Because Bruce Wayne’s sweet ride gets everyone’s juices flowing (well, except for that Adam West-era number, which doesn’t do much for me), here’s something for the Batmobile lovers out there, taken from a Batman event Warner Bros. hosted last week for The Dark Knight Rises . Arranged for a bonus feature on the July sequel’s eventual Blu-ray release, WB gathered all 5 Batmobiles from TV and film in Burbank, to be paraded down the street and ogled by adoring fans for the first time in public. Aww, yeah. Pull down the shades and start salivating to the sexy sounds of Danny Elfman ‘s Batman score, y’all. It’s a Batmobile orgy. The car porn comes courtesy of Vimeo user Josh Turchetta, who put together footage he shot at WB’s event on March 30. (Legendary Entertainment posted photos from the event to their Facebook page , including the above shot.) In the video, behold every dark and sexy curve of the Batmobile over the years. Even the utilitarian angles of the Tumbler are pulse-quickening in this light. Lower those fins, Batman Forever -mobile! Slowly… Attack of the Batmobile(s)! from Josh Turchetta on Vimeo . And just for good measure: Remember how good Elfman’s score sounded as Michael Keaton’s Batman whisked Vicky Vale away to his lair? As for the Batmobile, the sleek and muscular Batman / Batman Returns design has always had my heart — make your case below if you disagree. [ Vimeo via MovieWeb ]
We count down our favorite Batman rides, in The Weekly Rising. By Kevin P. Sullivan The Batmobile Photo: AFP/ Getty Images Warner Bros. recently shot a bonus feature from the eventual Blu-ray release of “The Dark Knight Rises” (early, I know!) that featured all five Batmobiles from the movies, starting with Adam West’s Lincoln to Christopher Nolan’s Tumbler. The video makes for a cool stunt, seeing all the vehicles in one place, but it also provides insight into just how different the Batmobiles have been over the years — so much so that it begs the question: Which Batmobile was best? Here is our countdown of the top five Batmobiles from the movies: 5. “Batman and Robin” Joel Schumacher ‘s run as the director of the Batman series brought around the two worst Batmobiles by far. Both cars stand as perfect symbols of everything that was wrong with the director’s take on the Caped Crusader. They are both too over-the-top to actually function as vehicles, in the same way that Schumacher’s Batman simply doesn’t work. But of the two, the painful swirling light of the final Schumacher Batmobile from “Batman and Robin” remains the worst Batmobile of all time. The one-seater looks like an oversized Happy Meal toy, and the convertible design puts the Bat out in the open air where everyone can make fun of him. 4. “Batman Forever” The first Schumacher Batmobile gets a pass simply because it’s not as bad as the one from “Batman and Robin.” The enormous fins remain, but the body doesn’t extend nearly as far out. It also gets the added benefit of a closed cabin, so Batman can hide his shame from behind the privacy of tinted windows. At the very best, the “Batman Forever” Batmobile wins the losers bracket. 3. “Batman: The Movie” The Batmobile that Adam West drove during his stint as Batman on the television series and in the 1966 film is the only one of the Dark Knight’s cars that actually looks like a car. Completed in three weeks, the original Batmobile was made from a modified 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car. West’s Batmobile scores points now for a retro style that can’t be beat and just the right amount of camp. 2. “Batman” and “Batman Returns” Admittedly, this is the ride that inspired the two worst Batmobiles ever, but Tim Burton’s take on the Bat vehicle has a certain charm to it. Burton’s films in the series had a look all their own, but they never quite went over-the-top insane like Schumacher’s, and the same applies to his Batmobile. It had the same long body but had a more refined and battle-ready look to it. As impractical as it probably was, the Burton Batmobile was badass in its own way. 1. “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises” Is there really any other choice? The Tumbler not only fits the realistic take on the series, but it also could eviscerate any and all other Batmobiles. Did I mention that his has a motorcycle hidden inside the front of it? How about the newly added flight feature? It may have been meant originally for building bridges, but all the Tumbler ended up doing was being the toughest ride the streets of Gotham has ever seen. It’s only fitting that the greatest iteration of Batman gets the all-around best version of his car. Which is your favorite Batmobile? Let me know on Twitter via @KPSull! 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 . Related Photos ‘Dark Knight Rises’ Trailer: 5 Key Scenes
