For two movies now, Christopher Nolan has had his Gotham in the form of a CG augmented Chicago skyline. Now, with his latest outing in the “Batman” franchise (as a director, at least), it looks like the Dark Knight may take wing in another city, much to the displeasure of one Chicago resident (hint: he’s writing this article). Reel Chicago is reporting that Chicago has (apparently) lost out to another city as a primary location for filming (which will also take place in L.A., the U.K. and Asia). The kicker is that the Windy City has lost to (wait for it…) Detroit.
Reel Chicago had this to say: “Detroit won out over Chicago as a location for writer/director Christopher Nolan's latest Batman entry, The Dark Knight Rises. Instead of shooting here, as originally announced, the movie will film in Detroit. Starting in May, it also will shoot in New Orleans, and two locations in the UK.”
The likely cause can be summed up in two words: tax incentives. Michigan has become a new found hotspot for Hollywood films due to incentives offered by the financially strapped state, incentives that Warner Bros. was not going to ignore. Given that they’re (likely) going to give Nolan whatever budget he wants and with the possibility of the entire film being shot in the IMAX format (not cheap), if they can get a hit with the taxes, it’s no surprise. Still, it makes one wonder what “Rises” may focus on: Gotham’s dingy automotive industry?
