The Dark Knight news

[Trac]

I avoided this thread because I thought it was about Dark Knight the vampire TV series - and hadn't heard much about it, just tidbits here and there - when I heard the initial news that Heath Ledger was going to be the joker well I was disappointed cause in my mind JACK was the Joker - He did such a beautiful job with it and really went out of his comfort zone to pull it off - soooooooo I pretty much ignore the whole thing - then I saw a picture, well still didn't peak my curiosity - then I saw the stupid, here it comes trailer - okay now I really hated it LOL THEN I saw the long trailer in the movies with I AM LEGEND - I will go see it - I think Heath Ledger himself, again for the role of the joker, went out of his comfort zone - What I do like, not that there is another Batman movie (okaythe man under the suit thing, yummy premise), not that there is another bad guy in Gotham city BUT the joker is more of a person than a comic book - yes Batman in a comic book, BUT it was more, now can I saw, realistic than being a comic book - I think Heath Ledger will do a fine job - I still love Alfred in all the movies - Michael Caine can't be anymore perfect at the part!

[Browncoat]

honestly, imo, Jack takes a backseat to Mr. Luke Skywalker. Jack never brought that edge to the Joker and to me he came off as a playful clown. not a true psychopath, but kind of this creepy neighbor. Mark was playful too, but his Joker was insane. See Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker for the ULTIMATE Joker scene.

it gives me chills everytime i see it.

Mark brought a life to the character that no one else seems to every match. the current voice of the Joker, Kevin Michael Richardson, a fine voice actor in anyone's book, can't hold a candle (or an acid filled squirty flower) to Mark's flamboyant, maniacal theatrical menace that the Joker needs to be.

Plus he had Harley Quinn...

I was frightened and appalled when it was first announced that Heath Ledger was going to be playing my favorite villian. "What are they thinking?!" ran through my head...but as production details have become more public, i found out how devoted Heath was to this characer and his legacy. and i must say, Heath's earned my respect

he locked himself up in a hotel, by himself, for a month, just to perfect this chacter's state of mind. His source material? "The Killing Joke", one of THE best Joker stories ever.

For those not in the know, the Joker kidnaps Gordon, shoots and paralyzes his daughter Barbara (thus ending her career as Batgirl and giving us the character of Oracle we have today), and imprisons him in a run-down amusement park. His henchmen then strip Gordon naked and cage him in the park's freak show. He chains Gordon to one of the park's rides and cruelly forces him to view giant pictures of his wounded daughter in various states of undress. Once Gordon completes the maddening gauntlet, the Joker ridicules him as an example of "the average man," a naive weakling doomed to insanity.

The whole reason for that? Just because he wanted to prove that anyone can have "one bad day".

THAT's the Joker I want to see. not someone who just wants to spray laughing glass everywhere and make a buck.

[Trac]

My goodness - that was the comic??? Very dark - not sure if I would want to see that - I think I like Frank Gorshins version

[Browncoat]

Originally Posted by Trac

My goodness - that was the comic??? Very dark - not sure if I would want to see that - I think I like Frank Gorshins version

you mean Ceasar Romero =]

with his makeup plastered over his mustache

[knittingknerd]

Originally Posted by Browncoat

I was frightened and appalled when it was first announced that Heath Ledger was going to be playing my favorite villian. "What are they thinking?!" ran through my head...but as production details have become more public, i found out how devoted Heath was to this characer and his legacy. and i must say, Heath's earned my respect

he locked himself up in a hotel, by himself, for a month, just to perfect this chacter's state of mind. His source material? "The Killing Joke", one of THE best Joker stories ever.

For those not in the know, the Joker kidnaps Gordon, shoots and paralyzes his daughter Barbara (thus ending her career as Batgirl and giving us the character of Oracle we have today), and imprisons him in a run-down amusement park. His henchmen then strip Gordon naked and cage him in the park's freak show. He chains Gordon to one of the park's rides and cruelly forces him to view giant pictures of his wounded daughter in various states of undress. Once Gordon completes the maddening gauntlet, the Joker ridicules him as an example of "the average man," a naive weakling doomed to insanity.

The whole reason for that? Just because he wanted to prove that anyone can have "one bad day".

THAT's the Joker I want to see. not someone who just wants to spray laughing glass everywhere and make a buck.

Okay that's like "Old Boy" gone Batman-tastic. That's creepy and gross... and yet... I mean... wow.

What I like about the Joker is, how many people are freaked by clowns? Yet they're supposed to be this kid thing. Joker is a twisted clown, which we believe clowns are.

Aliasd- William F. is one of those actors I always see and is like "he's cool!"

[royaldisneyfan]

Most of you probably already know this, but Heath Ledger was found dead at his apartment in Soho, New York. Possible drug overdose with sleeping pills.

Reports have said that his role of the Joker caused him to lose sleep. Very sad.

R.I.P. Heath Ledger. God Bless his family and friends.

[ALIASd]

Principal photography on "The Dark Knight" finished in the fall; as of Tuesday, the pic is still skedded for a July 18 bow.

The status of the pic's marketing campaign, however, is uncertain. The first phase is built around the Joker and pics of his character are particularly ghoulish. Warner execs were still grappling with the news on Tuesday and had no comment on how they would proceed.

"The studio is stunned and devastated by this tragic news," said Alan Horn, president-COO, Warner Bros. & Jeff Robinov, president, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. "Heath was a brilliant actor and an exceptional person."

