Right now, it seems we know more about what won’t be happening in Christopher Nolan‘s upcoming “The Dark Knight Rises” than what actually will be happening. The film won’t be in 3D, won’t feature the Riddler, will not feature a CGI Heath Ledger as the Joker, and now we can tell you you one more thing that won’t be happening.
Aaron Eckhart, speaking with MTV at a recent shindig for “Rabbit Hole,” revealed he won’t be reprising his role as Harvey Dent/Two-Face. “Chris and I had a meeting, on the beach, just the two of us,” Eckhart said. “I said, ‘Chris, a lot of people are asking me if I’m in the next ‘Batman.’ And Chris said, ‘Yes?’ I said, ‘Am I?’ He looked at me and he said, ‘No.’ ”
We wish we had our meetings on the beach instead of the windowless storage closet we call a “conference room,” but it appears that with the third and final installment, Christopher Nolan is breaking completely from “The Dark Knight” and really, it’s not that shocking. With Heath Ledger’s passing, the alleged original plans to bring back the Joker for the third film had to be scrapped and we imagine that many of the other story elements that might have been planned have probably been dropped completely for a fresh approach.
The only thing we do know right now is that Tom Hardy will be in the film and will join the regular cast of players — Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman — who are all expected to return. The cast will get the script in January, the film will begin lensing next spring and will hit theatres on July 20, 2012.
