Report: Warner Bros. distributes new audio for The Dark Knight Rises’ prologue, Bane’s easier to understand [Update: Not true]

Update: New audio for The Dark Knight Rises' prologue has NOT been distributed to IMAX theaters. Collider has posted the update below to clear up any confusion:

Steve here. The other day we posted a story concerning the audio mix on the IMAX prologue of The Dark Knight Rises. After speaking with Warner Bros. and IMAX, it appears our story was wrong and I’ve taken down the article as a result of my conversations. While I could have just deleted the article, I feel it’s important to own up to your mistakes rather than just forget about them. I’m sorry for any confusion.

SOURCE: Collider

68 comments

Kane52630

January 3, 2012

I know people will still complain but this needed to happen. I'm glad they did.

TDKR2012
January 3, 2012
"Because that's what NEEDS to happen... Because sometimes, the truth isn't good enough... sometimes people deserve more...."

Ben Huhndorf

January 3, 2012

Interesting, I'm surprised that they bothered at all to fix the prologue, I'd have thought they'd only bother to fix the soundtrack in the final mix of the film. Anyone know how long the prologue will be running for in cinemas?

Llordllama

January 3, 2012

I can't wait to hear Bane's pissed-ass-hell, I'm-a-gonna-kill-you voice.

Fsdf

January 3, 2012

Im glad they flixed it. He sounded very strange and muffled before.

Guest
January 3, 2012
You're insane.
1. Guest
  January 4, 2012
  You wrote that WB was going to deliberately "try and ruin" their own movie, and then began referring to Christopher Nolan as a king who is not being allowed to "reign peacefully." Yes, that's insane.
  And for the record, turning down the distortion that they added to Bane's voice - whether for the prologue or throughout the film - is not going to ruin the movie, so long as they do not change Bane's accent or delivery.

Thejokersmiles13

January 3, 2012

Sounds like Nolan made good on his word about only slightly altering the audio mix and that's all that really needed be done. I'm glad it wasn't completely overhauled, I mean when I saw the prologue the first time I understood about 2/3's of what Bane said, the parts that were hard were when the engine noise got very loud and then it became difficult to follow his dialogue. So will this prologue be released in the same IMAX theathers as the ones it was released in originally? and if so will there a limtied time to see in theathers before it gets pulled?

thefallen83

January 3, 2012

Bad if you do, bad if you don't... some people should just die...

BaneisaG

January 3, 2012

Very good. Very clear. I like his raspy, haunting voice through the mask

Sdgasdg

January 3, 2012

Bane's accent is superb, but I have to admit I couldn't hear a darn thing he said!

Guest

January 3, 2012

Why Risk it ! Clean it up , No Harm done ! Can someone help ? The only line in the Prologue i could not make out was when Bane tells one of his guys he has to go down with the plane , What exactly does he say there ?

BatsyXD
January 3, 2012
me too i didn't make out what he was saying in that line also when he said to the douch Agent "it doesn't matter who we are . what matters is............................." i didn't make out the line too !!
1. Guest
  January 3, 2012
  " what matters is our plan "
Rich
January 3, 2012
'No! they expect one of us in the wreckage brother'
1. Guest
  January 3, 2012
  Cheers = )
Xbrokenxmelodyx
January 3, 2012
I think he says something like " you are gonna be apart of the wreckage brother".
1. Guest
  January 3, 2012
  Thanks = )
  1. William L
    January 3, 2012
    "NO!! They expect one of us in the wreckage, brother."
2. Thepaperbag000
  January 3, 2012
  "they except one of us in the wreckage brother"

BatsyXD

January 3, 2012

i admire Mr.Nolan standing up for his work and not changing Bane's voice (incredible btw)
and the real problem was making Bane's Voice stand up a little from the background noise!!
i'm glad they didn't change it and just made it more clearer =)!!!!!

Guest

January 3, 2012

I realy dont think this is a WB Vs Nolan situation , i remember watching the SlashFilm / Collider video review of the prologue and one of those guys at the Nolan screening asked Charles Roven ( producer ) if that was the final mix on Bane , he just gave them a rye smile , so i think there were even small doubts with in team Nolan .

William L

January 3, 2012

BG noise toned down?? Hmm... We're talking about the prologue or the entire film? 'Cause i don't think i like the idea. Kinda spoils the inmersion, perhaps?

