Flame-Throwing Batmobile heralds Dark Knight’s arrival in London
Having already made box-office history in America over the weekend, last night saw the European Premiere of The Dark Knight in London.
As hundreds of bat-fans lined the streets, many dressed as Batman and the Joker, stars of the caped comic book blockbuster Christian Bale, Sir Michael Caine and Maggie Gyllenhaal rolled in to greet the crowds in an angular, flame-throwing Batmobile, injecting some Hollywood glamour into Leicester Square. The red carpet outside is in marked contrast to the black one unveiled for the world premiere in New York.
The event followed a phenomenal opening weekend in the US which took $155 million (£77.7m) at the box-office, beating the previous best of $151 million (£75.6m) set by Spiderman 3 last year.
Yesterday’s event was more upbeat than last week’s US premiere, in which a black carpet had been rolled out in memory of the late Heath Ledger who died of a drug overdose earlier this year. However, as with the New York premiere, the cast members wore black in the Australian movie star’s honour. Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is known for her bold fashion choices, attracted attention in particular as she donned a black plunging jumpsuit from the Stella McCartney Spring/Summer collection.
The actors praised Ledger’s performance, with Michael Caine saying he “would give good money” to see a performance this year that topped it. Maggie Gyllenhaal said that the late actor had been “inspiring” to work with, and said that he deserved a posthumous Oscar for his work on the film. “In a way I feel funny thinking about [the] Oscars because he isn’t alive,” she said. “But at the same time, I am a member of the Academy and I will vote for him.”
The last Oscar to be given posthumously was to Peter Finch for his performance in Network in 1977. Dark Knight star Christian Bale, who plays the role of Batman, is facing questioning by the police after it was alleged he attacked his mother and sister in the room where they were staying at the Dorchester hotel on the night before the premiere. The metropolitan police have so far refused to comment on the allegations, although they did say that they had received a complaint from another force which they are currently investigating.
