The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan from a screenplay he co-wrote with his brother Jonathan. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the sequel to Batman Begins (2005) and the second installment in The Dark Knight Trilogy. In the film's plot, the superhero vigilante Batman, Police Lieutenant James Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent form an alliance to dismantle organized crime in Gotham City, but their efforts are derailed by the intervention of an anarchistic mastermind, the Joker, who seeks to test how far Batman will go to save the city from complete chaos. The ensemble cast includes Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan Freeman.

Warner Bros. Pictures prioritized a sequel following the successful reinvention of the Batman franchise with Batman Begins. Nolan developed the core story elements alongside Begins co-writer David S. Goyer, making Dent the central protagonist and tragic hero caught in the battle between Batman and the Joker. In writing the screenplay, the Nolans were influenced by various 1980s Batman comics and crime drama films while continuing the heightened reality tone of Begins. Filming took place from April to November 2007, on a $185 million budget, on location in Chicago, Hong Kong, and on sets in England. The Dark Knight is the first major motion picture filmed with high-resolution IMAX cameras. Nolan avoided using computer-generated imagery unless necessary, insisting on practical stunts including flipping an 18-wheel truck and blowing up a factory.

The Dark Knight was marketed with an innovative interactive viral campaign that partially focused on countering the initial backlash to Ledger's casting by those who believed he was a poor choice to portray the iconic character. Ledger died from an accidental overdose in January 2008, leading to widespread attention from the press and public regarding his performance. Released in July, The Dark Knight broke several box office records and went on to become the the highest-grossing film of the year, fourth highest-grossing film of its time, and the highest-grossing superhero film. It received critical acclaim for its mature tone and themes, visual style, and performances, particularly Ledger's, for which he received numerous posthumous awards including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, making The Dark Knight the first comic book film to receive a major Academy Award.

Since its release, The Dark Knight has been assessed as one of, if not the greatest superhero films ever made, one of the best films of the 2000s, and among the best films ever made. It was considerably influential on films eager to emulate its success by emulating its gritty and realistic tone to varying degrees of success and is considered the "blueprint" for modern superhero films, particularly for rejecting a comic book style for a genre film that happens to feature comic book characters. The Dark Knight has been analyzed for its themes regarding terrorism, as well as the limitations of morality and ethics. The United States Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2020. The film was followed by The Dark Knight Rises in 2012, concluding The Dark Knight Trilogy.