Film journalist and biographer David Hughes has long written with authority on subjects from Stanley Kubrick to David Lynch. But few writers know more about the vicissitudes of that uniquely Hollywood phenomenon known as “development hell.” Hence the updated, revised edition of Hughes’s book Tales From Development Hell , which arrives in store and online today. And Movieline has an exclusive excerpt that you can browse now. Development Hell is chockablock with gossip, infighting, false starts and dirty little secrets that afflicted films both realized ( Indiana Jones 4 , Total Recall ) and abandoned ( Crusade , Crisis in the Hot Zone ), with a little bit of limbo thrown in for good measure ( Fantastic Voyage , The Sandman ). In this exclusive excerpt, Hughes revisits the Batman franchise’s tortured road back to respectability — by way of the stalled Superman franchise. Really. ======= Warner Bros evidently saw a team-up movie as more than just a tantalizing possibility, but a viable way of bringing the Superman and Batman franchises out of the development mire. It was soon confirmed that the studio was excited about a script entitled Batman vs Superman , written by Se7en and Sleepy Hollow scribe Andrew Kevin Walker and subsequently “polished” by Akiva Goldsman ( Batman Forever , Batman & Robin , A Beautiful Mind ), in which the characters would begin as allies, albeit with radically different worldviews, before facing off in a showdown brought about by Bruce Wayne’s familiar desire to avenge the violent killing of a loved one. The story begins five years into Bruce Wayne’s life post-Batman, having put his costume back into the closet following the death of Robin. He has settled down, married a woman named Elizabeth, and is happier than ever. Over in Metropolis, however, Superman has not been so lucky in love, having been dumped by Lois Lane due to the myriad difficulties of being Clark Kent’s girlfriend. When The Joker, previously thought dead, kills Elizabeth with a poison dart, Bruce takes it hard. First, he blames Superman, because the Man of Steel saved The Joker from a fatal beating just before the murder; second, he resumes the mantle of Batman — not, this time, under any pretense of metering out justice, but for the sheer cathartic pleasure of beating up bad guys. Superman, who has been busy wooing his first love, Lana Lang, in Smallville, tries to talk Bruce out of his vengeful ways, an act which ultimately pits the two heroes against each other. Eventually, it transpires that Superman’s nemesis Lex Luthor was behind The Joker’s return, hoping that Batman and Superman would kill each other. Instead, the two heroes unite to defeat first The Joker, and finally Luthor, the man fundamentally behind Elizabeth’s death. Opinions from Internet script reviewers were divided, either over the details of the Walker and Goldsman drafts, or the very idea of having Batman and Superman go mano a mano . Responding to an unfavorable review of Goldsman’s rewrite by Coming Attractions’ Darwin Mayflower, Batman on Film reporter “Jett” said that, while he had not read the Goldsman draft, “I very much liked Walker’s original… I thought it was a very dark and powerful script and had a very clever way of pitting Batman against Superman. Mayflower flatly does not like the squaring off of Bats and Supes… [whereas] I found it quite exciting — plus you know that they are going to end up as allies in the end. Mayflower also has a problem with Goldsman’s (who many credit for the killing of the Bat-franchise with his p.o.s. Batman & Robin script) rewrites,” Jett added. “The only reason I can come up with why WB let Goldsman do rewrites was to lighten the script up a bit. Walker’s original — in my opinion — was dark. Perhaps WB thought too much so.” Nevertheless, the studio was sufficiently excited about the script to postpone its plan for a new stand-alone Superman film and a fifth Batman in order to fast-track Batman vs Superman for a 2004 release, with Wolfgang Petersen ( Das Boot , The Perfect Storm ) at the helm. “It is the clash of the titans,” the German-born director told Variety in July 2002. “They play off of each other so perfectly. [Superman] is clear, bright, all that is noble and good, and Batman represents the dark, obsessive and vengeful side. They are two sides of the same coin and that is material for great drama.” Petersen subsequently spoke to MTV.com about his love for the Batman and Superman films, “especially in both cases the first two. I saw them over and over again.” Batman vs Superman , he added, would be part of the lore of the films and the comics, “but it’s also different. First of all, the dynamics are different because if they are in one movie together it changes a lot of things and it gives you a new perspective on superheroes… You also have the look and feel of Metropolis, the bright golden city, and the feel of Gotham, which is a shadowy, sinister city, in the same movie. This is Superman/Batman of