The Dark Knight Script

THE DARK KNIGHT
by
Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan

Story by
Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer

Batman created by
Bob Kane

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BURNING. Massive flames. A dark shape emerges- The BAT
SYMBOL. Growing. Filling the screen with BLACKNESS.
CUT TO:
DAYLIGHT. Moving over the towers of downtown Gotham...
Closing in on anoffice building... On a large window...
Which SHATTERS to revealINT. OFFICE, HIGH RISE -- DAY
A man in a CLOWN MASK holding a SMOKING SILENCED PISTOL
ejects a shell casing. This is DOPEY. He turns to a second
man, HAPPY, also in clown mask, who steps forward with a
CABLE LAUNCHER, aims at a lower roof across the street and
FIRES a cable across. Dopey secures the line to an I-beam
line- CLAMPon- sends a KIT BAG out then steps OUT the
window...
EXT. HIGH-RISE -- DAY
...into space. The men SLIDE across the DIZZYING DROP...
landing on the lower roof across the street.
EXT. DOWNTOWN GOTHAM -- DAY
A MAN on the corner, back to us, holding a CLOWN MASK. An
SUV pulls up. The man gets in, puts on his mask. Inside the
car- two other men wearing CLOWN MASKS.
GRUMPY
Three of a kind.Let's do this.
One of the Clowns looks up from loading his automatic weapon.
That's it?

CHUCKLES
Three guys?

GRUMPY
There's two on the roof. Every guy
is an extra share. Five shares is
plenty.
CHUCKLES
Six shares. Don't forget the guy who
planned the job.
GRUMPY
Yeah? He thinks he can sit it out
and still take a slice then I get why
they call him the Joker.
Grumpy cocks hisweapon. Bozo pulls the car over in front of
the GOTHAM FIRST NATIONAL BANK.

2.

EXT. ROOFTOP, BANK -- CONTINUOUS
Dopey PRIES open an access panelHAPPY
Why do they call him the Joker?
DOPEY
I heard he wears make-up.
Make-up?

HAPPY

Dopey pulls out thick bundles of blue CAT 5 cables.
Yeah.

DOPEY
To scare people.

War paint.

EXT. BANK -- CONTINUOUS
Grumpy, Chuckles and Bozo getout of the car and march into
the bank CARRYING ASSAULT RIFLESINT. BANK -- DAY
The Security Guard looks up- Grumpy FIRES into the ceiling.
Customers SCREAM. Chuckles CRACKS the Security Guard.
As Grumpy and Bozo round up the hostages, one of the TELLERS
presses a button mounted beneath her window- a SILENT ALARM.
EXT. ROOFTOP -- DAY
Dopey watches the alarm PING his handheld.
DOPEY
Herecomes the silent alarm.
(touches a button)
And there it goes. That's funny.
didn't dial out to 911- it was
trying to reach a private number.

It

Behind him, Happy RAISES his silenced HANDGUN.
HAPPY
Is it a problem?
No, no.

DOPEY
I'm done here.

Happy SHOOTS. Dopey SLUMPS. Happy picks up his bag and
FORCES OPEN the roof access door...
INT. STAIRWELL, BANK -- DAY
...and speedsdown the stairs, to the basement.
open the door...

He SLAMS

3.

INT. VAULT ROOM, BANK -- DAY
...and comes face to face with a huge VAULT.
INT. LOBBY, BANK -- DAY
Bozo and Grumpy move down the line of hostages- Bozo hands
each Hostage OBJECTS from a bag. A GRENADE. Grumpy follows,
PULLING THE PINS.
GRUMPY
Obviously, we don't want you doing
anything with your hands other than
holdingon for dear life.
BLAM. Chuckles is BLOWN OFF HIS FEET- Grumpy and Bozo DIVE
for cover- the Bank Manager steps out of his office, SHOTGUN
in hand. Hostages SCRAMBLE, CLINGING their grenades...
INT. VAULT ROOM, BANK -- DAY
Happy CLAMPS a DRILL to the vault- the bit SPINS- SLIDES into
the metal door- a BOLT of ELECTRICITY RIPS THROUGH THE DRILL,
THROWING HAPPY TO THE FLOORINT. LOBBY, BANK --DAY
Grumpy and Bozo cower as the Bank Manager FIRES again.
GRUMPY
He's got three left?
Bozo raises TWO fingers. Grumpy squeezes off a SHOT. The
Bank Manager FIRES. FIRES again. Grumpy looks at Bozo, who
nods. Grumpy JUMPS UP.
The Bank Manager FIRES- Grumpy GRUNTS as buckshot CLIPS his
shoulder. FALLS. The Bank Manager moves in for the kill,
FUMBLING for new shells. Bozo STANDS- SHOOTS...