Well, i've watched a bootleg, so and i didn't understand all Bane's lines. But like Nolan's said: i've got the whole context, the big picture.

Anyway, fuck all that! That won't prevent Bane of entering in the "Classic Villains Hall". It's a minor issue, is the same of people complaining about the voice of the possessed Linda Blair in The Exorcist! XD

Guest
January 3, 2012
Dam i am so intrigued to find out how he ended up with that mask on his head " nobody cared about me until i put on the mask " I think we all assumed the " mad scientist " Dr Pavel played a role in it , but i dont think thats the case now , he is far to scared of Bane to of been part of his creation !
1. William L
  January 3, 2012
  Definitely not the case! Dr Pavel will build that spheric device for sure! Well, you've got a point: will we see some flashback of Bane's origins and the mask??? Sweet!

Guess

January 3, 2012

Im working at Imax too but I have not receive the new soundtrack.

TGrosset

January 3, 2012

I've seen the bootleg version and I had to watch it multiple times with my ear glued to my speakers to understand Bane's dialogue. But this is great news. I plan on seeing the prologue in IMAX this Saturday when I arrive back in Toronto.

William L

January 3, 2012

Nolan's still faithful to his purposes.

FantasyBoy

January 3, 2012

Oh yeah! Bane's now clearer in the prologue! Wait...Oh no!The boring CIA agent will be consequently clearer too!

Upbenny

January 3, 2012

I wonder what could have been Nolan's reaction if that is actually true - We all know how Nolan wanted it to sound very true, a painfully breathing by mouth and nose- he never wanted to please the spectators and production reactions about the voice... I am sure the Warner's and NOLAN Have been discussing about it for hours until he went away very pissed about their decision... I myself preferred it authentic - with subtitles, it could be awesome ! and By the way, do someone know anything about a more complete view of Selina Kyle/ Catwoman ?? I am thrilled about Anny H. I am sure she ll be the best Cat and give the most surprising performance we can expect !

Guest
January 3, 2012
I never thought about subtitles for Bane , but I would be totally fine with that , infact I think it would be quite cool and a bold step to take for the genre , but this thing needs to be nipped in the bud ASAP as I don't want it dragging down the film come release time , I am a huge Nolan fan a huge Bale fan and a huge Hardy fan but even I Carnt pretend ! there is HUGE train wreck potential for scenes involving Batman ( if Bale keeps TDK voice ) and Bane , I ll need more than subtitles to help me then , LOL
1. William L
  January 3, 2012
  Comedy parodies, here we go!

BatsyXD

January 3, 2012

Sh**, u really had my hopes up for a second there !! =(

redXphantom

January 3, 2012

Not to mention the loud noises of the theater

Nina

January 3, 2012

Chris Nolan is a genius and Bane's voice is awesome! only idiots and fags can't understand Bane's voice!

Batman's Bane
January 3, 2012
Wow! What a sweeping and condescending generalization.
William L
January 3, 2012
Ouch! Nothing is sexier than an angry girl! XD
ps: I hope you're 18 or more... and a female, of course!!
MikeTMan
January 3, 2012
yes. Homosexuals and people of lower intelligence are the only one's that can't understand the voice. -__-
Nolan is a personal hero and I've been a fan of batman since I was a little kid. But you have to admit that Bane's dialogue is difficult to understand. On the bright side, it gives me an excuse to rewatch it thousands of times (so I'm not complaining about it)
What annoys me is when people (including you) go black or white. It's either "NOLAN IS GOD!" or "THIS IS THE WORST THING EVER!"
...Jeez.

RichHomieBrian

January 3, 2012

I bet Nolan was all like "when Banes voice gets complaints, you have my permission to die".

William L

January 3, 2012

I remember, in the begining of the production, when the Pittsburgh spy pics started to leak online, there's an interview with Tom Hardy that he says - he and Bale were having comunication problems because of both masks: his mask preventing him of speak, Bale's mask preventing him of hear.
Damn, now we're having all this issues... that was predictable, huh?

Chris, could you help me out with the link of this specific interview here in the website?

