Harvey Dent obviously won’t return in The Dark Knight Rises …

… but in the interest of getting everything on the record (even though it already was), here we go. Again.

Batman on Film (via MTV) has actor Aaron Eckhart’s final words on the matter:

“Chris [Nolan] and I had a meeting, on the beach, just the two of us. I said, ‘Chris, a lot of people are asking me if I’m in the next BATMAN. And Chris said, ‘Yes?’ I said, ‘Am I?’ He looked at me and he said, ‘No.’ We found ourselves alone on the beach together on a stormy day and he delivered the news to me and I was heartbroken. I was heartbroken. But Chris has his reasons and my life must go on.”

I’m imagining this beach meeting as a scene from Inception. Starring Aaron Eckhart as Aaron Eckhart and Leonardo DiCaprio as Nolan. Waves raging against where their bare feet meet the sand in the surf, Hans Zimmer’s thunderous score shaking the pillars of heaven when Nolan says, “No.”

Like I said, we already knew this. And it’s the right way to play it. Though Batman’s taking responsibility for Harvey Dent’s crimes at the end of The Dark Knight will certainly drive the plot of Rises, the new movie doesn’t need to dwell on Harvey himself. The focus needs to be firmly on Bruce Wayne and Batman this time. Onward and upward. Forward, forward, forward.

While we’re at it, I’m beyond appalled that so many normally reputable news sites were running “Heath Ledger won’t be in The Dark Knight Rises” headlines last week. I know they felt they had to, but all they really did was give attention to the “rumor” that appeared on a website I won’t even name, on which entitled, barely literate twits who demand legitimacy and respect but don’t understand either (or grammar) are allowed to post whatever they like, regardless of accuracy, truth, or even taste. Seriously, the only way to bury those guys is to ignore them.

(Basically, there was a report that Heath Ledger would somehow appear in the new movie as a mix of unused footage and CGI. Disgusting. Nolan has said countless times that it would never happen, and it’s despicable that he’s still being forced to address it.)

Anyway, back to Aaron Eckhart, who should be hugely proud of his contribution to the Batman mythology in The Dark Knight. That entire movie believed in Harvey Dent, and Eckhart’s confident performance sold every second of it. He was the Han Solo of District Attorneys, and his dedication to the role made Harvey’s fall even more tragic.

(You know how people are always closing a dead person’s eyes in movies? I love how Batman turns Harvey’s face so that its unburned side is facing up. So symbolic. Such a beautiful, sad moment.)

Harvey Dent is dead. But The Dark Knight Rises on July 20, 2012!

Will Hans Zimmer score the new Superman?

UPDATED on 12/7!

I knew it! Zimmer debunks the rumor in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter!

Zimmer: I met Chris Nolan once and he knows Zack Snyder and therefore I’m doing Superman. You know that’s all it is.

THR: It may stem from the fact a lot of people would like to see you take that project. Based on the Batman films.

Zimmer: How can I say it: My heart belongs to Batman. I wouldn’t even know how to go and give voice to it. I haven’t thought about it.

THR: Not to mention following in the footsteps of John Williams.

Zimmer: Right! John Williams, the greatest living composer — full stop. And that happens to be one of his greatest themes. So no. And I’m not thinking of rewriting Beethoven’s ninth either. It just sounds like a thankless task, you know? So that’s unequivocally a no. I have never spoken with Zack Snyder.

Score one for vindication! I’m glad I stuck to my guns on this one. My original article follows.

Nearly every news site on the Internet is reporting it as fact, but I keep reading the original source and I’m just not convinced it’s as “official” as everyone thinks it is.

Hans Zimmer co-composed the music for Batman Begins and The Dark Knight with James Newton Howard and most recently worked with writer/director Christopher Nolan again with his massively awesome score for Nolan’s equally awesome Inception. Nolan, in turn, is producing Warner Bros.’ new Superman movie that’ll be directed by Zack Snyder.

So it makes sense that Nolan would ask his go-to music man to score the Man of Steel. But I’m not with the rest of the Internet — yet — in declaring it a given.

