Third 'Dark Knight' to film in Pittsburgh

Dark Knight

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Criminals beware, Batman will be on the beat this summer in Pittsburgh.

Film director Christopher Nolan, who has helmed the two previous Batman films — starring Christian Bale as the caped crime fighter and his alter ego, Bruce Wayne — said Tuesday the Pennsylvania city will host filming for a third film for at least a month.

"Pittsburgh is a beautiful city. We have been able to find everything we were looking for here and I am excited to spend the summer in Pittsburgh with our final installment of Batman," he said in a statement, adding that he finally settled on the city because of its architecture and diverse sampling of locations.

Mayor Luke Ravensthahl said the decision was "another example of the growing film industry in our community and we will be rolling out the red carpet for them."

The city is no stranger to film productions, having been the location for more than 100 film and television products since 1990, including "I Am Number Four" and Kevin Smith's "Zack & Miri Make A Porno."

The Pittsburgh Film Office is a non-profit economic development agency that markets southwest Pennsylvania as a location for filming.

"Film production means jobs for Pennsylvanians, it's as simple as that," Office director Dawn Keezer said. "A single film can mean millions of dollars and many local jobs. A franchise as prestigious as Batman opens our region up to an entirely new audience as filmmakers and studio executives experience southwestern Pennsylvania."

She said filming could last between four and six weeks and will start in July. The film, "The Dark Knight Rises," is scheduled to be released in July 2012, and stars Bale, Gary Oldman, and Anne Hathaway as Catwoman.

The previous two films include "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight."