I just had a major flashback to 2004. It was a decade ago(!), that I and a group of close friends, then-known as a ragtag band of independent troublemakers filmmakers that used the streets of Waukegan, Illinois as our personal backlot, paid a visit to the set of Christopher Nolan’s BATMAN BEGINS. It was then that they’d come to film part of the epic “Chase to the Batcave” scene on the never-completed Amstutz Expressway – the famed “road to nowhere” used as a filming location for THE BLUES BROTHERS, GROUNDHOG DAY, and countless other film and television projects. Armed with a MiniDV camera, we provided (via IGN) the Internet one of it’s first-looks at The Tumblr, the functional, real-world Batmobile (though never officially called that) that would feature so heavily in Nolan’s DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY. But that was 2004, and here we are again for 2014…
Earlier today, Director Zack Snyder tweeted a photo of The Batmobile (one of them, at least) that will feature in his upcoming MAN OF STEEL follow-up, BATMAN Vs. SUPERMAN. While tempting viewers with the prospect of pulling the tarp “tomorrow,” my theory is that they’re about to film something involving The Batmobile within the next couple of days, and unlike 2004, when folks like myself gave the world some grainy, low-rez looks at their creation (no smartphones), the folks at Warner Bros. want to do this up right with a proper look at this new ride before guerilla footage starts popping up on YouTube.
No doubt taking some inspiration from Nolan’s Tumbler (those big back wheels), this 2014 Batmobile also looks to have the length and styling that will make fans of the comic books and video games very happy. Personally, I can’t wait to see what’s under that tarp in it’s full glory… but there’s also been rumblings that General Motors might be working on something else for Ben Affleck’s Batman or Bruce Wayne to hit the streets of Gotham in.
Stay tuned for more official news on BATMAN Vs. SUPERMAN as I have it.
Oh, and that 2004 footage? IGN (who hosted it after my old site crashed back then) still has it in the gloriously-small Windows Media format. Check out the three clips here, here and here.
