First Look: Batman’s back in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

When: Opening at midnight at local theaters

Cast: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman

Director: Christopher Nolan

The story: After eight years in exile for assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, Batman returns to Gotham City.

The buzz: Deafening. “Batman Begins” ultimately grossed more than $200 million at the U.S. box office. “The Dark Knight” topped that in five days. Now, as the final chapter in Nolan’s trilogy, “The Dark Knight Rises” is looking to snatch back some of the records broken earlier this summer by “The Avengers.”

– CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE