BLAKE
(into radio)
Get Commissioner Gordon. Tell him I’ve got a line on the Congressman’s kidnapping.
Blake pulls out to follow.
INT. TERMINAL, GOTHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – DAY 133
Selina moves through the terminal. She clocks a Uniform Cop staring at her – ducks down a service hallway.
INT. SERVICE HALLWAY, AIRPORT – CONTINUOUS 134
The Uniform rounds the corner to find Selina applying make-up.
UNIFORM
Excuse me, Miss. I need to see your ticket and identification, please.
Selina, surprised, fumbles with her purse.
SELINA
Would you mind?
She hands the Uniform her hat – punches him through the brim, stuffs him in a closet – plants her mangled hat on his head.
INT. JETWAY, AIRPORT – MOMENTS LATER 135
Selina makes her way down the jetway – spots Security at the far end – turns – Blake smiles at her. Badge in hand.
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM, AIRPORT – DAY 136
Selina, now in cuffs, looks up as Blake walks in.
BLAKE
I showed your picture to the Congressman and guess what?
SELINA
Don’t tell me, still in love?
BLAKE
Head over heels. Pressing charges, though.
Blake lays a police file down with a thump.
You’ve made some mistakes, Ms. Kyle.
SELINA
Girl’s gotta eat.
BLAKE
You have an appetite. Why run? You can’t hide from us with this record.
SELINA
Maybe it’s not you I’m running from.
BLAKE
Who then? Bane? What do you know about him?
SELINA
(quiet)
That you should be as afraid of him as I am.
BLAKE
We can offer you protection …
Selina looks at him with contempt. Blake shrugs, switches off the tape, moves to the door.
BLAKE
When I spotted you, I was looking for a friend … Bruce Wayne.
Selina turns to look at Blake. His eyes plead with her.
BLAKE
Did they kill him?
SELINA
I’m not sure.
And we –
Cut to:
Black screen. Sounds: screaming, laughing, crying. Sights: light, bodies falling, a dark skull … And we are –
INT. STONE CELL – DAWN 137
Wayne opens his eyes. Unshaven. Filthy. Someone else is in the cell – Wayne cannot move to look – even the attempt is painful … the skull drifts into his sight. Bane. Squatting at Wayne’s bedside, muscled shoulders curving into his mask.
WAYNE
Why didn’t you just kill me?
BANE
You don’t fear death. You welcome it. Your punishment is to be more severe.
WAYNE
(scathing)
You’re a torturer …
BANE
Yes. But not of your body. Of your soul.
Wayne exhales. Eyes losing focus from sheer pain.
WAYNE
Where am I?
BANE
Home.
Wayne’s eyes dart about: filthy stone walls, distant sunlight from above, iron bars: an underground prison.
Where I learned the truth about despair. As will you. (Rises.) There is a reason that this prison is the worst hell on earth …
Bane steps to the bars – looks up at a bright opening five hundred feet above. Like being at the bottom of a gigantic well.
Hope. Every man who has rotted here over the centuries has looked up to the light and imagined climbing to freedom. So simple, so easy. And, like shipwrecked men turning to sea water from uncontrollable thirst, many have died trying. I learned here that there can be no true despair without hope. (Turns to Wayne.) So as I terrorize Gotham, I will feed its people hope to poison their souls. I will let them believe they can survive so that you can watch them clamber over each other to stay in the sun …
Bane points to an old TV, just outside the bars.
You will watch as I torture an entire city to cause you pain you thought you could never feel again. Then, when you have truly understood the depths of your failure, we will fulfill Rā ’s al Gūul’s destiny. We will destroy Gotham. And when it is done … when Gotham is ashes … then you have my permission to die.
Bane rises. Leaves. Wayne drifts back to unconsciousness.
EXT. BLACKGATE PRISON – DAY 138
A van pulls through the gate. Selina, inside the van, looks up at the formidable grey building.
INT. BLACKGATE PRISON – CONTINUOUS 139
Guards lead Selina down the cells. Whistles and catcalls.
GUARD
We’re locking her up in here?
WARDEN
The Dent Act allows non-segregation based on extraordinary need. First time she broke out of women’s correctional she was sixteen.
Selina passes a Huge Inmate who strains through the bars …
HUGE INMATE
Little closer, baby …
SELINA
Why, honey, you wanna hold my hand?
Without breaking step, she slips his outstretched hands between her handcuffed ones and cartwheels, snapping his arms – he screams in agony – she keeps walking …
WARDEN
She’ll be just fine.
INT. WAYNE ENTERPRISES – DAY 140
Fox comes out of the elevator with Miranda.
FOX
I don’t see the need for a board meeting on the energy project –
MIRANDA
Bruce got a lot of things right. Keeping the board in the dark wasn’t one of them …
Fox swings the doors to the boardroom open …
INT. BOARDROOM, WAYNE ENTERPRISES – CONTINUOUS 141
The board is there. Scared. At the head of the table – Bane.
