The Dark Knight
“Welcome to a world without rules.”
Synopsis
Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the 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.
Part of the The Dark Knight Collection
Stream the entire interconnected saga and experience every installment in chronological storyline order.
Release History & Theatrical Window
Buenos Aires
Festival / Special Debut
July 18, 2008
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$185M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$1B
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
5.43x
+$819.6M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Christopher Nolan
- Screenplay & Story
- Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan
- Original Score
- Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard
- Original Title
- The Dark Knight
- Country of Origin
- United Kingdom, United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English, Mandarin
- Runtime
- 2h 32m
- Production Budget
- $185M
- Worldwide Gross
- $1B
- Production Studios
- Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures, Syncopy, DC
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Christian Bale
Bruce Wayne
Heath Ledger
Joker
Aaron Eckhart
Harvey Dent
Michael Caine
Alfred
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Rachel
Gary Oldman
Gordon
Morgan Freeman
Lucius Fox
Monique Gabriela Curnen
Ramirez
Ron Dean
Wuertz
Cillian Murphy
Scarecrow
Chin Han
Lau
Nestor Carbonell
Mayor
Eric Roberts
Maroni
Ritchie Coster
Chechen
Anthony Michael Hall
Engel
Keith Szarabajka
Stephens
Colin McFarlane
Loeb
Joshua Harto
Reese
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Christopher Nolan
Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan, David S. Goyer, Bob Kane
Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard
Wally Pfister
Lee Smith
Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Thomas Tull, Michael Uslan
Department Leadership Roster
Jonathan Nolan
Screenplay
Hans Zimmer
Original Music Composer
Wally Pfister
Director of Photography
James Newton Howard
Original Music Composer
Christopher Nolan
Producer
Charles Roven
Producer
Emma Thomas
Producer
Christopher Nolan
Screenplay
Lee Smith
Editor
Nathan Crowley
Production Design
Lindy Hemming
Costume Design
Pierre Buffin
Visual Effects Supervisor
Paul Franklin
Visual Effects Supervisor
Ian Hunter
Visual Effects Supervisor
Tim Webber
Visual Effects Supervisor
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Original Theatrical TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2014-07-09
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
International Certification Matrix
12 Accompanied — Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult.
Parental Guidance for children below the age of 12.
Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Dark Knight.
Movies Watched
Movie Watched List
Watched Movies
Watched Movies
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-09 07:37:15 UTC+8)*
Letterboxd's Top 250 Films with the Most Fans
Letterboxd's official Top 250 films with the most fans. Letterboxd 官方粉丝最多 Top 250 榜单： 按被平台用户标记为个人主页‘最爱（Favorites）’的数量对剧情长片进行排序的榜单。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-09 07:35:25 UTC+8)*
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films. Ranks narrative feature films by average member rating (minimum 25,000 ratings). Excludes documentaries, shorts, and TV series. Letterboxd 官方 Top 500 电影榜单： 根据用户平均评分排名的剧情长片（最低2.5万评价门槛）。已排除纪录片、短片及剧集。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-09 07:35:06 UTC+8)*
TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-09 07:30:02 UTC+8)*
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Dark Knight.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Dark Knight
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Dark Knight about?
Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the 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.
Who directed The Dark Knight?
The Dark Knight was directed by Christopher Nolan.
Who stars in The Dark Knight?
The principal cast of The Dark Knight includes Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal.
When was The Dark Knight released and how long is it?
The Dark Knight was released in 2008 with a total runtime of 2h 32m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Dark Knight?
The Dark Knight had a reported production budget of $185M and grossed $1B at the worldwide box office (5.43 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for The Dark Knight?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Dark Knight was composed by Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard.
Is The Dark Knight based on a book or true story?
The Dark Knight is adapted from the following source material: Characters: "Bob Kane".
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Dark Knight?
The Dark Knight holds official age classifications: AU: M; CA: 14A; DE: 16; FR: 12; GB: 12A (12 Accompanied — Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult.); IN: UA (Parental Guidance for children below the age of 12.); US: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.).