The Dark Knight is once again being celebrated as perhaps the greatest superhero of all time on the 15th anniversary of its release. And in anticipation of another Christopher Nolan film coming out this week, Oppenheimer — and its competition, Barbie — people are also celebrating the proto-Barbenheimer rivalry that occurred way back then.
It’s hard to believe the iconic Heath Ledger performance as the Joker, which won him a posthumous Oscar, was released way back on July 18, 2008. The film is arguably so timeless it feels like it came out yesterday.
Though there certainly is some computer-generated imagery in the movie, many of the scenes that stand the test of time the most in The Dark Knight were created using practical effects in-camera. This was a rarity back then and even less common today, which many fans rightfully celebrate.
And who can forget Ledger’s iconic introduction in the bank heist scene, which also represented the first use of a feature film scene filmed with IMAX cameras?
With Oppenheimer and Barbie‘s dual release hitting cinemas this weekend, it can be easy to forget The Dark Knight had a somewhat similar rivalry with the much more light-hearted musical film Mamma Mia!
It’s funny to think that there was a time when fans lashed back against the casting of Ledger, only for him to turn in one of the greatest performances in movie history.
Even after The Dark Knight‘s triumph 15 years ago, Nolan fans are eating well these days, with his latest film Oppenheimer hitting theaters on July 21.