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FIRST LOOK

First Look: Rachel Dawes Supports Harvey Dent!

by Alex Billington
April 7, 2008

Why is this a first look? Well besides a few quick flashes of Rachel Dawes in the original trailer, Maggie Gyllenhaal hasn't had much real screen time as of yet. As you all hopefully know, Gyllenhaal took over Katie Holmes's job in The Dark Knight. It's a change that I'm not entirely sure I'm comfortable with yet (especially since I just watched Batman Begins last night), however I'm sure I'll get used to it about 15 minutes into the movie. A new video has been discovered as part of The Dark Knight's viral marketing and it features Gyllenhaal as Assistant District Attorney Rachel Dawes speaking at a press conference in support of Harvey Dent. This is, essentially, our first real glimpse of the new Dawes.

This came from a complicated combination of links and numbers. If you're interested in finding out exactly how it was discovered, head over to the SuperHeroHype forums. As always, stay tuned right here at FS.net for the latest from The Dark Knight's viral marketing campaign.

The Dark Knight is again directed by Christopher Nolan (Memento, Batman Begins, The Prestige) and co-written by Nolan, his brother Jonathan Nolan (The Prestige), and David S. Goyer (Blade, Batman Begins). The movie will hit theaters worldwide on July 18th.

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Related categories: First Look, To Watch, Viral News

Alexander

She seems a bit too happy for the role. Don't get me wrong, I love Maggie G. but Katie Holmes was fantastic in Batman Begins, she she's got some pretty big shoes to fill. I guess we'll just have to see how it plays out.
m4st4

'she she's got some pretty big shoes to fill' No comment...
Josh

umm katie holmes was not very good in the dark knight....or anything, for that matter if anything, katie holmes should have to explain why she was even in the first over Maggie pretty big shoes to fill haha ...sorry, it was just funny
milky

folks, let's take her seriously. it's "kate" now. yeah. ok, katie sucked in this. she was too focused on keeping her dimple cheek turned just *so* in most close-ups. the closing romantic scene at the burnt wayne mansions had the lot of us convinced she's got a facial palsy of sorts. besides trying to make the cute in her performance, her flat and unconvincing delivery (she was a d.a.? wha?) was the only thing that marred an otherwise completely impressive extension to a comic book/movie genre. this should be fun!
Chris

I agree, I thought Katie was the weakest link in BB, I'm not a huge fan of Maggie, but I doubt she could do worse.
harrison

i want holmes back, damn you tom cruise!! i think she couldve done a better job of pulling of a DA than gyllenhall did right there, far too happy and not enough power in her voice in this clip
taurinh

yeah...she was too happy, honestly, didnt feel like a real press conference. They could have done a better job, she does not seem very intense in her delivery. also, why is she supporting him? why at this time does she feel she needs to come forward to let us know this information, any major press conference is followed by a news anchor set up as to what is going on, there are also NO titles on the screens, it feels like a home movie shot video. Now, we all know that the Batman crew is capable of some fantastic marketing, why did they seemingly slack so much on this one? hopefully they will release something, more "believable" later on with titles and maybe a new anchor bump. as for now, i am disappointed in this, where is her passion for harvey dent! the city is in turmoil, she should be MAD that people are flaming him! stand up, get pissed and deliver a NOT so smiley press conference, FIGHT FOR GOTHAM! for crying out loud, in the first batman, rachel was mad and she was willing to FIGHT for that change, she was passionate, this seems like a hal done press conference. just my opinion either way, i am excited for the movie!!!!
DCompose

Would anyone notice if they dropped that whole fucking character from the movie? I thought this was like James Bond, as in bitches ain't shit. And you can quote me on that. "Bitches ain't shit."
Jim

It seemed like she was trying to keep her head balanced on her neck the entire time. I don't know why they even brought the Rachel Dawes character back. I guess this way they don't have to reveal Batman's secret identity to some other chick.
interl0per

Definitely not bad, she looks and sounds fairly similar to Katie Holmes. Im sure it will be an easy transition in The Dark Knight. Certainly could have done worse to find her replacement.
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