BANE
This meeting is called to order.
Fox and Miranda freeze. Staring at the mask.
BANE
Chair and President. I also need one ordinary member – Mr. Fox, would you care to nominate?
FREDERICKS
No. I volunteer.
The dignified older board member gets to his feet. Mercenaries round the three up.
FOX
Where are you taking us?
BANE
Where you buried your resources. The bowels of Gotham.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM – DAY 142
Gordon, with a Nurse’s help, pulls himself to a seated position as Blake watches.
GORDON
So you think our friend is gone again?
BLAKE
(grave)
This time … he might not be coming back.
Gordon takes this in … Foley bursts in, agitated.
FOLEY
Okay, Commissioner, you were right.
GORDON
What’s happened?
FOLEY
Your masked man kidnapped the Wayne Enterprises board. He let most of them go, but took three down into the sewers.
GORDON
No more patrols, no more hide and seek. Send every available cop down there to smoke him out.
FOLEY
The Mayor won’t want panic –
BLAKE
So it’s a training exercise.
Foley looks at Gordon.
FOLEY
I’m sorry I didn’t take you seriously –
GORDON
Don’t apologize for believing the world’s in better shape than it is … just fight to make it true.
Foley nods. Leaves. Blake gets up.
GORDON
Not you. You’re telling me the Batman’s gone. So you chase up the Daggett leads, any way you can.
Blake nods.
INT. STONE CELL, UNDERGROUND PRISON – DAY 143
Wayne lies, weak
, feverish. A Prisoner drips water onto his parched lips. An elderly Blind Prisoner squatting by the wall in the next cell rasps something in an ancient tongue.
PRISONER
He asks if you would pay us to let you die. I told him you have nothing.
WAYNE
Do it for the pleasure.
The Prisoner puts bread to Wayne’s lips.
PRISONER
They pay me more than that to keep you alive.
A chant gets Wayne’s attention. He rolls his head painfully to watch a Tattooed Prisoner hand a thick rope to a Strong Man, who ties it around his chest, watched by other Prisoners.
PRISONER
He will try the climb.
Strong Man starts scaling the wall. The Prisoners’ chant grows stronger as he climbs towards the light.
Above: Strong Man stops, perched on a ledge, a twelve-foot leap from the rest of the climb … The chanting peaks as Strong Man leaps … misses … falls. The rope catches – he swings into the rock face. Prisoners fall silent as Strong Man is lowered, broken, bloody, to the prison floor.
WAYNE
Has anyone ever made it?
PRISONER
Of course not.
The Blind Prisoner barks at him.
WAYNE
What does he say?
PRISONER
He says there is one who did. A child …
Insert cut: a child of about ten looks up towards the light.
PRISONER
A child who had been born in this hell …
WAYNE
Bane.
PRISONER
An old legend. Nothing more.
The Prisoner leaves Wayne’s cell – switches on the TV.
WAYNE
Don’t.
PRISONER
Whatever they want you to see … it’s happening soon.
INT. BANE’S LAIR, SEWERS – DAY 144
Bane’s men lead Fox, Miranda and Fredericks through the debris. Fox stares at Mercenaries working on his old inventions …
EXT. LOCATIONS AROUND GOTHAM – EVENING 145
SWATs and Cops mass around entrances to sewers, tunnels …
INT. MASSIVE TUNNEL – CONTINUOUS 146
Bane leads Fox and the others to where Mercenaries plant charges on a hewn wall. Dr. Pavel is there. Waiting. Bane nods at his men. The wall blows.
EXT. LOCATIONS AROUND GOTHAM – CONTINUOUS 147
A SWAT team about to enter a sewer pipe hears a low echoing boom. They look at each other, then head in. Thousands of Police head into manholes, tunnel entrances, checking weapons, using flashlights …
INT. MASSIVE TUNNEL – CONTINUOUS 148
Bane leads the way over rubble into the reactor. Dr. Pavel follows. Bane approaches the machine. Turns to Fox.
BANE
Turn it on.
Fox shakes his head. Bane holds his gun to Fredericks’ head.
BANE
I only need one other board member. There are eight more waiting upstairs.
FOX
I won’t do it.
Fredericks trembles. Bane cocks the weapon.
MIRANDA
Alright, stop.
She walks up to the scanner. Places her hand on it. It beeps. She turns to Fox. Quietly pleading.
MIRANDA
Lucius, you’ll kill this man and yourself, and barely slow them down.
Fox reluctantly puts his hand on the scanner. Then Fredericks. The core glows brighter and brighter … Bane turns to Dr. Pavel, who is transfixed.
BANE
Do your work.
Bane turns to his men. Gestures at the hostages.
Take them to the surface. People of their status deserve to experience the next era of western civilization.
Fox, Miranda and Fredericks are led back into the rubble.
EXT. GOTHAM STADIUM – DAY 149
The Mayor, flanked by Security, talks to a crowd of Reporters.
