10 stories you might have missed: Chris Nolan won't change Bane's voice in 'The Dark Knight Rises'
Plus: Charles Barkely on 'SNL', free Weekend music, 007 news
Chris Nolan won't change Bane's voice in 'The Dark Knight Rises'
If you happened to catch "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" on IMAX screens you likely watched the six-minute opening for Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises." Fans have been salivating at the chance to get a sneak peek at one of next year's most anticipated blockbusters, but many came away with one major and unexpected question: "What was the Bane fellow saying again?"
Actor Tom Hardy, who plays Batman's latest adversary, is wearing a head piece that covers his entire mouth. Nolan and his sound designers have come up with an effect that plays with his voice as though it's being augmented by the mask, but it's much harder to understand than many anticipated -- except for Warner Bros. that is. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "sources" at the studio are very aware of the issue and would like Nolan to make changes. As of right now, Nolan is only planing to alter the sound "slightly" for the final cut. It's unclear whether Nolan is being stubborn about the issue or doesn't understand how frustrated fans may be when they see the final film. Because of the tremendous success of both "The Dark Knight" and "Inception," Warner Bros. is in a precarious position. On the one hand, they'd really like it changed, but Nolan has earned his creative freedom. Will public pressure force the studio to act on behalf of moviegoers across the nation?
Stay tuned...and, if you haven't caught the film's amazing new trailer - which showcases Bane's tough to hear voice, check it out below.

Comments
Option 1
Comment instantly as a guest GuestOption 2
Option 3
Login or create a HitFix account Login Signup
December 24, 2011 at 6:24AM EST Reply to Commenti have heard his voice its not hard to understand at all remember people said the same thing about batman in the dark knight.. people need to clean out there ears or get hearing aids
whiterok
December 24, 2011 at 9:07AM EST Reply to CommentWell, Bane was definitely difficult to hear in the Theater I saw it in. But it was real creepy. And I think that is more important.
dustin
December 24, 2011 at 11:51AM EST Reply to CommentI think there's gonna be mixing done to make Bane's voice easier to hear, but obviously they're not going to revamp the entire approach and ADR the whole thing in a new accent. I really don't see why everyone's making a big deal out of this. This is what EQ's and sound engineer's are for.
Bobby It's better that people make a big deal about it now while there's still time to fix it than for it to be released the way it is.
December 24, 2011 at 12:01PM ESTBobby
December 24, 2011 at 11:52AM EST Reply to CommentI saw it in the IMAX, and I was struggling to try and understand what he was saying. I could only understand a word here and there. I thought maybe it was just me, but I guess it's an actual issue.
JC
December 24, 2011 at 3:10PM EST Reply to CommentI'm usually pretty good at making stuff out, even when others find it hard to understand, but I had to replay that 5 times to figure out what he said, and I'm not going to have that luxury in a theater :/
Tedd
December 24, 2011 at 7:16PM EST Reply to CommentI'm sure Nolan just doesn't want to admit to a problem, he'll probably clean it up in post-production and claim that people were just imagining things. Which, to be clear, I'm totally fine with.
ZoeFan
December 26, 2011 at 8:54AM EST Reply to CommentIf a person can't follow a Batman movie because Bane isn't always intelligible, that person has bigger problems.
John
July 23, 2012 at 2:02PM EST Reply to CommentIt was a bit difficult at first but you get used to his voice and are able to understand what he says throughout the movie, just like batman when no one had any clue what he was saying in the dark knight