Is it July 20 yet? Since The Dark Knight Rises starting filming earlier this year, the number of shady rumors, possible transcripts, and blurry pictures taken from bushes has been uncountable, remaining at such a high volume that even the biggest fans of the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy couldn’t keep up.
Luckily, the time is getting closer and closer to the impending release, and you can get a significant taste of The Dark Knight Rises next month (Dec. 21), when the prologue airs before Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
A possible transcript of the prologue has leaked online, courtesy of CMBÂ via an IMDb user who claims to have seen it a few times. The description is really long, but you can read the entire thing below.
I personally don’t think the leaked version is real, but it’s full of some pretty awesome ideas regardless. If it is real, and Nolan can successfully pulls off what is being described, the prologue is going to be insanely fun.
What do you think? Are you hoping this is real? Let us know in the comments.
“I’ve seen this a few times now, so I feel I can pretty accurately describe what happens. I’m probably leaving out some details, but I’ll try to paint the best picture I can.
The movie opens up silently with a close up of Batman’s face. We can tell he’s on the Batpod on a highway of some sort.
The angle changes, and we can now see that we’re starting off right where The Dark Knight left off. There’s a ridiculous amount of cops chasing Batman down.
The scene changes again, and this time there’s noise in the background. Gordon is hugging his wife where the cops created the perimeter at the end of TDK. She then gets in the drivers seat of a cop car and we see that Gordon’s kids are sitting in the backseat. Gordon looks on as they begin to drive away.
Cop: C’mon, Gordon. We’ve gotta go.
Gordon nods and gets into the car with the cop. They’re the last ones there. The car quickly starts and begins to move.
Then there’s a cut back to Batman being chased. He’s veering in and out of traffic, until finally he takes an exit onto a street.
He seems to be in the clear momentarily, until all the cars that were chasing him on the highway appear behind him, followed shortly by a whole new batch of cop cars cutting him off from a side street. He zooms ahead of them.
We cut back to Gordon in the car with the cop.
Gordon (on his radio): This is commissioner Gordon. Does anyone have a location on the Batman?
Cop chasing Batman: Yes, sir. He’s heading North. Likely towards the city limits.
Cop in car with Gordon: Why would he be heading there?
Gordon: Traffic. People are still trying to escape the Joker’s threat.
It cuts back to Batman again, doing exactly what Gordon predicted. He approaches a huge line of traffic and veers inbetween them with ease. All the cop cars come to a screeching halt.
Cut to Gordon again.
Gordon: Where is he now?
Cop chasing Batman: He’s…. gone. Probably outside the city by now.
Cop in car with Gordon: Damn it! How can one guy outmanuever the entire Gotham police force?
Gordon: I don’t know. But now, I’m betting we probably won’t see him for a long time.
Cut to Batman. He’s driving on what looks to be some remote highway. He takes an exit and then the scene cuts to him driving past a “You are now entering Gotham City” sign. He approaches a large, empty tunnel (probably the tunnel the Joker made a threat on is my guess).
As he enters the tunnel he pulls out a cell phone looking thing (I think it’s the one he used to call Alfred in Batman Begins after Scarecrow gassed him).
Batman: Alfred, make sure there’s nobody near the bunker.
He hangs up and continues to drive through the tunnel by himself for a bit.
Then, just as he’s about to leave the tunnel, 2 giant trucks suddenly appear at the end of the tunnel, completely blocking his exit. At this point, he’s going too fast to stop so he swerves and hits the trucks HARD. Like really, it was bad. Then he’s laying on the ground, right next to the trucks.
Then Bane and his henchman emerge and slowly file out of the trucks. And yeah, Tom Hardy looks huge as Bane. I don’t know how they did it. Then the henchman stand by the trucks while Bane starts to walk towards Batman after a brief pause. And I gotta say, this scene is paced extremely well. There’s a lot of tension and suspense while you’re waiting for Bane to make his move.
Now Bane speaks in an extremely ghastly and eerie voice. I was skeptical at first, but it works very, very well.
Bane: I’ve been watching you for some time. Waiting. For the right moment.
Right now Batman looks like he’s regaining consciousness. He stands up and starts to try to walk away (he would never make it to the Batpod). Bane motions for his henchman to stay put and starts to walk closer to Batman.
