As we've been reporting for weeks now, Warner Bros. has revealed that The Dark Knight Rises is getting a special six minute prologue before selected IMAX screenings of Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol starting December 16th.

Today, the studio released a full press release for the event which offers some more insight in what you can expect from sneak peek.

Warner Bros. Pictures' The Dark Knight Rises - the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy - is one of the most anticipated films of 2012, but moviegoers won't have to wait until next year to see the six-minute opening sequence of the film. The film's prologue will be unveiled exclusively in select 70mm IMAX® theatres worldwide. The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

The Prologue will be released in North America on December 16, and in the UK on December 21, 2011. Additional international dates vary by territory and will be announced soon.

In making the 2008 blockbuster The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan was the first to use IMAX® cameras in a major motion picture release, and, as now, audiences were given an advance look at that film's prologue months prior to the Summer 2008 opening. Christopher Nolan employed the extremely high-resolution cameras even more extensively on The Dark Knight Rises - including the film's prologue-to achieve unprecedented crispness and clarity and a truly immersive experience for the moviegoers.

Christopher Nolan stated...

"Our experience on The Dark Knight shooting and projecting IMAX 15 perf 65mm/70mm film was inspiring. The immersive quality of the image goes beyond any other filmmaking tool available, and in revisiting Gotham, we were determined to shoot even more of the movie in this unique format. Giving the fans an early look at an IMAX sequence is a great way to draw attention to what I believe will be an incredible way to experience our story when it comes out next summer."

Following is a list of the theatres in North America in which the Prologue of The Dark Knight Rises will be revealed on December 16th:

Market - Theatre - City

  • Austin, TX - IMAX Theater Austin - Austin
  • Boston, MA - Jordan's IMAX - Natick
  • Boston, MA - IMAX 3D Theatre in Reading - Reading
  • Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Theatre Chinook 16 - Calgary
  • Chantilly, VA/Washington, DC - Udvar-Hazy Center IMAX - Chantilly
  • Chicago, IL - Navy Pier IMAX Theatre - Chicago
  • Des Moines, IA - SCI IMAX Dome Theater - Des Moines
  • Detroit, MI - Henry Ford IMAX - Dearborn
  • Edmonton, AB - Scotiabank Theatre Edmonton - Edmonton
  • Harrisburg, PA - Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts - Harrisburg
  • Houston, TX - Houston Marq*e Stadium 22 + IMAX - Houston
  • Indianapolis - White River IMAX - Indianapolis
  • Los Angeles, CA - Irvine Spectrum 20 + IMAX - Irvine
  • Los Angeles, CA - RAVE 18 + IMAX - Los Angeles
  • Los Angeles, CA - Ontario Palace Stadium 22 + IMAX - Ontario
  • Los Angeles, CA - Citywalk Stadium 19 with IMAX - Universal City
  • Madison, WI - Star 18 Fitchburg with IMAX - Fitchburg
  • Miami, FL - AutoNation IMAX - Fort Lauderdale
  • Minneapolis, MN - Great Clips IMAX - Apple Valley
  • Montreal, QC - Cinema Banque Scotia Montreal - Montreal
  • Nashville,TN - Opry Mills Stadium 20 + IMAX - Nashville
  • New York, NY - Lincoln Square 13 with IMAX - New York
  • New York, NY - Palisades IMAX - West Nyack
  • Omaha, NE - Star Cinema 16 with IMAX - Council Bluffs
  • Orlando, FL - Pointe Orlando Stadium 20 + IMAX - Orlando
  • Ottawa, ON - Silvercity Gloucester + IMAX - Gloucester
  • Palm Springs - Desert IMAX Theatre - Cathedral City
  • Philadelphia, PA - IMAX & the Tropicana - Atlantic City
  • Philadelphia, PA - Tuttleman IMAX-Franklin Institute - Philadelphia
  • Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Mills 25 with IMAX - Tempe
  • Providence, RI - Providence Place 16 with IMAX - Providence
  • Quebec City, QC - IMAX Le Theatre At Quebec - Quebec City
  • Sacramento, CA - Esquire IMAX - Sacramento
  • San Antonio, TX - IMAX at RiverCenter - San Antonio
  • San Francisco, CA - Metreon 16 with IMAX & ETX - San Francisco
  • Seattle, WA - Boeing IMAX-Pacific Science Center - Seattle
  • Tampa, FL - Museum of Science and Industry - Tampa
  • Toronto, ON - Coliseum 12 Mississauga + IMAX - Mississauga
  • Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Theatre Toronto + IMAX - Toronto
  • Toronto, ON - Colossus 18 Woodbridge + IMAX - Woodbridge-Vaughan
  • Vancouver, BC - Colossus Langley + IMAX - Langley
  • Vancouver, BC - Silvercity Riverport 18 + IMAX - Richmond

Below is a list of the theatres in the UK in which the Prologue of "The Dark Knight Rises" will be revealed on December 21st:

  • UK - BFI London - London
  • UK - National Media Museum IMAX - Bradford
  • UK - Glasgow Science Centre IMAX Cinema - Glasgow
  • UK - Odeon Manchester IMAX @ The Printworks - Manchester

Opening on July 20, 2012, The Dark Knight Rises features an international all-star cast, led by Oscar® winner Christian Bale (The Fighter) in the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar® winner Marion Cotillard, as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake. Reprising their roles from both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, Oscar® winner Michael Caine plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman plays Lucius Fox.

Christopher Nolan directed The Dark Knight Rises from a screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on Batman Begins and the record-breaking blockbuster The Dark Knight. Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull are the executive producers, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. "The Dark Knight Rises" is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman created by Bob Kane.

The Dark Knight Rises will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The prologue has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for "some violence."