The shooting on the top of Hong Kong's tallest building later
Friday must be quite a good experience, "Batman" Christian Bale
said at a packed press conference with over 100 local and overseas
journalists Friday morning.
The shooting on the top of
Hong Kong's tallest building later Friday must be quite a good
experience, "Batman" Christian Bale said at a packed press
conference with over 100 local and overseas journalists Friday
morning.?
No doubt the hero has been in the spotlight since the crew of
the latest Batman's movie "The Dark Knight" arrived in Hong Kong
for a four-day filming this week.
"This week, we finally have Batman in action here, and all the
effort is well worth it for Hong Kong," the Commissioner for
Television and Entertainment Licensing of Hong Kong Maisie Cheng
said, welcoming the filming of "The Dark Knight" in Hong Kong.
The shooting on the top of Hong
Kong's tallest building later Friday must be quite a good
experience, "Batman" Christian Bale said at a packed press
conference with over 100 local and overseas journalists Friday
morning.
Cheng said the Hong Kong Government has always been supportive
of local and overseas film productions in Hong Kong, and the
quality of local film-industry professionals must be one of the
major factors that attracted "The Dark Knight" producers.
Hong Kong Film Development Council Chairman Jack So said
overseas film productions in Hong Kong would bring in new
technology and facilitate exchanges, benefiting the local film
industry.
"Films for international release will also help showcase Hong
Kong to an international audience. I am sure Batman will further
raise Hong Kong's profile and attract more tourists," he said.
He said he believed the overall economic benefits to Hong Kong
would outweigh any short-term inconvenience to the public.
Bale and actor Morgan Freeman showed up at the Central block of
Hong Kong Friday afternoon, which attracted hundreds of movie fans
and passers-by to watch the filming and take pictures.
Actors and film crew also took on a C-130 Hercules transport
plane and a couple of helicopters earlier this week to shoot scenes
set against the backdrop of Hong Kong's iconic skyline and the
Victoria Harbor.
As an incredibly cosmopolitan place, Hong Kong turns out to be
the appropriate choice of location for Batman's first journey
outside the fictional Gotham City, Director Christopher Nolan said
at the press conference.
Bale said one fortunate thing of being Batman was "climbing the
tallest buildings and jumping off them", which now includes the 90-
storey International Finance Centre of Hong Kong.
"The Dark Knight" is the latest of a long line of foreign movies
that have chosen Hong Kong's unique cityscape as a location,
including "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" (2007), "The
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (2005), "Lara Croft Tomb Raider:
The Cradle of Life" (2003), James Bond movie "Die Another Day" (
2002) and "Rush Hour" (2001).
(Xinhua News Agency November 10, 2007)