Bane (to henchmen): He’s mine.
Bane continues walking, slowly.
Bane (back at Batman): The Joker was even more formidable than I anticipated.
Meanwhile Batman is desperately trying to limp away, but he’s hurt badly from the crash (plus he already looked pretty hurt from the fall at the end of TDK)
Bane: Using Harvey Dent was a brilliant tactic.
Batman is still trying to get away, but it’s at this point that Bane has “chased” him into a corner (he just walked), and the only place Batman has to go is through an open door and up some enclosed stairs that are built into the side of the tunnel. He feebly attempts to climb them, leaning heavily on the handrail.
The suspense continues to build as Bane merely watches Batman try to regain his composure.
Bane (as he’s still walking towards him and watching him climb the stairs): What exactly is it you’re running from? We both know where this is headed………. Bruce. (THIS PART was so freaking mind blowing. The line delivery and the change of pace in the music were so perfect that it made it overwhelmingly epic)
And right now is basically where that little scene we saw from the teaser happens – Batman is at the top now and completely FREEZES upon hearing “Bruce”. Then Bane suddenly starts to advance with surprising speed (and the music suddenly blares and gets intense) and Batman turns around and gets ready to fight even though he’s definitely in no condition to. Bane then ascends the stairs and thus begins the most intense part of the entire sequence.
Now we briefly get a better view of the place and see that they’re basically on a little bridge outside of the tunnel that curves around a bit and leads to more stairs that take you to higher ground outside the tunnel (where Bane’s henchman is standing in anticipation underneath a highway bridge). Batman throws the first punch at Bane, but Bane just grabs his arm. Batman is unable to break free from his grip so Bane elbows it with his other arm and all we hear is a loud SNAP as Batman screams out in pain.
Batman staggers away, but Bane instantly advances on him, not missing a beat and kicks him square in the stomach. Batman is knocked back hard by the kick as Bane continues to advance. In desperation, Batman quickly pulls out his grappling gun and latches onto the bridge above him, but Bane literally tackles him in midair as he’s flying upwards and they both fall down to the ground below.
Bane, of course, is basically unaffected by the fall but Batman is looking even worse than before – he’s lying on the floor, breathing extremely heavy, with evident damage to his suit.
Bane: You’re pathetic. I expected more.
A shot of Batman, who’s basically looking like he’s out for the count.
Bane: Get up and fight me.
Again, the pacing is so great here. Batman’s fear is palpable as he struggles to get up and face Bane. Finally, after considerable effort, he suddenly stands up and throws a Batarang at the light that’s lighting the lower level of the room they’re in. We briefly see Bane looking amused before things go dark.
Now the camera focuses on Bane in a low light setting, calmly walking around the handrails through the dark without even feeling his way around. Batman has managed to disappear.
Bane (here is where Hardy really shines, performing with incredible conviction and intensity after thus far just being an eerie and powerful presence): There’s no escape, Bruce. I can smell your fear.
(Here he walks without talking for a bit, the tension builds)
Bane: It does not matter how much you prolong the inevitable. After tonight, Batman is FINISHED.
(more walking, the score is a subtle constant screech)
Bane: (caps for intensity, he’s not literally shouting the whole time) Come fight me, Bruce. COME FIGHT ME OR I WILL FOCUS MY EFFORTS ON GOTHAM CITY. I WILL NOT REST UNTIL THE CITY IS IN FLAMES AND EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT IS DEAD. I AM BANE, AND I CAN KILL YOU.
Suddenly, Batman appears behind Bane and attempts to get him into a chokehold.
It seems to work.
…Until Bane’s henchmen suddenly pour light from above onto the two dueling titans below. Batman is taken by surprise, and Bane peels Batman’s arms off his neck, foiling his desperation attempt, elbows him in the face, turns around, grabs his head, and punches it with all his might. Batman begins to fall backwards.
Then, as Batman lays motionless on the ground,
Bane: Killing you would only end your agony.
Bane begins to put his arms underneath him…
Bane: …I want you to see what I’m going to do.
He lifts him high…
…And smashes the bat over his knee. All we hear is a deafening CRAAAAACCKKK, followed by Bane tossing Batman to the ground and then walking away from the screen.
Batman lays there, motionless; his face lifeless (it’s the same shot).
And the screen goes black.”