the time after September 11th, also. It takes place in today or tomorrow’s world.” Unsurprisingly, the announcement of a fast-tracked Batman vs Superman movie led to a surge of speculation as to which actors might don the respective capes. “We have a script that really very, very much concentrates on the characters,” Petersen told MTV.com. “It’s really material for two great actors.” Although he had previously cited Matt Damon as a possible star, Petersen later clarified that he was merely an example of the kind of actor he was looking for. “Someone who we so far did not really think of as a big action hero, who turned out to be a great actor who can also do great action… He’s one of these guys, but there’s a lot of these guys out there.” As far as the rumor-mills were concerned, Jude Law and Josh Hartnett were apparently front-runners to play Superman/Clark Kent, while Colin Farrell and Christian Bale — the latter previously connected with the Year One role — were widely mentioned for dual duties as Bruce Wayne and Batman. (“No, that’s Bateman , not Batman,” quipped Bale, referring to Patrick Bateman, his character in American Psycho .) Barely a month after the Variety announcement, however, Batman vs Superman seemed suddenly to have fallen out of favor with the studio, leading director Wolfgang Petersen to quit the project in favor of Troy , an epic retelling of Homer’s The Iliad starring Brad Pitt. The studio’s swift about-face was based on a number of factors. Firstly, on July 5, Alias creator J. J. Abrams had turned in the first 88 pages of a new stand-alone Superman script, designed to be the first of a trilogy. Bob Brassel, a senior vice president for production at the studio, called producer Jon Peters, urging him to read the work-in-progress. “I did,” Peters told The New York Times , “and it was amazing. In a world of chaos, it’s about hope and light.” Abrams delivered the remaining 50 pages of the script in mid-July, just as Spider-Man began its amazing assault on box office records, suggesting that light and airy, not dark and powerful, was the way to go with superhero flicks. At that point, Peters, Abrams and Brassel met in the offices of executive vice president for worldwide motion pictures Lorenzo di Bonaventura — the man behind the Harry Potter and Matrix movies, and a long time champion of Batman vs Superman — who said that he liked the script (“It had more epic ambition than earlier Superman scripts,” he said later), but that he planned to release Batman vs Superman first. According to Peters, Abrams said, “You can’t do that,” suggesting that it was akin to releasing When Harry Divorced Sally before When Harry Met Sally . Both sides had their points: with two iconic heroes for the price of one, Batman vs Superman arguably stood the better chance in a marketplace soon to be crowded with superhero films, ranging from Hulk to Daredevil , and more sequels featuring Spider-Man and The X-Men; however, if the darker sensibility of Batman vs Superman did not connect with audiences, it could effectively kill both franchises before they had had a chance to be revived. Besides, if either Batman or Superman failed, the studio would still have the team-up movie to fall back on. As studio president Alan Horn told The New York Times , “In reintroducing these characters we wanted to do what was in the best interest of the company.” Thus, in early August, Horn asked ten senior studio executives — representing international and domestic theatrical marketing, consumer products and home video — to read both scripts, and decide which of them stood the better chance in the post- Spider-Man marketplace. “I wanted some objectivity,” Horn explained. “Why not get an opinion or two?” At the meeting, di Bonaventura argued in favor of Batman vs Superman ; others, however, felt that Abrams’s three-part Superman story had better long-term prospects for toy, DVD and ancilliary sales. Besides, even if the majority had not favoured the Superman script, Horn had the casting vote. “I said I wanted to do Superman ,” he told The New York Times . “At the end of the day it’s my job to decide what movies we make.” The plan, Horn later told The Hollywood Reporter , was that Superman , the long-mooted Catwoman spin-off, and “a Batman origins movie” (presumably Year One ) would revive both franchises, paving the way for a team-up movie. “I’d like to think that each character will evolve so that when we have Batman vs Superman , the meeting of the two will feel more organic,” he said. Peters, the former hairdresser and Batman producer who had toiled through the development of a Superman film for eight years, was moved to tears when Alan Horn phoned to tell him the news. “I swear I heard the flapping of angel wings when Alan was talking,” he said. Peters, in turn, called Christopher Reeve, who had played Superman in four films between 1978 and 1987, and had