on Batman's arms have proven essential in defeating the main villain during a battle. In Batman Begins (2005) they shatter Ra's Al Ghul's sword, in The Dark Knight (2008) they disarm the Joker and in The Dark Knight Rises (2012) they damage Bane's mask.

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A digitally-mapped model of Tom Hardy's face and skull was used to design and construct Bane's mask. Costume effects supervisor Graham Churchyard created a three-dimensional model of Tom Hardy's face and skull to design the mask, allowing the mask to perfectly conform to the contours of Hardy's face.

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Costume designer Lindy Hemming explained that Bane uses a mask to inhale an analgesic gas, which, in Nolan's words, "keeps his pain just below the threshold so he can function."

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Hemming personally designed Bane's coat, which she admitted took two years to complete. It was inspired from a Swedish army jacket and a frock coat from the French Revolution, it was designed to make Bane look like equal parts dictatorial and revolutionary. Hemming stated; "like an amalgam of all sorts of bits and pieces he cobbled together as he passed through some very remote places." The design was difficult as Hemming struggled to find a tailor in Los Angeles who could work with shearling.

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Selina Kyle's catsuit was made from two layers with the outer layer being polyurethane coated spandex, embossed with a hexagonal pattern.

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Christopher Nolan offered James Newton Howard to write the score with Hans Zimmer as he done for Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008). However, Howard felt that he would be like a third wheel due to the chemistry and collaboration established between Nolan and Zimmer during the making of Inception (2010).

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Although Zimmer included several cues from the two previous Batman movie scores, he stated that he wanted to go in a completely different direction for Bane's theme and the theme accompanying Selina Kyle is deliberately ambiguous. The musical thread spanning throughout the trilogy was composed exclusively for Bruce Wayne.

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Bane's theme includes a Moroccan chant of the phrase "deshi basara", which translates to the term "rise, rise, up, up" when combined together. In November 2011, Zimmer collected online audio recordings of the chant to incorporate in the film's score. He stated; "The chant became a very complicated thing because I wanted hundreds of thousands of voices, and it's not so easy to get hundreds of thousands of voices. So, we Twittered and we posted on the internet, for people who wanted to be part of it. It seemed like an interesting thing. We've created this world, over these last two movies, and somehow I think the audience and the fans have been part of this world. We do keep them in mind."

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The movie is 165 minutes which makes it the longest Batman movie to date and it is also the longest film that Christopher Nolan has ever directed.

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Tickets for the midnight premier IMAX screenings in New York apparently had sold out six months in advance.

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This is only the second movie about Batman that doesn't include the word "Batman" in the title.

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This is the only Batman feature film where the Bat-signal isn't used.

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On January 2012, six months prior to the film's release, tickets for midnight IMAX showings in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles went on sale and sold out immediately. Purchased tickets surfaced for sale online for over $100, compared with their original price of $17.50.

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At the American International Toy Fair, Mattel unveiled figures for Batman, Bane, and Catwoman, and Batman's flying vehicle, The Bat. The Mattel figures will also be released in the "Movie Masters" line, featuring more highly detailed and articulated presentation, and Quiktek versions that feature interchangeable accessories. Lego will release building sets and mini-figures based on the film and incorporating other DC Comic characters. Additionally, Funko is releasing a series of plush toys, Mezco Toyz are releasing vinyl figures, and Hornby are releasing the Batman Tumbler car. Other partners include Jakks Pacific who are creating novelty and large-scale figures and plush toys, and PPW Toys, who are creating a Batman themed Mr. Potato Head. Various clothing items including shoes, t-shirts, hats and wallets are also being produced.

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Warner Bros. partnered with Mountain Dew to do a cross-promotion that included a special paint scheme on the #88 Chevrolet Impala owned by Hendrick Motorsports and driven by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. On June 17, 2012, the car won the 2012 Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

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On July 4, 2012, the studio signed a deal with Formula One team Lotus F1 to have the film's logos appear on the Lotus E20s driven by Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean at the 2012 British Grand Prix. Räikkönen and Grosjean went on to finish the race in fifth and sixth place respectively Warner Bros. had previously followed a similar promotion at the 2008 British Grand Prix, when the now-defunct Toyota F1 carried a livery to promote The Dark Knight (2008).

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On July 20, 2012 during a midnight screening for the film at the Century 16 cinema in Aurora, Colorado James Holmes entered the theater with automatic weapons and opened fire. He killed twelve people and injured more than fifty-eight. He was arrested outside the theater and charged with 24 counts of murder and 116 counts of attempted murder. At the time of his arrest, Holmes allegedly identified himself as the Joker to police. After the incident several cast and crew members, including Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway and Gary Oldman released statements expressing their sorrow over the attack. Christian Bale made a personal visit to the survivors and the memorial in Aurora. The premiers and publicity appearances for the movie in Paris, Mexico, and Japan were canceled, and they suspended the marketing campaign for the film in Finland.

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Christopher Nolan's released the following statement the day after the shooting; "I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime. The movie is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me. Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families."

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Warner Bros. also went on to state that it was deeply saddened by the shooting and decided not to release opening weekend grosses until the following Monday out of consideration for the victims. The trailer for another Warner Bros., Gangster Squad, which was included in the screening of The Dark Knight Rises, was removed as it contained a scene which shows gangsters shooting submachine guns at moviegoers through the screen of Grauman's Chinese Theater, similar to the shooting in Aurora.

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On July 24, 2012, the novelization of the movie, written by award-winning author Greg Cox and published by Titan Books, was released alongside the movie.

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After the movie was released an article in Variety reported Chuck Dixon, the co-creator of the Bane character, as saying that Bane is "far more akin to an Occupy Wall Street type if you're looking to cast him politically." Nolan has denied the film criticizes the Occupy movement and insists that none of his Batman films are intended to be political. He stated; "I've had as many conversations with people who have seen the film the other way round. We throw a lot of things against the wall to see if it sticks. We put a lot of interesting questions in the air, but that's simply a backdrop for the story. What we're really trying to do is show the cracks of society, show the conflicts that somebody would try to wedge open. We're going to get wildly different interpretations of what the film is supporting and not supporting, but it's not doing any of those things. It's just telling a story. If you're saying, 'Have you made a film that's supposed to be criticizing the Occupy Wall Street movement?' Well, obviously, that's not true."

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Take a look at some of behind the scenes featurette here:

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Interview with director Christopher Nolan:

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Interview with Christian Bale:

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Interview with Anne Hathaway:

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Interview with Gary Oldman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt:

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Interview with Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine:

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If you want even more trivia, then visit the official movie website.


Source:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1345836/trivia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_Rises
http://www.themoviebit.com/2012/07/ultimate-dark-knight-rises-trivia.html

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