PHOTOS: The Dark Knight Rises

"The Dark Knight Rises" is the conclusion to Christopher Nolan's trilogy of Batman films, and takes place eight years after the events of 2008's "The Dark Knight." As seen in Nolan's previous films, the world of Gotham City confronts terrorism and political anarchy in an epic that is anything but comic book in its emotional depth. Credit: Warner Brothers

Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Michael Caine as Alfred in "The Dark Knight Rises." Caine says of his character, "In terms of the audience, Alfred represents us in this incredible world. He is our spokesman. He's not tough like the others; he reacts like an ordinary human being in this situation." Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Scenes set in Gotham City were filmed in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, and the New York City area. Left: The production team brought artificial snow to the streets of Pittsburgh while filming in the middle of summer 2011.

Batman (Christian Bale) takes aim in "The Dark Knight Rises." Credit: Warner Brothers

Director Christopher Nolan with Morgan Freeman and Christan Bale on the set of "The Dark Knight Rises." Freeman said he did not play hard to get to return for the sequel: "Absolutely not. Reading the the script was like, wow! How do people come up with my name for stuff like this? It's wonderful!"

I would have played a footstool in this movie," said Anne Hathaway, the latest actress to portray Catwoman (though she is not referred to by that name). Her character of Selina Kyle - a cat burglar - is not a dichotomy of two contrasting personas the way Bruce Wayne/Batman is.

The full-size version of the flying vehicle, dubbed The Bat, was 30 feet long and 17 feet wide, with a two-person cockpit and dual-anchored machine guns

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (another alumnus of "Inception") joined the cast of "The Dark Knight Rises" as Gotham City Police Officer John Blake.

The Bat in "The Dark Knight Rises." Nolan said of Imax, "It's the best possible quality image when you film with their cameras, and you project that film in the theatres with those huge screens. There's really no other way to do that with any other imaging technology.

Director Christopher Nolan and his wife, producer Emma Thomas, arrive at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, to promote "The Dark Knight Rises," April 24, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Director, writer and producer Christopher Nolan, center, who was honored with a hand and footprint ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, poses with "The Dark Knight Rises" stars (Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway and Christian Bale) on July 7, 2012, in Hollywood, Calif. Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Tom Hardy as Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises." In her wardrobe for Bane, costume designer Lindy Hemming told GQ magazine that her concept was a cross between a dictator and a revolutionary, and so her design of his coat combined elements of a Swedish army jacket and a French Revolution frock coat.Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Tom Hardy as Bane and Christian Bale as Batman in a confrontation from "The Dark Knight Rises."

Three-year-old Alex Agostini shows his excitement after getting to see the Batmobile from the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises," at Electronic Arts in Burnaby, B.C., on Tuesday April 17, 2012. Credit: AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck

A vehicle from "The Dark Knight Rises" makes an appearance before the qualifying practice of the MotoGp Of Holland, at TT Circuit Assen on June 29, 2012 in Assen, Netherlands. Credit: Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images

Marion Cotillard, who starred in Christopher Nolan's last feature, "Inception," is featured as philanthropist Miranda Tate in "The Dark Knight Rises."

Director Christopher Nolan on the set of "The Dark Knight Rises."

Bane (Tom Hardy) and his mercenaries invade Gotham City's stock exchange in "The Dark Knight Rises."Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Tom Hardy as the villain Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises." Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

A "Tumbler" is blown up on Wall Street during filming of "The Dark Knight Rises" in New York. Credit: AP Photo/Darla Khazei

Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman in "The Dark Knight Rises." Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

With the 2005 "Batman Begins," Christopher Nolan revisited the origins of Bruce Wayne and his creation of the winged vigilante as part of a darker, more realistic world. Nolan followed with "The Dark Knight" (2008), featuring Heath Ledger's bravura performance as The The Joker, an anarchist who tries to bring Gotham City to its knees. Ledger won a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Christian Bale as Batman in a scene from "The Dark Knight Rises."

A view from a helicopter, filming "Dark Knight Rises" stunt work in the skies over Inverness, Scotland, as four stuntmen cling to the fuselage of a plane.

Christian Bale as billionaire Bruce Wayne - a scion of the "1%" - and Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle - a cat burglar with her own antipathy for the super-rich - in "The Dark Knight Rises."

Tom Hardy as Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises." Hardy's other notable roles include Nolan's "Inception"; "Black Hawk Down," "Layer Cake," "RocknRolla," Nicolas Winding Refn's "Bronson," "This Means War," "Warrior," "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," "Lawless," and TV's "Band of Brothers" and "Wuthering Heights.

Production designer Nathan Crowley created the sets constructed in England for "The Dark Knight Rises," including the underworld of Gotham City.

Tom Hardy as Bane and Christian Bale as Batman in "The Dark Knight Rises."

Anne Hathaway as Catwoman in "The Dark Knight Rises."

Gary Oldman (an Oscar nominee for last year's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy") returns as Police Commissioner Gordon in "The Dark Knight Rises."

Teaser poster for "The Dark Knight Rises." The film premieres July 20, Credit: Warner Brothers2012.