Finally, it’s here! Tonight across the country people are waiting in long lines to get their first look at what is sure to be a historic movie opening. To celebrate the opening of the film, here are a few more interesting facts about The Dark Knight:

While filming on the streets of Chicago in April 2007, the filming was carried out under the fake movie title “Rory’s First Kiss”. Fliers regarding the filming carried this fake title, complete with a fake “RFK” logo for the movie and an address for the film’s production offices.

Christopher Nolan has a son named Rory, for whom the working title of the film (”Rory’s First Kiss”) was named.

Costume designer Lindy Hemming based the Joker’s look around his personality, in which “he doesn’t care about himself at all.” Hemming was inspired by countercultural pop culture artists like Pete Doherty, Iggy Pop, and Sid Vicious. She avoided his design being vagrant, but made it scruffier and grungier, therefore making his movements slightly twitchier and edgier.

On Thanksgiving weekend, 2007, fake four page tabloid size “Gotham Times” newspapers were distributed at various public events. Headlined “City at War - Batman Saves Entire Family”, every article teased events in the film, and everything in the handout was geared toward the film, including the weather (”Gloomy and overcast…”) and advertisements for Gotham National Bank, the Gotham Girl Guides and recruitment for the Gotham Police Department.

Elaborate, interactive marketing campaigns were launched in the months leading up to the release of this film. One of which was an event at the 2007 San Diego Comic-con called “Why So Serious”, which involved fans following clues hidden around the city. The legions of Joker-painted fans ended up congregating in the street across from the convention center, where one of their numbers was welcomed into a black Escalade (with Gotham license plates) that had just pulled up. After a moment the fan started screaming and the SUV sped away. Later that day, a “Gotham City newspaper” was circulated reporting that a man believed to be the Joker was found beaten to death. Included were “crime scene photos” of the fan who had gotten into the Escalade, and a mention that he was found with a playing card in his hand, on which was scribbled “See you in December.”

Aaron Eckhart described his portrayal of Harvey Dent as simultaneously coming from and being apart from the same world as Batman (Dent is the white knight of Gotham, as opposed to the Dark Knight). His challenge was “looking for the similarities and the tension between the two; to find what’s similar to Batman and then what’s opposite to him.” Eckhart prepared for his role by studying split personalities.

Jerry Robinson, one of the original creators of the Joker back in 1940, was hired as a consultant on the film (the Joker is to be portrayed according to his first two appearances in the comics, which Robinson was involved in). His “Batman” co-creator Bob Kane had earlier been hired as a consultant for Batman (1989).

Christopher Nolan cites the film Heat (1995) as a major influence on this movie.

Two-Face will must have a bigger role in this film than people are seeing from the trailers, it should be interesting to see Aaron Eckhart and Heath Ledger playing these deeply rooted Villains. Not to mention Christian Bale as Batman. Well what are you waiting for!? Go get in line! The next time you’ll hear from me about this film will be in my full review tomorrow. 

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