Old Rumor Surfaces Once Again
Perhaps running just as long as the rumor that the Riddler would be the villain in “The Dark Knight Rises” (which was one of the first things the secretive Christopher Nolan denied about the project) the second persistent tidbit about the forthcoming film was that Christopher Nolan and his regular DP Wally Pfister were strongly considering shooting it completely in IMAX. Of course, Nolan utilized the format for certain segments for “The Dark Knight,” but due to the camera’s bulky nature and noisy operation, at the time it was largely limited to exteriors or brief action sequences (notably, the opening bank heist).
Speaking with MTV over the summer, Pfister enthused, “I can’t say until I read the script, but it would certainly be my preferred, amazing goal to shoot the whole movie in IMAX.”
“I must say I’m a huge IMAX fan. I like IMAX more than I like 3-D,” he elaborated. “Chris’ films are so densely layered and have so much going on visually in every way that IMAX helps enhance that because of the scope and the scale of it — it becomes a much larger canvas to paint on. That’s what we found on ‘Dark Knight.'” And now, word is that Nolan and Pfister may have found the solution that will enable them to shoot the entire picture in IMAX.
Collider reports that according to one of their sources, a new smaller and lighter IMAX camera is being developed that may allow Nolan and his team more latitude than ever. “I’m hearing that Nolan will try and shoot ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ totally in IMAX. I’ve heard that IMAX has been quietly developing a smaller, less intrusive camera that will be able to handle dialogue scenes. If the camera is finished in time, expect Nolan to use it,” the source said.
It’s a potentially very exciting development and would seem to follow what the director wants visually for “The Dark Knight Rises.” As Nolan noted in his first interview about the film, he will not be joining the 3D bandwagon saying, “We want the look and feel of the film to be faithful to what has come before in the first two films. There was a large canvas and operatic sweep to ‘The Dark Knight’ and we want to make a film that will carry on with that look and feel.” He also cryptically added, ”We’re looking to do something technologically that’s never been done before.”
As Pfister said during rounds for “The Dark Knight,” the IMAX camera required that “every rig had to be reinvented or beefed-up a bit.” Certainly a smaller, more adaptable camera would be a huge leap forward but obviously, it would need to meet Nolan’s rigorous standards and be ready to go without any hiccups.
Obviously, the already tight-lipped Nolan probably won’t tip his hat about any of this until it’s a certainty, but it’s another puzzle piece in what is already a hugely anticipated film. Filming on “The Dark Knight Rises” will begin in New Orleans next spring and will fly into theaters on July 20, 2012.