recently guest-starred on the small-screen Superman show Smallville , despite a crippling spinal injury he suffered in a fall from a horse. “He told me that his original idea was to do a film of Superman vs Batman ,” Reeve later recalled. “They were pretty far into it, and then Jon saw that documentary that my son made about me and how five years after the injury I started to move.” According to Reeve, Peters began to rethink the idea: “‘Why should [they] have two superheroes fighting? ’ The movie that Warner Bros is making now will be a much more uplifting and spiritual story.” In August, Warner Bros officially switched off Batman vs Superman ’s green light. Days later, on Sept. 4, its greatest champion, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, quit after 12 years at the studio, giving credence to the widespread speculation that Horn vs di Bonaventura — an epic battle of wills between two of the studios biggest guns over two of its biggest assets — had contributed to his departure. Where all this left the Batman franchise was unclear. Almost anyone, it seemed, was invited to apply for the vacancy of the next film’s screenwriter, and even Grant Morrison, author of one of the biggest selling graphic novels of all time, Arkham Asylum , threw his hat into the ring. “My own movie agent at Creative Artists Agency submitted a treatment I’d entitled Batman: Year Zero , which had a young Batman traveling around the world, slowly assembling the familiar components of his outfit and disguise in the year before returning to Gotham as its protector.” As a change from The Joker or the Penguin, Morrison’s villains were Ra’s al-Ghul and Man-Bat from Denny O’Neil’s widely acclaimed Batman stories of the 1970s. Although Morrison’s application was unsuccessful, the team which was assigned the restoration of the Bat-franchise evidently agreed with his approach, electing to return to Batman’s roots as part of their restoration effort. It was in early 2003 that Warner Bros revealed the new curator of the Bat-franchise: Christopher Nolan, director of the tricksy Memento and a well-received remake of Scandinavian thriller Insomnia . “All I can say is that I grew up with Batman,” Nolan commented. “I’ve been fascinated by him and I’m excited to contribute to the lore surrounding the character. He is the most credible and realistic of the superheroes, and has the most complex human psychology. His superhero qualities come from within. He’s not a magical character.” Although Variety also reported that both Year One and Catwoman — the latter scripted by John Rogers ( The Core ), starring Ashley Judd (later to be replaced by Halle Berry) and directed by visual effects veteran Pitof — were also on the cards, Nolan’s untitled Batman project seemed the most likely to move forward, although it remained unclear which script would form the basis of the film. Nolan, who knew Batman but was uncertain about his wider comic book context, turned to David S. Goyer, who scripted Dark City, The Crow: City of Angels , the comic book adaptation Blade and its sequels, and unused drafts of Freddy vs Jason , for help with the script. Ironically, Goyer, whose lifelong dream had been to write a Batman movie script, was unavailable, preparing to direct Blade: Trinity — but agreed to give Nolan some ideas pro bono . As Goyer recalls, “I said, ‘If I did do it, this is what I would do, and you can have my ideas for free.’ I talked for about an hour and spitballed a large amount of what the film is, and Chris said, ‘Wow, that sounds great.’ He went away again for a few more days, [then] I got a call saying, ‘You have to do this.’” Goyer carved out the time to write the first draft of the script. The Nolan-Goyer Batman set out to achieve something no comic book or film had accomplished thus far: tell a definitive origin story, charting the journey from the murder of young Bruce Wayne’s parents all the way to the formation of Batman as a masked vigilante. Drawing heavily on the comic book history of the character, Nolan and Goyer filled in the blanks, working with Nolan’s regular production designer Nathan Crowley to build a Batman story from the ground up — exactly the approach which Warner Bros wanted to re-boot its biggest property. Released on June 5, 2005, Batman Begins made just over $200 million at the US box office — $50 million (and a few million audience members) short of Burton’s Batman , but a healthy start to what would, with The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012) signal the return of the bat to box office dominance — not only among its comic book peers, but Hollywood in general. Sixteen years since Tim Burton’s Batman gave birth to the film franchise and Joel Schumacher’s Batman and Robin killed it off, the Dark Knight had returned — with a vengeance. The updated and revised Tales From Development Hell is available today in stores and online .
