FILM · 2008 · UK
The Dark Knight
- Directed by
- Christopher Nolan
- Runtime
- 152 min
- Studio
- Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures, Syncopy
222 archived facts 8 topics 2 sources Last reviewed Oct 2026
Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker.
Summary: TMDB
The Dark Knight — Career & Awards (10 facts)
- #060
Many people believe that one of the main reasons the Academy expanded the Best Picture category from five nominees to ten was that two of the year's most acclaimed films, this film and WALL·E (2008), were not among the five nominees.
- #065
After Heath Ledger's death, his Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Oscar nomination for the role of the Joker happened to be announced on the first anniversary of his death.
- #089
For his work in this film, Heath Ledger won a total of 32 Best Supporting Actor awards after his death, including the "quintuple": the Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG and Critics' Choice awards. The only awards he was nominated for but did not win were the Satellite Award (given to Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road (2008)) and the London Film Critics' Circle Award for Actor of the Year (which went to Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)). Michael Shannon and Mickey Rourke both played comic-book villains in their own films: Shannon as General Zod in Man of Steel (2013) and Rourke as Ivan Vanko in Iron Man 2 (2010).
- #094
This was the comic book film with the most Oscar nominations (eight) before it was beaten by Joker (2019) with eleven nominations.
- #128
Along with Anatomy of a Murder (1959), Glory (1989), Crimson Tide (1995) and Independence Day (1996), this film is one of five films that won the Grammy Award for Best Score despite not being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score, with entirely orchestral music.
- #130
The Dark Knight is the highest-grossing film worldwide to win an acting Oscar, surpassing Forrest Gump (1994). It held that record until Joker (2019) overtook it, with Joaquin Phoenix also winning for his performance as the Joker.
- #134
The film marks the first Oscar won by an actor for a performance in a comic book film: Heath Ledger (posthumously) won Best Supporting Actor for his role as the Joker. Joaquin Phoenix's 2020 win was only the second Oscar for a comic book character performance and, coincidentally, the first such win in the Best Actor category, for a uniquely handled lead role as the same character in Joker (2019). The Joker is therefore the only comic book character to win an actor an Oscar, and it has done so twice.
- #173
The cast includes six Oscar winners: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Sir Michael Caine, Sir Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Cillian Murphy; and two Oscar nominees: Maggie Gyllenhaal and Eric Roberts.
- #183
Richard King's win of the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing prevented Slumdog Millionaire (2008) from winning in every one of its nominated categories.
- #217
That year it was the only film nominated for Best Picture at the Producers Guild of America Awards but not nominated at the Oscars.
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