July 29, 2011 13:19

'The Dark Knight Rises' shoot welcomed in Pittsburgh

'Superman: Man Of Steel' also gears up to begin filming

Filming will begin on the American segment of The Dark Knight Rises production today (July 29), with cast and crew ready for action in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The cast and crew were welcomed to the city by a projected bat symbol on the side of Fifth Avenue Place building (see above). In reply to the gesture, set up by Lightwave International Inc, the key players in the film gave their thanks to the people of Pittsburgh.

In a press conference extolling the virtues of The City of Bridges, Batman star Christian Bale said:

I've never been to Pittsburgh before but I'm really looking forward to filming in your city and fighting in your streets a great deal. Thanks very much for your generosity, spirit and hospitality. We'll try and stay out of your hair as much as possible and leave with good memories for everybody.

Director Christopher Nolan expressed a similar sentiment, describing the location as a "very beautiful city on a very impressive scale in a community that hasn't lost its human scale".

On the other Nolan-related film, Superman: Man Of Steel – which he is set to produce – pre-production has began in earnest with news that the shoot will require the closure of the US52 bridge in Illinois for three whole days.

The new Superman film has seen its release date pushed back from December 2012 to summer 2013.

The Batman film, however, looks like it's as on course as ever, with production due to end on its Pittsburgh shoot on August 20.

The Dark Knight Rises is due for release on July 20 2012.