REPORTER
We’re seeing literally thousands of police heading into the sewers –
MAYOR
A training exercise, that’s all. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got tickets to watch our boys thrash Rapid City.
The Mayor heads into the stadium with the crowds …
INT. SEWERS – CONTINUOUS 150
Hundreds of SWATs wade, flashlights swinging, heading towards the center … Teams are converging from different entry points …
INT./EXT. CRUISER ON GOTHAM STREETS – CONTINUOUS 151
Blake is on the phone.
BLAKE
I’ve been to half Daggett’s cement plants, logged locations they’ve poured for underground construction …
GORDON
(o.s.)
Anything strange about the pourings?
Blake glances at a large map – dots mark pouring locations.
BLAKE
Honestly, Commissioner, I don’t know anything about civil engineering.
GORDON
But you know about patterns. Keep looking.
Blake pulls up in front of a cement plant.
INT. REACTOR PLANT – CONTINUOUS 152
Dr. Pavel finishes his work. Turns to Bane. Grave.
DR. PAVEL
It’s done. This is now a four-megaton nuclear bomb.
BANE
(to his men)
Pull the core out of the reactor.
DR. PAVEL
(horrified)
You can’t. This is the only power source capable of sustaining it – if you move it, the core will decay in a matter of months.
BANE
Five, by my calculations.
DR. PAVEL
And then it will go off.
BANE
For the sake of your family, Dr. Pavel, I hope so.
Dr. Pavel stares as Mercenaries start to disconnect the core …
EXT. CEMENT PLANT – CONTINUOUS 153
Blake is led through the fence by a Worker.
WORKER
Boss is about to leave.
Blake walks past cement mixers. Spots someone. A Driver.
BLAKE
Hey.
The Driver turns.
BLAKE
That was you outside the stock exchange, right?
DRIVER
When?
BLAKE
When? When half the city’s cops were trying to pull onto Castle Street and your truck shut them out.
DRIVER
Oh, yeah. You’re that cop –
BLAKE
Detective, now.
Behind Blake the Worker puts his hand in his pocket …
BLAKE
And as a detective …I’m not allowed to believe in coincidence any more –
Blake spins, drawing his weapon. The Worker lunges with a knife, Blake smashes his hand to one side and shoots him. The Driver grabs him from behind. Blake wrestles, but the Driver is strong, trained. Blake can’t aim his gun, he fires behind, into a steel mixer – the bullets ricochet, one catches the Driver in the back and he goes down … Blake, gasping, kneels beside the Driver.
BLAKE
What were you doing?! What?!
The man dies. Blake looks down at his gun. Disgusted. Tosses it down. Pulls out his phone. Dials.
BLAKE
Commissioner. I’m at the Fourteenth Street plant with two dead witnesses and a lot of questions. Call me –
Blake freezes, stooped to pick up his gun. Sniffs. Looking at some empty barrels …
Commissioner, they’ve got Polysobutylene here … (Looks around.) And motor oil. They weren’t making cement – they were making explosives –
INT./EXT. CRUISER OUTSIDE CEMENT PLANT – MOMENTS LATER 154
Blake grabs his charts – scanning the pattern of dots – realizes.
BLAKE
Oh, God.
Blake fires up the cruiser and pulls out, hard.
INT./EXT. CRUISER ON GOTHAM STREETS – CONTINUOUS 155
Blake is driving furiously, shouting into th
e radio –
BLAKE
Patch me into Foley!
DISPATCH
(over radio)
Foley’s overseeing the operation –
BLAKE
They’re heading into a trap!
EXT. MTA TUNNEL – MOMENTS LATER (DAY) 156
Foley, concerned, takes the radio from a colleague.
FOLEY
Foley.
BLAKE
It’s a trap! Pull everyone out! Bane’s been pouring concrete laced with explosives –
FOLEY
Where?
BLAKE
There’s a ring around the tunnels – they’re gonna blow it and trap the cops underground!
Foley looks up with dread at the mouth of the tunnel.
FOLEY
Pull out! Pull ’em out!
INT. BOILER ROOM – CONTINUOUS 157
Mercenaries rise from a hole in the floor – Bane emerges …
EXT. GOTHAM STADIUM – CONTINUOUS 158
The Mayor, in a corporate box, mouths the National Anthem …
INT. LOCKER ROOM TUNNEL – CONTINUOUS 159
The Mercenaries pull out detonators. Bane listens to the kickoff like a hunting dog sensing the wind … decides.
BANE
Let the games begin.
The Mercenaries hit the detonators.
INT. SEWERS – CONTINUOUS 160
SWATs react – the tunnel roof behind collapses … Chunks of concrete structure drop – thousands of police throughout different tunnels are trapped …
EXT. GOTHAM STADIUM – CONTINUOUS 161
The crowd goes wild as a Receiver catches – starts a run – the Mayor looks on, suddenly confused.
As the Receiver sprints for the end zone, the field behind him drops away in smoking ruins, swallowing Players …
THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY: The Complete Screenplays with Storyboards Page 33