The upcoming Uwe Boll thriller starring Armie Hammer shares its title with Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, or at least it did until somewhat recently. According to Variety, Boll had a “friendly” chat with Warner Bros. and has decided to change the name of his film from The Dark Knight to Citizen Vigilante.
“We had a very friendly conversation with Warner Bros. and decided to change our title to ‘Citizen Vigilante’ to avoid any confusion with Warners’ famous character,” Boll explained.
Executive producer Michael Roesch added, “We also got a lot of feedback from fans, who asked us to change the title because of its similarity with Chris Nolan’s movie, so this was another factor in changing the title. Warner Bros. contacted us and asked us to change the title. It was a very amicable discussion.“
Boll confirmed earlier this year that Warner Bros. had sent him a cease-and-desist letter regarding the title. “DC and Warner already contacted and said I can’t use the title,” Boll said. “I understand that, but I told them, ‘Guys, remember Rampage, the Rock movie? You used my title.’ The fact that they did that and called me for permission, they could show gratefulness and say, ‘listen, it’s not a Batman movie, and you can use the title.’” While it initially felt like Boll would be holding firm in his choice, it really was only a matter of time before he made the switch.
Armie Hammer in Citizen Vigilante as Sanders, a vigilante “who takes justice into his own hands as he sets out to hunt down criminals. While his crusade transforms him into a social media sensation and a hero in the eyes of the public, the local police chief sees him as a menace to society and aims to take him down.” Boll has said that the film is a “very dark and violent movie” which features “rapes and knife attacks” as it examines the “landscape in Europe.“
Uwe Boll plans to present Citizen Vigilante at this year’s Cannes Film Market, but it may just be a promo reel. “Although we are ahead of schedule, the full movie will most likely not be finished by then,” Roesch said.