Doesn't seem realistic at all, just her standing in front of a green screen with flashing sounds. Probably, just a in and out thing. Her performance there was awful but I am sure she brought her A-game to the film. I liked Holmes and I agree they should have just brought in a new girl (like in Bond) but it could work.
d

I agree with the comment author above that said Katie was the weakest link. Did anybody see Maggie in Stranger Than Fiction? (I think Wil Farrell was out-performed by everybody in that movie.) Anyway, Maggie was wonderful as the bakery owner in Stranger Than Fiction, attractive in a way that's much more interesting and more than skin-deep; and that's all Katie brought to Batman Begins... a pretty face.
Andrew

I think Gyllenhaal is a better actress than Katie Holmes, and I've liked her in other roles. I think she'll do a better job with the character. Plus, in "Batman Begins", I felt that Holmes was weak in comparison with all the other actors on display, and she was the only weak point of the movie.
Christy

Katie Holmes was a whole new level of bad in Batman Begins. Wooden, unsympathetic - the worst thing in the film by far. Maggie does look like a completely different character - but since Holmes didn't actually manage to come up with a character, that's only a good thing. I'm pleased to see Maggie Gyllenhaal in the role - she's a good actress and after all, things can only get better!
DJO

I didn't realize she was supposed to be Rachel. Thought she was a new girl. I thought Bruce was a billionaire playboy. WTF!
http://reiem.blogspot.com Reiem

Katie Holmes sucked big time in Batman, I don't think even Kim B. sucking that much in Burton's Batman. I don't see why they didn't introduced as a new character in this Batman.
Charles

At least Maggie LOOKS more believable as an ADA. I had such a hard time seeing Holmes in a court room and being a hard arse prosecuter.
http://youtube.com/snears Nick

Katie holmes was too young. sincere, but she's not strong like maggie to be in gotham, nor would I take her seriously in this movie if she was still in it.
Matt

Actually I'm going to go against what people have been saying. I didn't think that Katie Homes' performance in Batman Begins was weak at all. I thought it was perfectly fitting, her youthful naivete came through very well despite her her tough front. Rachel was intended as a foil (point of comparison) for Bruce Wayne . . . and the chemistry between the two was believable in Batman Begins. In the first scene in TDK Maggie-I don't know whether through her own interpretation or through stage direction-was detached, overly-impressionable and far too ditsy for the role. Her unbelievable and pathetic looking clinging to Harvey was laughable and destructive to her function in the story. She lacked subtlety and actually seemed stupid to me, I despised her in this film. I have no bias for or against either actress since I hadn't seen them in anything else prior. Maybe Katie does suck and Maggie is great, but this is definitely not the case in the batman series. I'm convinced people that think otherwise are suffering from fanboy/girl syndrome, as Rachel Daws as a character became completely stale and uninteresting in TDK.
Ryan

"Actually I'm going to go against what people have been saying. I didn't think that Katie Homes' performance in Batman Begins was weak at all. I thought it was perfectly fitting, her youthful naivete came through very well despite her her tough front. Rachel was intended as a foil (point of comparison) for Bruce Wayne . . . and the chemistry between the two was believable in Batman Begins. In the first scene in TDK Maggie-I don't know whether through her own interpretation or through stage direction-was detached, overly-impressionable and far too ditsy for the role. Her unbelievable and pathetic looking clinging to Harvey was laughable and destructive to her function in the story. She lacked subtlety and actually seemed stupid to me, I despised her in this film. I have no bias for or against either actress since I hadn't seen them in anything else prior. Maybe Katie does suck and Maggie is great, but this is definitely not the case in the batman series. I'm convinced people that think otherwise are suffering from fanboy/girl syndrome, as Rachel Daws as a character became completely stale and uninteresting in TDK." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matt I could not agree more. I think you are absolutely right. I hadn't seen either one of them in films before BATMAN, and my first thought when i saw TDK was "WTF is this shit?!?!? What the hell happened to katie holmes????" "Did tom cruise get her nocked up or something??? Because if not then what in gods name was Christopher Nolan thinking?!? Has he gone completely fuckin BONKERS?? My god!!! He replaced a young, great looking female who was great in BB with a droopy faced, completely unatractive woman who shows no chemistry between BRUCE WAYNE and her self.