His new album, Born and Raised, is also slated for the spring. By Jocelyn Vena John Mayer Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images John Mayer announced he needed vocal surgery last fall, and now he’s back and ready to hit the road. On Monday (February 27), the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter announced plans for a spring tour , his first outing in nearly two years. The 18-date trek will kick off April 9 in Bloomington, Indiana, before wrapping up May 6 in Phoenix. The tour will be in support of his forthcoming new album, Born and Raised, which will be released sometime around the outing. The album’s lead single, “Shadow Days,” hits radio Monday. The tour will help raise funds and awareness for the Northern California Institute of Research and Education, which “provides veterans with a healthy reintegration into civilian life.” Mayer will auction off tickets to the shows to help raise money for the organization. Born and Raised will feature production from Don Was, and Mayer will get some vocal and instrumental help from singers David Crosby and Graham Nash, keyboardist/pianist Chuck Leavell, bassist Sean Hurley and drummer Aaron Sterling. On tour, Mayer will be joined by guitarist and vocalist David Ryan Harris, guitarist Doug Pettibone and percussionist Michito Sanchez. Previously, Mayer described the album as having “organic cowboy guitar sounds,” adding that he had this very romantic thought when it came to the album’s vibe: “What would it sound like if I wrote an album of cowboy songs on this guitar under the stars?” “Every new record I start, a new aesthetic comes in. I can’t help it,” he said about the project. “I think it’s gonna be more organic, more natural lyrics and chords and artful simplicity.” Will you check out John Mayer on tour? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists John Mayer
We break down the potential nominations for the Caped Crusader in The Weekly Rising. By Kevin P. Sullivan Christian Bale on the set of “The Dark Knight Rises” Photo: Getty Images Believe it or not, when Oscar night 2013 rolls around, Batman could be donning his dress cape and walking the red carpet as a nominee. Granted, no one has seen Christopher Nolan’s final Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises,” yet, but it’s not entirely outlandish to imagine it could have a big night at the Academy Awards next year. If Nolan sticks the landing, it could mean an unprecedented amount of awards consideration for the beloved series. For an enormously successful movie franchise, Nolan’s Batman films have a frighteningly disappointing number of Academy Awards wins and nominations: nine nods, two wins. That’s right: Aside from Heath Ledger’s well-earned Best Supporting Actor award, the only other Oscar for the series was for Best Sound Editing on “The Dark Knight.” We here at MTV News would love to see the legend end with a dark victory at the Academy Awards, so here are categories where “The Dark Knight Rises” could see nominations — you know, if it’s any good. Best Cinematography: Wally Pfister Nolan’s trusted cinematographer has been with him since the very beginning, shooting every major feature for Nolan since his breakout, “Memento.” Pfister won his first Academy Award last year for “Inception,” but for his next collaboration with Nolan, they’re going even bigger. If the prologue is any indication , IMAX’s role in “Rises” will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen, embracing the large format in new and exciting ways. With IMAX getting a push as the new trendy technology to get people into theaters, Pfister and Nolan’s role in embracing the format could spell an Oscar nomination. Best Original Score: Hans Zimmer It doesn’t get more ambitious than collecting the chanting of thousands of people around the world and incorporating it into a film’s score. Zimmer’s worldwide vision for his third time scoring a Batman movie could mark his 10th nomination and his second for a Nolan movie. Sadly, a disqualification due to stiff category rules may be likely. Best Director: