Dark Knight, The

The Dark Knight is an American feature film in the superhero fantasy genre. It is the second installment in the Batman film series directed by Christopher Nolan and follows 2005's Batman Begins. It is succeeded by The Dark Knight Rises in 2012. The screenplay was written by Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer based on characters originally developed by comic book writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane. It was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and released theatrically in the United States on July 18th, 2008. The film stars Christian Bale, reprising the role of Bruce Wayne, aka Batman. Returning co-stars include Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Gary Oldman as James Gordon and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox. The role of Rachel Dawes is now played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, who replaces Katie Holmes from Batman Begins. The featured villains for this film are the Joker, played by Heath Ledger and Two Face, played by Aaron Eckhart. Actor Cillian Murphy makes a brief appearance in the movie as well, reprising the role of the Scarecrow. The Dark Knight is notable for being the final film for actor Heath Ledger, who passed away on January 22nd, 2008 from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.