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PHILIPPINES,  DECEMBER 2009 - The highly anticipated sequel to Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins raked in monster earnings at the box office with more than US$1 billion worldwide.

Based on the immensely popular DC comic book hero Batman, The Dark Knight premieres for the first time on Asian television on HBO on Sunday 27 December at 9:00 pm.

Through The Dark Knight, writer/director Christopher Nolan has opened a new chapter in the franchise by taking the legendary Batman character back to his origins, reconstructing why and how the billionaire industrialist Bruce Wayne became the enigmatic crime fighter. By doing so, Nolan has captured the imaginations of both die-hard Batman fanatics as well as those previously unfamiliar with the comic book hero.

In the role that won him his Academy Award® for Best Supporting Actor, the late Heath Ledger makes his final big screen appearance as he portrays arch-villain The Joker. Aaron Eckhart (No Reservations) plays District Attorney Harvey Dent while Maggie Gyllenhaal (Mona Lisa Smile) joins the cast in the role of Rachel Dawes, Bruce Wayne's love interest. Returning from Batman Begins are Christian Bale (Terminator Salvation) in the dual role of Bruce Wayne and Batman, Gary Oldman (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) as Lieutenant Jim Gordon; Academy Award® winner Michael Caine (The Prestige) as Alfred; and Oscar winner Morgan Freeman (Wanted) as Wayne's source of state-of-the-art crime-busting accoutrement, Lucius Fox.

With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and the committed, altruistic new District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to annihilate organized crime in Gotham City for good. The triumvirate initially proves to be successful, but they soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces Bruce Wayne ever closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante.

THE DARK KNIGHT premieres Sunday, 27 December at 9:00 pm on HBO, with encores on Monday 28 December at 1:00 pm and on New Year’s Eve, Thursday 31 December at 11:30 pm.  

Preceding the premiere of THE DARK KNIGHT, HBO has lined up a series of Batman titles on Sunday, 27 December from 1:00 pm onwards. See Michael Keaton (First Daughter) as Batman facing The Joker, played by Jack Nicholson (The Bucket List) on BATMAN (1989), which kicks off the Batman movie series run on 27 December at 1:00 pm.  Keaton takes on formidable new foes in The Penguin and Catwoman, played by Danny DeVito (Deck The Halls) and Michelle Pfeiffer (Hairspray) respectively in the film BATMAN RETURNS (1992), on Sunday, December 27 at 3:15 pm.  

Val Kilmer (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) inherits the role of the Caped Crusader in BATMAN FOREVER (1995), where he is joined by Chris O’ Donnell (Max Payne) playing Robin in the fight against Tommy Lee Jones (No Country for Old Men) as Two Face and Jim Carrey (Yes Man) as The Riddler on 27 December at 5:30 pm. The animated prequel is composed of short films showing how Gotham City and even Bruce Wayne himself see the Batman. Finally, beloved Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy headlines an all-star cast including Jason Marsden (DC Animated Universe’s BATMAN BEYOND and THE BATMAN), Will Friedle (DC Animated Universe’s BATMAN BEYOND and BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD) and Gary Dourdan (CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION) in the animated prequel to THE DARK KNIGHT, BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHT (2008), on 27 December at 7:45 pm.