Extended Batman 3 trailer to debut before M:I-4

Various sources have confirmed to /film that Warner Bros will attach an extended teaser for ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ to 'Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol'.

It might seem odd, given that 'M:I-4' is being released by a rival studio and that Warners themselves have other tent-pole releases over the Christmas period, but it all comes down to one crucial factor: IMAX.

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Paramount’s Tom Cruise vehicle will be released on IMAX five days before a wider release in the U.S. and will almost certainly attract a large audience, most of whom would also be keen to see 'The Dark Knight Rises'.

You can't ignore the Nolan factor either. There will be fans heading to the cinemas and buying tickets just to see the 6 minutes of ‘Batman’ footage alone.

The strategy worked perfectly for Warner Bros. last time around when the opening prologue for 'The Dark Knight' was attached to Will Smith's post-apocalyptic 'I Am Legend'. The footage gave us a glimpse of Heath Ledger in full Joker attire. Reportedly, some punters left the theatres as soon as the Batman material had finished, not bothering with the main feature itself.

Brad Bird's first live-action movie has also been partly filmed with IMAX cameras, with 'M:I-4' set to be released in the U.S. on December 16 on the IMAX format, with a general release on December 21. The deal would be mutually beneficial to both studios for obvious reasons, although neither has yet confirmed the story.

UK fans will face an agonising wait as 'Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol' isn't going to be released here until Boxing Day.