Christopher Nolan If the Academy collectively loves anything, it’s certainly fond of paying old debts. They’ll award artists who should have won years ago (Scorsese), and they’ll award overall achievements (“Return of the King” wins everything). By the end of all this, Nolan will have done something for the ages. He legitimized a genre and restored an American icon to his rightful place. Not only that, he made two (and hopefully three) excellent and ambitious movies. This is the year you reward him for his efforts and heal the wounds of two egregious snubs for “The Dark Knight” and “Inception.” Best Actor: Christian Bale Here’s a wonderful fact about the age we live in: A very recent Oscar winner is playing Batman. One of the greatest actors of a generation is playing one of the most iconic heroes of all time. That fact alone at the very least puts Christian Bale in the mix. But knowing Nolan, he’s not just going to put Bale up against a new set of villains, a flaw of the last set of Batman films. He’s going to tell a story about Batman, one that’s going to push the hero and the man playing him to the edge. Best Picture Could “The Dark Knight Rises” be the next “Return of the King”? The only problem there is that the Academy nominated each “Lord of the Rings” film individually before the finale won the big prize. Nolan’s Batman films have always found themselves just outside awards consideration, the closest calling coming after “The Dark Knight” in 2009. Many pointed to “The Dark Knight” as a reason for the expansion of the Best Picture category the following year, so with 10 potential nominees now, statistically, it may finally be its year. What Oscars do you think Nolan’s Batman franchise should have already won? Let me know via Twitter @KPSull! 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 . Related Videos ‘Dark Knight Rises’ Trailer Decoded! Related Photos On The Set Of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’
Marvel’s heroes may have rocked the Super Bowl, but we pit them against Batman in The Weekly Rising . By Kevin P. Sullivan “The Dark Knight Rises” movie poster Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures The Super Bowl didn’t just mean victory for Giants fans. It represented a victory for comic book fans everywhere, because after years of waiting, we got to see the Avengers assembled. We can finally grasp what the event we’ve been waiting for will look like, and it rocked. What does this have to do with Batman and the upcoming “Dark Knight Rises,” you may ask? Well, a few weeks ago, we held a little tournament call MTV Movie Brawl , and the two biggest superhero movies of the summer faced off in the first round. Batman won by a narrow but significant margin, leaving little doubt about which movie fans want more. The win for “The Dark Knight Rises” could have been predicted, considering that Warner Bros. had already released two trailers and a prologue and that the previous film in the series was literally the biggest superhero movie of all time. But now that “The Avengers” has the benefit of a second and arguably better trailer, how do the two previews stack up? The Atmosphere The Marvel Universe movies have never been deathly serious. Sarcasm and humor underline most of the action. The trailer for “The Avengers” takes the same approach, avoiding the grave tone of Christopher Nolan ‘s Gotham and the “Dark Knight Rises” trailer. Nolan established a concrete look and feel for his Batman movies, and the trailer does its job to get that across. Both feel true to what fans expect from the respective franchises, so neither can really get the edge here. The Voice-Over Both short but equally sweet, the trailers start off with voice-over narrations from supporting characters in the series, Michael Caine ‘s Alfred and Samuel L. Jackson ‘s Nick Fury. They set the stage for the rest of the action in the trailer and solidly ground the new footage in the tradition of the previous films. Our vote goes to Michael Caine for a few reasons. He gets the benefit of a young boy creepily singing the national