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Fans glimpse final round of 'Dark Knight' filming
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The McKnight family is from Cleveland -- temporary home of "The Avengers" -- but a wedding brought them to Pittsburgh and a front-row view of the Batpod, Catwoman's stunt double and a gray military vehicle speeding near Sixth Avenue and William Penn Place.
Kylie and Ryan McKnight were with sons Brady, 6, and Gavin, 3, along with niece Campbell Wood, 6, Sunday morning watching as artificial snow flew and then the cars did the same for "The Dark Knight Rises."
The boys were hoping for a close encounter with the camouflage Tumbler before heading back to Cleveland where "The Avengers" has proven a movie magnet, too. In Downtown Pittsburgh, workers have used their lunch hours for stunt and stargazing, and suburbanites and out-of-towners have made the trek into the city.
The McKnights were staying at the Omni William Penn Hotel, virtually ground zero for filming this weekend, and a couple of the buses departing for the wedding were temporarily held up but apparently no one missed the walk down the aisle.
"Our buses to our event were held up because of the filming," Mrs. McKnight said. "We had three buses and the first bus got out OK, and the second they wouldn't let people on because they were filming and then the third bus was held up. But we were good, we eventually got there."
PG VIDEO: IT'S A WRAP FOR BATBURGHOn Saturday, the family could spot the Catwoman and the motorcycle, also back out Sunday as cameras rolled on William Penn Place from Liberty to Sixth avenues.
"We could see it from our room, too, but it's better to be down here," Mrs. McKnight said. "It's so cool to say we were right here on the sidewalk."
Director Christopher Nolan personally was supervising the scenes on the final day of shooting in Pittsburgh. The production planned a wrap party tonight for this leg of the shoot before moving to Los Angeles and then New York for more filming.
The movie is scheduled to arrive in theaters July 20, 2012.
Mr. Nolan is going out on a classy note with a full-page ad in today's Post-Gazette expressing, "Thank You Pittsburgh." The backdrop is the movie's eye-catching poster art with the shape of a bat in the middle of crumbling buildings.
The ad is signed: Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas & Charles Roven, Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures. In addition to being the director and co-writer, Mr. Nolan is a producer along with Ms. Thomas and Mr. Roven.
The final round of street closures for Sunday:
• Smithfield Street from Liberty to Sixth Avenue is closed.
• Strawberry Way from Liberty to Grant Street is closed.
• Seventh Avenue from Liberty to Grant Street is closed.
• William Penn Place from Liberty to Sixth Avenue is closed.
• Coffee Way is closed.
• Montour Way is closed.
• Intermittent traffic control on Grant Street at Strawberry Way.
• Intermittent traffic control on Grant Street at Seventh Avenue.
• Intermittent traffic control on Liberty Avenue at Seventh Avenue.
• Intermittent traffic control on Sixth Avenue at William Penn Place.
• Intermittent traffic control on Sixth Avenue at Smithfield Street.
• Intermittent traffic control on Liberty Avenue at Smithfield Street.
Sidewalks have limited access during filming. Once filming has stopped, public assistants will help pedestrians through the closures to get to open stores, restaurants and office buildings.
Production vehicles are still parked along the Boulevard of the Allies curb lane but the street and sidewalks are open.
First Published August 21, 2011 11:15 am
