A GOTHIC AFFAIR AS THE DARK KNIGHT FLIES INTO LONDON

DARK HERO: Christian Bale with wife Sibi

Tuesday July 22,2008

By Harriet Swearman for express.co.uk

THE stars of the eagerly-anticipated movie The Dark Knight brought Gotham to London last night as they trod the red carpet in a uniform of gothic black.

The film's hero Christian Bale, who is reprising his role as superhero Batman, looked every inch his brooding alter-ego as he made his way into the cinema in a dapper black suit.

Following after his roaring high-tech Batmobile, the first Brit to ever take on the role as the Caped Crusader mirrored the tone of the darkest Batman to date with a gloomy expression to match his dark outfit.

*** PICTURE GALLERY: THE DARK KNIGHT COMES TO LONDON ***

CATSUIT: Maggie Gyllenhaal

But the 34-year-old actor was outshone in the style stakes by his on-screen love interest Maggie Gyllenhaal - who stole the show in a Catwoman-esque catsuit.

The 30-year-old, who plays Rachel Dawes in the Batman sequel, wowed onlookers in a jet-black satin ensemble with a sexy cut-out back.

Even the guest celebrities - including T4's Alexa Chung and Kelly Osbourne - opted to go back to black as stars turned out in force for the first European premiere.

Fans were unsure whether the dress code was in honour of tragic star Heath Ledger or simply in keeping with the dark Batman theme.

Ledger, who has been given rave reviews for his terrifying portrayal of the Joker, has been widely tipped for a posthumous Oscar nomination.

When the film premiered in New York, Sir Michael Caine - who returns as Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred - said he would be “very surprised” if Ledger did not win an Oscar.

He told reporters Ledger was “one of the greatest villains I have ever seen”.

The film is expected to be a huge blockbuster when it hits cinemas around the country this week, having already smashed records in the US.

The latest adventures of the Caped Crusader took a whopping £77 million in its opening weekend Stateside.

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