The 28-year-old Ledger was Oscar-nommed two years ago for "Brokeback Mountain." This year, he appeared in "I'm Not There."

The "Dark Knight" rollout will present more than a few challenges en route to opening weekend. One poster shows the Joker the character drawing a clown's smile on a mirror with red lipstick and scrawling the words, "Why So Serious?" Tagline was also used to launch a Joker-centric website that the studio used to bow new photos from the pic and a viral scavenger hunt, among other games.

"The Joker character is dealing with chaos and life and death and a lot of dark themes," one insider with knowledge of the campaign said. "Everyone is going to interpret every line out of his mouth in a different way now."

http://www.variety.com/VR1117979451.html

[Barbossa]

^The marketing has been quite creative for this movie. I wonder how they will tackle this now.

[Xharryb]

I've seen some comments from Nolan (prior to yesterday's tragedy) which suggested that although the Joker was a huge focus of the current ads, he wasn't the central character of the film. So my guess is that they will now scramble to shift the ad focus onto other elements, perhaps Batman, Harvey Dent or the various mob bosses. Just a thought.

[knittingknerd]

I heard that he finished his work on the movie. Yay?

[Trac]

I think for a true memory of Heath they should continue with the marketing campaign the way it is, they should dedicate the movie to Heath's memory. This should be a celebration of his life, talent and what he brought to the world - he had his demons and they took him over, but he was a hard working actor who was respected and well liked. It is so sad when this happens - I can't imagine the pain his family is feeling.

[ALIASd]

Originally Posted by Trac

I think for a true memory of Heath they should continue with the marketing campaign the way it is, they should dedicate the movie to Heath's memory.

I would expect that we'll see a film dedication statement in the credits, not unlike the one in 'Interview With The Vampire' for River Phoenix. Such terrible losses.

[ALIASd]

The Biz: Warner Bros., Partners
Dealt Unexpected Card For Knight

January 28, 2008
Brandweek

BRANDS, not surprisingly, tend to shy away from controversy and bad news. But not always. In the case of Dark Knight, the film's half-dozen partners are sticking by their deals with Warner Bros.

The tragic death from a suspected drug overdose last week of actor and Dark Knight star Heath Ledger, who re-imagines the role of the Joker, is still sinking in with fans, his loved ones and the Hollywood community. There are numerous questions about how he died—results from toxicology tests are expected within two weeks after an inconclusive autopsy—and about how the loss will affect the films he was working on.

Word came late last week that production shut down on Terry Gilliam's $30 million fantasy flick The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which co-starred Ledger. The indie studio behind the movie, Infinity Features, will have to decide whether to replace Ledger, scrap the project or find a way to finish without him, according to Brandweek's sister publication, The Hollywood Reporter.

Ledger's work in The Dark Knight, the followup to the hugely successful Batman Begins starring Christian Bale and directed by Christopher Nolan, is complete, and the July 18 release date hasn't changed. Promotional partners are standing by their programs and reportedly won't need to scrap any related marketing materials. The reason: they did not focus on the ghoulish Joker character, instead preferring to center their campaigns on the hero, Batman.

That's been the norm for brand/movie tie-ins for years, with corporate partners choosing not to align too closely with the bad guys.

"Brands want to associate with the handsome, all-American hero who saves the day, whether that's for promotions or product placement," said Sabrina Ironside, an entertainment consultant and longtime studio executive with a history of marrying advertisers and entertainment. "They're less interested in putting their brands and products side-by-side with villains."

Ledger himself had named some decidedly edgy reference points for his Joker performance—Sid Vicious and A Clockwork Orange—and called the character a "psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy." The studio declined to name the marketing partners, though Brandweek previously reported Hershey's link to Dark Knight via various bat-shaped and bat-stamped candy, with related contests that give away high-tech gadgets, Ducati motorcycles and movie-related tchotchkes.

Warner Bros. wouldn't comment on what changes may be made to the movie's marketing plan, much of which has featured the Joker character prominently in trailers and viral outreach. Sensitivity to Ledger's family and fans are top of mind, though there's undeniable buzz already in the fanboy world about Ledger's eye-catching interpretation of the role.

The situation also arises as the studio has just gone through an abrupt changing of the guard, with Warner Bros. veteran Dawn Taubin replaced as head of film marketing by international marketing chief Sue Kroll. Warner Bros. hasn't altered its merchandise plans, and its toy partner, Mattel, likely will include Joker product in the lines it shows at the New York Toy Fair next month.

http://www.brandweek.com/bw/magazine..._id=1003702485

[ALIASd]

TRANSITION

Charisma as Natural as Gravity


By Christopher Nolan
NEWSWEEK
Feb 4, 2008 Issue | Updated: 3:21 p.m. ET Jan 26, 2008

Heath Ledger, 28, Actor

Best known for his haunting, Oscar-nominated performance as Ennis Del Mar, one of the gay cowboys in 2005 ' s "Brokeback Mountain," Ledger was a massive young talent on the cusp of greatness when he died last week in New York. The native Australian, who is survived by his 2-year-old daughter, Matilda, had recently finished work on this summer's "Batman" sequel, "The Dark Knight," in which he plays a villain, the Joker. Christopher Nolan, the film's director, shared these memories:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/105580

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Accidental Pill Overdose Killed Ledger

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php...show_article=1