A theater chain is getting an early jump on bringing director Christopher Nolan's 2008 worldwide blockbuster The Dark Knight back to the big screen to celebrate the film's 10th anniversary. The Dark Knight, of course, was the middle film in Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, which began with 2005's Batman Begins and concluded in 2012 with The Dark Knight Rises. Starring Christian Bale as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Batman Begins marked a major turning point in the genre of comic book movies since Nolan took a gritty, real world approach to his films with little room for any fantasy elements.
The pinnacle of the trilogy from both a critical and domestic box office standpoint came with The Dark Knight, where Batman met his ultimate nemesis The Joker (Heath Ledger). Ledger's tragic death after filming sadly added a haunting yet deeply impactful element to the film, which not only went on to capture an astounding $534.8 million in ticket sales domestically, but another $469.7 million overseas to cross the $1 billion mark globally. The Dark Knight also earned Ledger a posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and in response to a public outcry over the lack of a Best Picture nomination for the film, it led the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to expand the number of nods for the top Oscar from five to 10.
Related: Ledger Told Bale to Really Hit Him in The Dark Knight
With 2018 upon us, at least one film chain is already making plans to celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Dark Knight with a pair of special screenings. Showcase Cinemas, a small East Coast chain with theaters in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, will show the film on Thursday, February 8 and Sunday, February 11.
Showcase Cinemas' screenings of The Dark Knight seem to stem from an individual decision by the chain to show the film, which officially doesn't turn 10 until July 18. Don't be surprised, though, if Warner Brothers commemorates the 10th anniversary when that time comes, either through some sort of event screenings nationwide, a special edition video release of the film or both.
For some, the return of The Dark Knight to theaters may soothe the aches caused by the portrayal of the character by Ben Affleck in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, which hasn't earned nearly the amount of acclaim that Bale's version did. Not everybody has caught Affleck's turn as Batman/Bruce Wayne, however. Bale recently says he has not seen either of Affleck's Batman films, not because he doesn't want to, just because between work and parenting, he hasn't found the time.
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Source: Showcase Cinemas