By: Scott Johnson on January 4, 2012
If Christopher Nolan had produced the perfect Dark Knight Rises prologue, then the media would have talked about it for about a week. However, the Dark Knight Rises prologue contained just enough imperfections that three weeks later the prologue is still a hot media topic. Nolan is getting the type of press that you just can’t buy.
When criticism of Bane’s voice first surfaced earlier in December, there was much speculation over if Warner Bros. would push Christopher Nolan to tweak the audio. In fact, various news outlets reported having the inside scoop that Bane’s voice would either definitely be fixed or definitely not be fixed.
Most recently, Collider.com reported that there was a new audio mix for The Dark Knight Rises prologue sent to IMAX cinemas. Several other media outlets picked up the story, and it spread rapidly across the Internet. While Warner Bros. is usually quiet on Dark Knight Rises rumors, they wasted no time in setting the record straight in this instance. Warner Bros. vehemently denied that any changes to Bane’s dialogue had been made, and Collider.com has subsequently posted a retraction of and apology about the story.
It’s interesting that out of all the off-the-wall rumors that circulate about The Dark Knight Rises that Warner Bros. was quick to address this one. Some have speculated that Christopher Nolan intentionally made Bane’s voice difficult to understand as a plot element or to keep the audience listening intently. I’m starting to wonder if it might have been intentional for another reason. Bane’s voice has inspired tons of Dark Knight Rises parody videos and news stories. It’s a viral sensation, so it’s no wonder that Warner Bros. was quick to squelch any rumors that it had been fixed.
