A Hard Day's Knight: Somber Celebs Tread Black Carpet at Batman Premiere

Attending the premiere of Warner Brothers’ Batman: The Dark Knight at AMC Loews Lincoln Square on Monday, July 14: the film’s stars Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllenhaal (wearing charcoal Dries Van Noten splashed with flowers and accompanied by husband Peter Sarsgaard), Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Aaron Eckhart; actors Ethan Hawke, Edie Falco, Josh Hartnett, Seth Green and Emile Hirsch; plus Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively, Penn Badgley and Ed Westwick.

So whom did we nab? Screenwriter David Goyer! “This film is intense intense,” he said. “It’s about escalation, both good and bad.” What’s new about this Batman? “He’s the most realistic. In both films, we made sure that the technology he uses is based on technology that is being used or developed by the Department of Defense right now.” Now that’s truly scary. …

“More intelligent and more human,” said Michael Caine, who plays Bat-butler Alfred Pennyworth, wearing a black suit created for him by his recently deceased English tailor (“I can’t get any more alterations!”), when asked about the updated superhero.

Lauren Conrad of the splashy reality series The Hills was crowing about her maiden visit to the Hamptons. “It was great,” she said. “Beautiful.”

But overall, the mood was muted. A black carpet lined the entrance to the theater, and the absence of the late Heath Ledger (the Joker) was palpable. “I’m very thankful to have worked with him,” said the actor Chin Han. “He was so inventive—it was invigorating.”

cbankoff@observer.com