UPDATE: According to Nolan’s wife and producing partner Emma Thomas, this is untrue. In a Hollywood Reporter article, Thomas said, “I heard the rumor. We’re not doing that.” So there you have it!
When he’s not explaining INCEPTION to his audience, Chris Nolan is working on the screenplay for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, which has the monumental task of upping the last Batman flick, a cinematic challenge if there ever was one. (My advice? Less subplots. No ferries, either.) The most difficult part, of course, is giving us a villain that tops Heath Ledger’s Joker – also seemingly impossible. Ledger’s spectre will hang over the movie no matter what they come up with. I’m sure Nolan had big plans for the Joker before Ledger’s untimely death… and maybe he’ll still get to see some of them play out.
In a report over at Showbiz Spy, a source says that Nolan is planning to use unseen footage from THE DARK KNIGHT in the follow-up. The exact quotes: “The idea is to use these fragments of cut scenes and use CGI to have The Joker appear one last time… Chris wants some continuity between movies and for the franchise to pay tribute to Heath and his portrayal of the Joker. It would only be a fleeting moment in the movie and would only be included with the full consent of Heath’s family.”
Obviously, this is to be taken with a grain of salt, but if true… it would be extremely interesting, and not to mention touchy. But as long as the footage fits, is done respectfully and doesn’t look weird, why not go for it? What do you all think?