Occasionally, when there’s a movie that you just can’t wait for, you get lucky that there’s a novelization of the film. Even better, the book version often releases before the actual film so you can get a head-start on the movie’s universe before it hit. And, if it’s a huge movie, the novel gives you something to read while you’re waiting for hours in those insane lines.
Well, Christopher Nolan isn’t going to be giving you that head-start pleasure since the novelization of his upcoming ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ won’t hit until June 20th… the same day that the movie comes out in theaters.
I’m guessing that it’s Nolan and Warner Brothers’ plan to keep the surprises for the film so that fans will be blown out of the water in the same way that they were with the previous film in the franchise, ‘The Dark Knight’.
Here’s the press release on the novelization:
Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises,” the much-anticipated final chapter in writer-director Christopher Nolan’s film trilogy featuring the legendary DC Comics character Batman, will be adapted into an official tie-in novel written by award-winning author Greg Cox and published by Titan Books, under a licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Consumer Products.
Novelist Greg Cox is no stranger to Batman or the DC Comics Universe, having written the official novelizations for such major comic book storylines as Infinite Crisis (2006), 52 (2007), Countdown (2009), and Final Crisis (2010). He has produced numerous bestselling adaptations and original novels based on Star Trek, Underworld, Warehouse 13, and other popular properties. His original novel Terminator Salvation: Cold Warwon the 2010 Scribe Award for tie-in fiction, and CSI: Headhunter took the award in 2009.
“Batman is one of the most iconic characters of popular culture,” Titan Publisher Nick Landau said. “We’re tremendously excited to work with Warner Bros. on the novelization of ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ especially since it is the culmination of everything Christopher Nolan has done with his amazing trilogy. This is a part of motion picture history.”
The publishing of Titan Books’ The Dark Knight Rises is timed to reach consumers worldwide on the same day as the Warner Bros. Pictures release. “The Dark Knight Rises” opens in theatres on Friday, July 20, 2012.
What do you think? Do you read novelizations of films or do you let the films stand alone? What do you think of WB’s move to hold the release of this novel until the film’s release date? Comment below and let us know.
