The Dark Knight is an upcoming 2008 American superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman. The film is a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins, which rebooted the Batman franchise after an eight-year hiatus. Christopher Nolan returns as the director, and Christian Bale reprises the lead role. Batman's primary conflicts in the film come from his fight against the Joker (Heath Ledger) and his strained friendship with district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart).

For the film, Nolan took inspiration from the Joker's first two appearances in the comics, and like the first film, he used Batman: The Long Halloween as a major influence on the story. The Dark Knight was filmed primarily in Chicago, (as was Batman Begins), as well as several other locations in and outside the United States. The director used an IMAX camera to film four major action sequences, including the Joker's first appearance in the film. The Batsuit was redesigned, with a cowl allowing Bale to move his head. A recreation of the Batcycle, known as the Batpod, will be introduced.

Warner Bros. undertook a viral marketing campaign for The Dark Knight: several websites were created which revealed details of the film, such as screenshots, as a reward for collaboration among Batman fans. Other marketing includes a new toy line as well as an animated direct-to-DVD anthology titled Batman: Gotham Knight that is set between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. The film will be released on July 17,2008 in Australia followed by the United States on July 18,2008 and on July 25,2008 in the United Kingdom.

Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker. Written by Peteagassi