anthem, yes, but it’s more than that. Alfred has done so much more to be a beloved character. Fury just shows up at the end to tease awesome stuff you’ll have to wait years for. Alfred wins. The Villain “The Avengers” and “The Dark Knight Rises” take two very different approaches to handling their villains. Bane stands front and center, blowing up a stadium without any notion of subtlety. The alien invaders from “The Avengers” remain hidden, their true identities one of the film’s greatest mysteries. The benefit of not hiding who you are is that you get to do a lot more intimidating stuff in the trailer. Bane throws down while the aliens can’t stay onscreen long enough to get any action in. Victory goes to Bane. The Action We’ve dissected each aspect of the “Dark Knight Rises” trailer more times than we care to recalled, but a lot of it depends on how you feel about stadium demolition. “The Avengers” combines the best action bits from the previous movies and says, “Here, remember all this cool stuff? Now you get it in one movie.” But who will ever admit to not thinking that Iron Man always looks so freaking cool when he’s flying? It’s awesome every time. The Big Shot As much as we love Batman, you cannot compete with that circle shot of the entire “Avengers” assembling. You cannot. Yes, the Bat looks great and will make for great eye candy when “The Dark Knight Rises” hits, but that single shot from the “Avengers” trailer justified that movie’s existence in a matter of seconds. It was fanboy fantasies projected directly onto a screen. By our scientific calculations, that puts “The Avengers” and “The Dark Knight Rises” in a dead heat. You know why? Because they both look incredible, and everyone in the world will see both. Check out everything we’ve got on “Marvel’s The Avengers” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos Marvel’s The Avengers Super Bowl 46: Movie Spots Related Photos ‘Dark Knight Rises’ Trailer: 5 Key Scenes Analyzing Catwoman’s Costume In ‘Dark Knight Rises’
Christian Bale is suited up on cover of latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. By Kevin P. Sullivan Christian Bale as Batman on the cover of EW Weekly Photo: EW Batman is suited up and raring to go on the “Dark Knight Rises” cover of the new Entertainment Weekly. Christian Bale stands front and center on the magazine’s cover as part of EW ‘s 2012 movie preview, showing off a slightly updated batsuit for the first time. It’s a nice introduction to the version of the Dark Knight that we’ll see onscreen in a little more than six months. Inside the issue, we’re treated to three additional photos , two of which give us great looks at Tom Hardy in full Bane regalia. The pictures come from scenes briefly touched on in the first theatrical trailer, including one of a very scared-looking Commissioner Gordon. In one of the Bane photos, he’s looking just off-camera at an unmasked Bruce Wayne, taken from the scene in the trailer when the “You have my permission to die” line is spoken. The other photo of Hardy shows him at the large-scale brawl between Batman and police and Bane and his minions. We see Bane and Batman locked in hand-to-hand combat, something that has been teased about this film and something we haven’t really seen since “Batman Begins.” For better or worse, Bane has been at the center of controversy since the world first heard his voice. In the EW preview, Christopher Nolan addresses the issue of the distorted dialogue, asking for his audience’s faith. “I think when people see the film, things will come into focus,” he said “Bane is very complex and very interesting and when people see the finished film people will be very entertained by him.” The preview also features an interview with Bale, who opened up about the pressures of bringing the trilogy to a close. “I can tell you the truth because I’m done with it: I felt immense pressure,” Bale said. “And I think it’s a good pressure, because you owe it to the films — and the people’s expectations — to make great work.” 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 .
