While we briefly mentioned this in our most recent SoSF News Brief, the countdown to one of the most anticipated movies of the year continues as fans get ready to experience director Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Set to hit theaters on July 18th, the film is already generating tremendous buzz on-line from fans and spies lucky enough to have seen the film.
The buzz will only get louder as the release date draws near and may intensify next week when Warner Home Video release the direct-to-DVD Batman: Gotham Knights animated movie. The movie is scheduled to fill in the gap between Batman Begins and this year’s Dark Knight.
But even before Dark Knight has hit theaters, fans are pondering the prospect of a third Batman project from director Nolan and star Christian Bale. Early reports say that while Dark Knight is self-contained, it will leave open a door for future installments similar to it’s predecessor Batman Begins.
However, Nolan isn’t confirming or denying that he’ll return to the Batman franchise.
The first thing to say is, I literally finished this film last week,” Nolan said. “That was when we finished our IMAX prints. So I have no idea what I’m going to do next, what I’ll do in the future.”
Nolan added: “The film to me is not actually finished until the audience sees it and tells me what it is, really. So it’s too early to say for all those kind of reasons. The other thing to be said on the subject is we absolutely did not feel in taking on the idea of doing the second film that we could in any way hamper ourselves or disadvantage ourselves by saving things for another film. … I think that’s a mistake people have made in the past, thinking too much of the future. I think you have to put all your eggs into one basket and make as great a film as you can, and that’s what we’ve tried to do.”
But before fans begin to despair too much, they may take some comfort in comments made by Gary Oldman, who reprises his role as Jim Gordon in the upcoming release.
“Chris Nolan, … he comes in, and then you’ll say, ‘Are you going to do the sequel?'” Oldman said. “And he sits here and he goes, ‘I don’t know. I’m kind of tired. I’m going to go on holiday.’ Which I think is code for yes.”
Nolan did joke that the one thing that could lure him back to the franchise: “Enormous amounts of cash.”
The Dark Knight opens in theaters on July 18th.
I wouldn’t mind more Batman from Mr. Nolan as long as it’s good as his first one.
As long as it doesn’t involve the Pengin or Riddler, I’m game.
Jim,
I’d be okay with the Riddler, as long as he was played by Crispin Glover.
I’d be psyched if Nolan came back, but they need to give him and the rest of the cast/crew some time off. Nolan did another film, The Prestige, between making Begins and Dark Knight and that film was great.
His two films are beautifully dark and I hope he really does make a third. Maybe Bane, the Bat breaker?
Nolan is the best director i’ve ever seen and he has made the third highest earning film of all time so its obvious he will make a third.
(I wonder if he’s heard any of the casting rumors?)