The comments heard ’round the world were spoken by Zimmer to NBC San Diego at a DVD release party for Inception. Here’s a quote from their article:

Given that Nolan is also overseeing the development of a renewed revival of “Superman” helmed by Zack Snyder, Popcorn Biz had to ask Zimmer’s opinion on a burning question, whether he works on that film or not: do you re-employ John Williams’ theme for the Man of Steel, one of the most lauded scores in film history, or do you start anew with a fresh, fully original score?

Source: Composer Hans Zimmer Talks Theme Music For Nolan, Batman – and Superman? | NBC San Diego

Exhibit A:

“whether he works on that film or not”

Exhibit B:

The conversation was initiated not by Zimmer himself but by NBC’s reporter on the scene. “How do you,” rather than “How will you.” Which leads to …

Exhibit C:

NBC’s article title has a question mark after “Superman.” Had Zimmer confirmed that he was indeed scoring the new Superman movie, would NBC’s headline need a question mark? I’m convinced — for now — that this is a hypothetical conversation being reported everywhere elsewhere as fact. Not even NBC presents it that way. And even Entertainment Weekly –published by Time Warner, which owns Warner Bros., who’ll be releasing the movie — references only the NBC piece in their story declaring this as truth. No other source. Not even themselves, and you’d think they’d know if the news were indeed official.

Still, let’s see how Zimmer answered NBC’s question:

“It’s a hard one,” mused Zimmer, “but I followed one of the most iconic things on ‘Batman’ with Chris as well, and it’s the same thing. You are allowed to reinvent, but you have to try to be as good or at least as iconic and it has to resonate and it has to become a part of the zeitgeist. That’s the job. On ‘Gladiator’ I remember people always talking about ‘Spartacus’ and I kept telling them, ‘When you saw “Spartacus” and how it affected it you, that’s how I want a modern audience to be affected by what we do now.’ So I think ultimately you’re supposed to reinvent.”

An excellent answer — and a generality. He never says he’s actually doing it. He’s just answering a question.

I’d certainly be just fine if he did — just take a look at his credits, or better yet take a listen to one of his soundtracks, and you’ll be as convinced as I am that he could do an incredible job.

And I also agree that it needs to be something entirely new. John Williams’s original Superman score is my favorite movie theme of all time, but this new film really needs to establish itself as its own thing. Even Smallville has employed those famous notes (most capably in the legendary “Rosetta” episode starring Christopher Reeve), and the Williams theme (re-purposed by John Ottman) was the only rousing thing about Superman Returns — a film that most certainly didn’t deserve it.

Even though I can’t imagine Superman without that music, a new score is necessary for the new take.

But how can you top Williams? You can’t. You just have to hope you can come up with something just as memorable, and that’s going to be the nearly impossible challenge for Zimmer or whomever else gets the big job.

More news as it happens.

Amy Adams has an untold tale of BATMAN BEGINS

Just when you thought you knew everything there was to know about Batman Begins …

I know I say I love every actress I write about in these pages, but hey, it’s true. I do. Amy Adams — she of the red hair, blue eyes, mighty talent, and sweet, charming demeanor — is one of the ones I adore the most. I can’t wait to watch her next weekend in The Fighter, which sees her starring alongside Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale for director David O. Russell.

In a recent interview she did with David Poland from Movie City News, Adams reveals that she’s technically “worked” with Bale before.

Click the link and skip ahead to the 15:50 mark in the video at the top of the page. She explains that she knew the casting director for Batman Begins, who asked her to come in and read lines with all the actors auditioning to play Batman. When she read with Christian Bale, she began to cry. Director Christopher Nolan told her the scene didn’t require crying, but she was so moved by Bale’s connection to the material that she couldn’t help herself.

I’m sure Bale would have gotten the part regardless, but Nolan had to be extra impressed with his future Bruce Wayne’s ability to move incredible actresses to tears.

Adams was never actually up for a part in the film; Nolan wrote the part of Rachel Dawes with Katie Holmes in mind, so it’s not like she lost out, and she explains that very thoughtfully in the video. But of course she says she’d like to work with Nolan in the future, which would be excellent for me, because I love it when my favorite actors and directors collaborate.

She’d make a wonderful Barbara Gordon or Poison Ivy in a Batman movie.

And I would make an incredible Mr. Amy Adams.