The Artists of 'The Dark knight Rises' (2012) - Update

Here are some of the artists that worked on the superhero film The Dark Knight Rises (2012). There are many talented artists involved in the production of a film. These are only some of them according to IMDb and my own research.

One artist I spoke with suggested there's a gag order on them, so it might be only after the film opens that we get the full list. If you know of any other artists, please let me know in the comments or via my contact form.

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Production Design
Nathan Crowley  IMDb
Kevin Kavanaugh IMDb

Storyboard Artists
Gabriel Hardman gabrielhardman.com

Concept Artists/Illustrators
Callum Strachan callumbo.blogspot.com
Tully Summers tullysummers.com
Eddie Yang - eddieyang.com

Official Synopsis:
Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises” is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.

It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act.

But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane.

Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar(R) winner Christian Bale (“The Fighter”) again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar(R) winner Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake. Returning to the main cast, Oscar(R) winner Michael Caine (“The Cider House Rules”) plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar(R) winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”) reprises the role of Lucius Fox. The screenplay is written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on “Batman Begins” and the record-breaking blockbuster “The Dark Knight.” The executive producers are Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. The film is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane.

US Release Date: July 20, 2012
Official Site:

What do you think of the film? What do you think of the artists? Have you seen their other work?

'The Dark Knight Rises' Is A 'War Film' Says Concept Artist

Recently, there was an interview with concept artist Tully Summers where he described the Christopher Nolan film The Dark Knight Rises as a "war zone."

The French site CineWebRadio has a fascinating interview with concept artist Tully Summers (Men in Black 3, Thor, Avatar, Green Lantern) where he talks about many things, but gives a few nods to the upcoming Batman sequel.

You work mainly on the science fiction, fantastic, or fantasy film. But this year you work on The Dark Knight Rises. How does this change to work on the next Batman (with a realistic style) than your previous films?
The difference for me was Christopher Nolan’s visual style. One of the things that makes his Batman movies so compelling is their tone of plausibility. He will often prefer a raw, grittier design over one that is very sleek and product design pretty. It’s sort of a practical military aesthetic. This stuff is made to work, not impress shoppers. The Dark Knight Rises is a war film. 

He also talks about the criticism of the costumes from the set pictures.

 Films like Batman are meticulously planned. Every shot is storyboarded, framed, lighted and choreographed to camera. Any photos taken that are not from the intended camera are out of context. In a sense it’s like judging Sesame Street or the Muppets from a set photo: “That’s ridiculous! There’s a whole guy hanging out that character!” Christopher Nolan is a consummate filmmaker. Consider his body of work and his first 2 Batman movies. I don’t think fans will be disappointed.

I remember Gary Oldman said the concept art for Catwoman is amazing, so I can't wait for it to be released.

Read the rest of the interview here here. See more of Tully Summers protfolio at http://www.tullysummers.com/ and http://redenginestudios.deviantart.com/.

What do you think? Will The Dark Knight Rises be a 'war film?"
Via Comic Book Movie

Slamming Thor Concept Art

Last week, some new images of the movie Thor (2011) hit the net and a lot of people hated the costume design.

Here are some pictures of the released concept art a while back. I'm skeptical that these images were ever used for pre-production, but, with the industry moving more towards CGI and digital effects it's possible.

Compare to the original costume design by Jack Kirby.

The movie has a ton of concept artists attached to it, so I have no idea who created them. Here's the list from IMDB: James Carson (concept artist), Vance Kovacs (concept artist), Ron Mendell (concept artist), Kurtis Richmond (concept artist Fuel: VFX), Raj Rihal (concept artist), Maury Ruiz (concept artist: Legacy Effects), Craig Shoji (concept artist), Tully Summers (concept artist), Daphne Yap (concept artist).

[Image Source: Collider.com]