On Location: 'The Dark Knight Rises' in L.A. as studio sets up production office
"The Dark Knight Rises" could give Los Angeles a much-needed lift.
The next installment in the Batman franchise will film at least partially in Los Angeles beginning this summer, people familiar with the project said.
Warner Bros. recently set up a production office for "The Dark Knight Rises" at the Los Angeles Center Studios, where director Christopher Nolan also had an office during the filming of "Inception," which filmed in six countries but featured some key scenes in L.A.
Although it's not clear how much of the movie will film locally, having a major studio feature (with an estimated budget of at least $175 million) shoot even partially in town comes at a welcome time for L.A., which also is playing host to the fourth installment of the "Spider-Man" franchise. The region has been struggling to keep such big productions from shooting outside of California.
The previous Batman "Dark Knight" was filmed in Chicago and Britain, which has attracted a number of feature films because of its film tax credit.
As our sister blog Hero Complex reported, Anne Hathaway will take on the role of Catwoman and Tom Hardy will play the villainous Bane in the next Batman movie, with Christian Bale returning in the title role.
-- Richard Verrier
Photo: Christian Bale as Batman in 2008's "The Dark Knight." Credit: Stephen Vaughan / Warner Bros.
Just goes to show how taxes "kill" Los Angeles needs to give taxes back to the film industry to get people back to work! Taxes KILL!!
Posted by: Gary / Boston | January 19, 2011 at 06:43 PM
Way to stick to the point, Gary.
Posted by: Me | January 19, 2011 at 07:07 PM
$175 million to make a movie? I could make a movie for $200,000 and it would be a better movie. I think the Times should do an item by item budget brewakdown for one of these inflated movie "budgets" so we can all see where the money goes.
Posted by: mike peters | January 19, 2011 at 07:16 PM
Anne Hathawat as Catwoman equals AWSOME!!!!!!!! I am a huge Anne Hathaway fan ever since The Princess Diaries sequels, Havoc, Brokeback Mountain, The Devil Wears Prada (love u Meyrl), Bride Wars, Love & Other Drungs, and Rachel Getting Married. She is amaizing!!!
Posted by: Priscilla Jane Fumero | January 19, 2011 at 07:40 PM
IF you were that big of a fan Priscilla. You might at least spell her name right!
Posted by: Dude | January 20, 2011 at 12:22 AM
Inflated movie budgets are so expensive because the majority of the expenses are to pay for the outrageous salaries for actors/actresses!
Posted by: JHL918 | January 20, 2011 at 01:28 AM
this movie is going to fail.
Posted by: vin | January 20, 2011 at 02:17 AM
Yo, Mr Peters.
Will you PLEASE keep your conservative ravings to yourself? Or post them on that conservative sewer Yahoo, where they belong? The $175 million isn't taxpayer funds. And unless you are a major WB stock holder, none of your money is at risk. So please, SHUT THE FRAK UP ALREADY (excuse the caps.)
Posted by: Walter D Wormack | January 20, 2011 at 02:56 AM
At the risk of getting all comic book movie geeky, the official word from the studio is that Hathaway will play Selena Kyle (Catwoman's alter ego like Bruce Wayne). This is a pretty important distinction as the PR also goes on to state that Christian Bale will again play "Batman"--i.e. it DOES mention his comic book character. What this all MAY mean is that they might just be introducing the Selena Kyle chartacter in this installment and not "Catwoman" and might be saving that for a spin off movie (hopefully not along the lines of that horrible Halle Berry one). Most importantly, nowhere in the PR is the word "Catwoman" used.
Posted by: Jack Desmondi | January 20, 2011 at 04:47 AM
Love Anne Hathaway and I'm sure she'll be great as Catwoman. Even more thrilled that Christian Bale is returning as Batman. He's my favourite Batman to date.
Posted by: Monica | January 20, 2011 at 05:21 AM
Anne Hathoway?
Posted by: McQuaid | January 20, 2011 at 06:14 AM
I'm so tired of some of the filming on street scenes in Los Angeles. What ever happened to filming on studio lots and in fake towns (like the old Warner and Universal backlots)? Why wasn't that good enough? Why must they block traffic for filming Batman movies?
(And, let me guess, there will be a Second Ave tunnel scene. Yawn.)
Posted by: I'm with stupid ... over there --> content=great | January 21, 2011 at 01:30 AM
yeah.... there should be no taxes. The top hedge fund manager made 4 billion dollars last year and was taxed at 15% - everyone reading this pays much more. Stop with the nonsense and tax fairly. You aholes in the government could spend (a lot) more wisely too.
Posted by: Fred | February 08, 2011 at 04:27 PM
I'm with Stupid...it's then Second STREET tunnel, moron.
So you are they guy who moves next to the airport and then starts complaining about the jet noise?
Posted by: Kyle | February 09, 2011 at 04:56 PM