BatmanNewsChris
January 4, 2012
Here it is:
http://batman-news.com/2011...
It's the quote at the bottom.
1. William L
  January 4, 2012
  Thank you very much, Chris! You know, is so funny to watch those old interviews... we hadn't absolutely no clue about anything about TDKR at that time! LOL
  1. redXphantom
    January 5, 2012
    Ah! Memories.

Siangrr

January 3, 2012

I know someone who went to the same Imax theatre was me really complaining about the absolute terrible sound quality, not just of Bane's voice but of the whole thing. I went the next week and it was perfectly fine, it was actually great and I only missed like a line or two of dialogue (I think I underestimated how much lip-reading comes into account when watching someone speak)

So I can see this being a legit story.

thefallen83

January 3, 2012

You can tell its a bad idea to have fans involved in the pre and post-production of an acclaimed movie. They think everything is a disappointing issue that cannot be resolved and whine and cry like babies because things are not "what/how they expected". Yes... I'm an actor my self and I can say what I just said.

Jb86eb
January 5, 2012
I undestand exactly what you're saying and I'm not an actor. But I am an avid movie Buff, and people have to remember the kinks and scenes have to be worked out first, you just can't film a "perfect movie" scene for scene and throw it together, you can lose the purpose and storyline for the movie. I agree with you, people should just chill out and wait.

C138

January 3, 2012

That guy over at Collider just updated the story again after talking to an IMAX representative who confirmed that there has been no other sound work done, but there has been a digital file sent to some theaters that plays on an analogue system.

While I think Nolan should do whatever this story said he had done about turning down some of the background noise a little bit to make things clearer, I'm sure this will all be fine by the time the film comes out in July. I'm sure not every scene Bane is in will be taking place on an airplane that is being hijacked.

Nolansbatfan

January 3, 2012

What are we taking about. Can you hear what bane says in the hd trailer#2. The anwer is very clear( I live in europe and my English are not the best) I have faith to
Mr Nolan. He knows how bane MUST sound.

craziemutant

January 4, 2012

Wait, I it's been confirmed false, but isn't Mission Impossible Paramount? Why would WB have attached their audio to some else's movie? Unless there's more to theater than I know so little about. haha. Just a thought.

Jw_pwe

January 4, 2012

What a huge crock-of-shit. It's funny that some people can be so gullible. This article smells of bull shit so strong.

Rich

January 4, 2012

I'm wondering if Americans are finding it harder to understand than the British...

RichHomieBrian
January 4, 2012
in the theatre everyone heard what he was saying (from california)
1. Bane
  January 4, 2012
  You took the time to talk to everyone in the theater, and then discovered that every person understood what Bane was saying?
  1. RichHomieBrian
    January 4, 2012
    no Bane hahahaha
    1. Bane
      January 4, 2012
      Bane is just kidding with you. Bane appreciates your support.

Rich

January 4, 2012

And I think quieting down Hans Zimmer's music would take away the impact of the scene, the heavy drum and Bane chants make everything more urgent, chaotic and exciting.

Guest
January 4, 2012
Great point ! People need to remember this is part of BANES character he is disabled , so this is a plot point in my opinion so i say keep the voice the way it is ! You guys must of watched The Original Elephant man movie , you carnt understand a word he saying but it does not make it any less impactful viewing !
1. Rich
  January 4, 2012
  Yeah if this report is actually true and they've toned down the background noise by 50% then that's just ridiculous. They've clearly already altered Bane's voice because his dialogue in the trailer is completely different to the prologue, and although he is clearer in the trailer his voice isn't half as interesting as it is in the prologue, it's got so much more depth and character.
  1. Bane
    January 4, 2012
    You only heard 10 words from Bane in the trailer. I wouldn't be so quick to compare how interesting his voice is in the trailer versus the prologue until you've heard more of the trailer voice.
2. William L
  January 4, 2012
  David Lynch's The Elephant Man, great movie, great comparison Ebo! Yeah, perfect... far better than my comparision with Linda Blair in The Exorcist! XD
  Yeah, if they tone the BG noise down, we'll lose major part of the inmersion. But damn, they know what to do.
  1. Guest
    January 4, 2012
    " I AM NOT A ( RAGEING MOTHERF*CKER ) ANIMAL " LOL : )

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Report: Warner Bros. distributes new audio for The Dark Knight Rises’ prologue, Bane’s easier to understand [Update: Not true]

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