Christopher Nolan was still relatively early in his career as a filmmaker when he was hired to bring Batman back to the big screen in Batman Begins. From there, Nolan’s The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises went on to form one of the most critically successful and highest grossing superhero trilogies of all time.

In retrospect, it’s amazing that Nolan was given the freedom to reinvent Batman and his world for the big screen by ignoring all previous adaptations and putting the film itself at the forefront of all other marketing concerns. The chronicle of Nolan’s three Batman films was told in The Fire Rises, a feature length documentary that was included in The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector’s Edition. And now The Fire Rises has been posted online in two parts that look back on the creation of all three films.

The Fire Rises The Creation and Impact of the… by secsecae

Of the contributors to The Fire Rises are em>Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof, Richard Roeper, Guillermo Del Toro, Paul Levitz, and legendary Batman writer and editor, Dennis O’Neil as they share an oral history of The Dark Knight trilogy and its impact on pop culture and the way that superhero movies are perceived.

The Fire Rises The Creation and Impact of the… by secsecae

Nolan himself shows up several times in the documentary to share stories about the creation of his trilogy, including the decision to include the Batmobile and why Batman just doesn’t work if he doesn’t have his signature cape and cowl. It’s a pretty engrossing way to spend 76 minutes.

What did you think about The Fire Rises? Light the Bat-signal and share your thoughts below!

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HT: Indiewire

Image Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Entertainment