Birthing A New Franchise, Batman Begins
Batman has gone through a number of iterations, some respected (Tim Burton’s version), some derided (Joel Schumacher’s), and most recently Christopher Nolan has created a revered version. Nolan takes Batman very seriously; his version is not overly stylized like Schumacher, and his Joker conceptualization seems very realistic compared to Nicholson’s Joker in the Tim Burton version. Fans responded to the realistic Batman take, Batman Begins was a massive hit with long legs at the domestic box office (where it grossed over $200 million), and critics loved it (with an 84% positive rating on critic tracker rottentomatoes.com).
Fan Excitement For The Dark Knight
The images of Heath Ledger as the Joker, splotchy makeup across his face, generated excitement on their own. The trailer is very strong as well, playing up a simple Batman vs. Joker story over the more complex origin tale of the first, which had multiple villains. There are Joker t-shirts to buy. Posters are available. Joker masks. And hovering above it all is the specter of Heath Ledger’s death, making the film his last complete performance.
Ledger’s Joker, Mark Hamill-Inspired?
Anyone who has seen Batman: The Animated Series knows Mark Hamill’s delightfully creepy cackling Joker sounds awfully similar to Heath Ledger’s, something noticeable even in the trailer. When Ledger says, “You’re just a freak…like me!” he sounds almost exactly like Hamill. Considering many liked Hamill’s Joker this is a good thing.
Katie Holmes Out of Dark Knight, Maggie Gyllenhaal In
Katie Holmes hasn’t reprised her role from Batman Begins for The Dark Knight, but considering her meager acting abilities, it isn’t a huge loss. Maggie Gyllenhaal is undoubtedly a superior actress, her spunky turn in the recent Stranger Than Fiction alone proves her superiority over Holmes, whose more of a pretty-face actress.
How Huge Can The Box Office Be For The Dark Knight?
The first film was a big success, no doubt, with near $400 million worldwide in box office. But comparing to some of the most successful comic book adaptations ever, Batman Begins was lackluster. Spider Man 3 grossed nearly $900 million worldwide. And even the recently released Iron Man is up over $500 million worldwide. Given the appreciation of the first film in the US and fan excitement stateside, if worldwide enthusiasm for round two is similar, The Dark Knight could rival the Spider Man films for worldwide grosses. Either way, a lot of people are going to be very excited when July 18th rolls around.