Take a look at the best snapshots from Gotham in this week’s The Weekly Rising. By Kevin P. Sullivan Christian Bale and Tom Hardy on the set of “Dark Knight Rises” Photo: Getty Images The entirety of this year has been spent in “The Dark Knight Rises” anticipation. Last year was all about “Inception” and its accompanying conspiracy theories. (COBB’S WEDDING RING IS HIS TOTEM!!! OMG!) But 2011 was nothing but pure excitement for Christopher Nolan ‘s return to Gotham City. Fans waited eagerly for any bit of information that might leak from the set, living from set photo to official snapshot. With so many now iconic and infamous pictures that made up the “Dark Knight Rises” hype landscape for 2011, this seems like a good time, as part of MTV News’ look back at the Best of 2011 , to check out the 10 best “Rises” pictures from the year. 10. Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Mr. Freeze Back in February, when JGL joined the cast, the speculative theories abounded as to who the actor would be playing. Over at Splash Page, the team put together Photoshops of Gordon-Levitt as different Batman villains, including a believable Mr. Freeze . 9. Empire ‘s Batman Cover Bane may have won the fan poll to reveal his cover first, but the Batman cover held more surprises for fans. In it, he held what looks like some new tech from his man Lucius Fox. We’ll have to wait and see what the weapon ends up doing. 8. Catwoman Revealed Warner Bros. rushed out the first official picture of Catwoman after on-set photos were set to leak any moment. The picture shocked because of Selina Kyle’s new ride, the Batpod. The first photo stirred controversy and led to loads of analysis, including an article by MTV’s Brian Phares that led to an Anne Hathway reply. 7. Bane Revealed It wasn’t much of a look, but it was enough to finally get fans excited about the prospect of having Bane as the movie’s main villain . Nolan delivered on the same realistic, darker look for the Batman universe. 6. First Poster Released “Inception 2”? That was the general response to the first, very “Inception”-influenced poster for “The Dark Knight Rises,” and that is by no means a bad thing. The poster let everyone know that all is not well in Gotham, and it’s time for Batman to finally return. 5. Most Realistic. Fan Poster. Ever. It probably made you do a double take. It fooled me for sure. The expertly crafted fake perfectly combined the look of Nolan’s films and some pictures that looked completely believable. 4. Catwoman Shows Off Her Ears One of the biggest complaints from the first Catwoman photo was the lack of ears. What’s a Catwoman without her ears? Turns out that they were there all along . They were just covering her eyes. 3. The Batwing and the Bomb Perhaps the most interesting spy photo of the year showed Batman in his trusty Batwing hovering over a device that clearly looks like some sort of bomb. There are so many questions one could ask, but just staring at the pictures reminds you why you’re excited for this movie. 2. Bane Remembers Harvey Dent The cast has been talking about the importance of “Rises” as the conclusion of a trilogy, and Empire provided some evidence toward that notion when it released this photo of Bane holding a picture of Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent. How does the former District Attorney factor into the story line seven or eight years down the line? 1. Batman and Bane Duke It Out This photo says it all, doesn’t it? This is exactly what we all want to see come next July. Bane is a more physical opponent than Batman’s had in the series, and we’re finally going to see him go blow to blow with a big, hulking monster. Honorable Mention: My Set Visit So maybe I didn’t get to see much. Just being on the set and seeing the work that goes into making a movie on this scale solidified “The Dark Knight Rises” as my most anticipated of 2012. 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 . Related Photos On The Set Of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’
‘I wrapped a few days ago, so that will be the last time I’m taking that cowl off,’ actor says. By Gil Kaufman Christian Bale on the set of “Dark Knight Rises” Photo: Jared Wickerham/ Getty Images After lasting longer in the role than any other actor, Christian Bale has confirmed that the upcoming finale of director Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, “The Dark Knight Rises,” will be his curtain call as the iconic crime fighter. “I wrapped a few days ago so that will be the last time I’m taking that cowl off,” Bale reportedly told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “I believe the whole production wrapped yesterday, so it’s all done. Everything’s finished. It’s me and Chris — that will be the end of that Batman era.” The $200 million-plus epic , out July 20, will also feature Gary Oldman , Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and Tom Hardy as villain Bane . The Oscar-winning actor also held forth on the complexity of the role that has been inhabited in the past by George Clooney, Val Kilmer and Michael Keaton. “Bruce Wayne is absolutely sincere as Bruce Wayne, and as Batman utterly sincere. But Bruce Wayne, the playboy, is a pure facade, it’s a lie he has, somehow, to control one side of your soul that’s not really under control,” Bale said. “In fact, only Alfred knows who he is. It’s time for Bruce Wayne to face the pain that has always stirred his life.” Bale took over as Batman in 2005’s “Batman Begins” and reprised his role in 2008’s $1 billion-grossing “The Dark Knight.” Though Hathaway has gotten some flack for the look of her Catwoman costume , Bale had nothing but praise for his co-star. “When Chris watched the screen test, he agreed that Anne did a wonderful job. In many ways, she has the hardest job,” he said. “There are a number of people who feel that the Catwoman role has been defined previously. So, I always saw Anne’s role as being the toughest job of any of us.” 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 . Related Photos On The Set Of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’
