The third and final instalment of the Christopher Nolan Batman movies was filmed in Britain, India and the USA with New York playing its part and its there that we start this entry as its fair to say that this one is far more loved than ‘Batman Forever‘.
The aerial shots of Gotham City are not surprisingly (especially in an article about the locations of this famous city!) the skyscrapers of Manhattan in New York and the entrance to ‘Wayne Enterprises’ is Trump Tower (below) on 725 5th Avenue at East 56th Street. Perhaps this was chosen to reflect the similarities in celebrity businessman status between Donald Trump and Bruce Wayne.
The exterior of Gotham City Stock Exchange is on Wall Street and its the JPMorgan Building at number 23 (below left) on the corner of Broad Street which is used though sadly it was under construction when I was in town which can be one of the most frustrating things on such location hunting expeditions. For the record, it’s interior was filmed all the way over in Los Angeles.
Though strictly not New York, Military Park Station in New Jersey is close enough to the Big Apple to be combined with though I never did make it to this subway tunnel on the Newark Light Rail which is where Kyle lures Batman into Bane’s trap. When Gotham is later closed off under Bane’s power Queensboro Bridge (above right) over the East River in New York can be briefly seen with tanks lined up on it.
Whilst ‘The Dark Knight Rises‘ is generally considered to be much better than ‘Batman Forever‘ it doesn’t mean that the 1995 film directed by Joel Schumacher wasn’t without its hype. Val Kilmer had taken over the main role from Michael Keaton and with a support cast including Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey and Nicole Kidman it was a strong line-up. Batman’s partner Robin (Chris O’Donnell) also entered the fray and one of my favourite ever bands U2 recorded the much anticipated soundtrack ‘Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me’ which I can even remember DJ Simon Mayo playing twice in succession when it got its first ever airplay on BBC Radio One.
Bruce Wayne arrives at Surrogate’s Court on 31 Chambers Street (below) at Centre Street in Lower Manhattan and this was the office exterior of Dr Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman). I didn’t have the screenshots with me when I went here early one morning so sadly I didn’t snap the place from the angles where Wayne is seen on 29 minutes.
All of Gotham society including Wayne and Chase turn up at The Ritz Gotham Hotel on 70 minutes where Edward Nygma (Jim Carrey) has his party is also in Lower Manhattan and is in fact the old US Customs House on 1 Bowling Green at Broadway. It is now the National Museum of the American Indian (below) and also featured in ‘Ghostbusters II‘.
You can see the London Filming Locations of Batman here.
Beyond The Movies 