Warner Bros. Formally Announces ‘The Dark Knight’ Prologue Before ‘I Am Legend’ in IMAX

We already knew about this, of course, but Warner Bros. on Wednesday released its official announcement that “The Dark Knight” prologue will be featured in its entirety before “I Am Legend” in IMAX.

Both are Warner Bros. films. “I Am Legend” opens in theaters everywhere on Dec. 14. The first showing in Chicago will be at the Navy Pier IMAX screen (700 E. Grand Ave.) at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 14. “The Dark Knight” is slated to open everywhere on July 18, 2008.

A description of the prologue surfaced on Dec. 3. The prologue will be in IMAX 2D. Wednesday’s formal announcement was made by Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman.

The following information was sent to me in a statement:

The release of the opening six minutes of the movie marks the world premiere of the first footage ever shot with extremely high-resolution IMAX cameras for a major motion-picture release.

In an unprecedented move, director Christopher Nolan employed IMAX cameras for a number of sequences in “The Dark Knight”.

In the statement, Nolan said the following on the news:

I’ve always found the IMAX format to be completely astounding in terms of the crispness and clarity of the image and sound as well as the sheer size and scope.

I knew that if you could shoot scenes of a feature film in that format – not just blow up a 35-millimeter film to fit those screens but actually to shoot with IMAX cameras – you could achieve an incredibly immersive experience.

No one had ever done it before, but with a lot of careful preparation by our director of photography (Wally Pfister) and the help of the IMAX technicians, the results are beyond our expectations.

When you watch the finished product, it’s like being on an amazing roller coaster. It’s literally larger than life.

Will Smith in “I Am Legend”.
Photo credit: IMDb
I also received this information on the topic on Dec. 10:

Beginning at 11 p.m. on Dec. 13 in the Navy Pier IMAX theater lobby, ticket-holding audience members will be invited to join in a variety of “I Am Legend”-themed games.

A series of “last-man standing” competitions will dare contestants to be the last one standing while hopping on one foot, in a hoola-hoop contest and in a battle of the wits [that tests] fans on their knowledge of Will Smith’s acting history.

Prizes will include film paraphernalia, IMAX tickets, concession-stand coupons and a few surprise items.

Though we already know it, the following plot information was included in the Dec. 12 statement:

“The Dark Knight” reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale who reprises the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne. In the new film, Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime.

With the help of lieutenant Jim Gordon and district attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets.

The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker.

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