Filmmakers Blow Up Abandoned Building On ‘Dark Knight’ Set

For the past several weeks, the cast and crew of “The Dark Knight,” the sequel to “Batman Begins,” have been shooting in Chicago under a mask of secrecy whenever possible.

Despite the filmmakers’ best efforts, various picture and video images have inevitably been covertly captured from eager fans, spies, and passers-by and leaked to the public. But some things simply cannot be expected to remain under wraps until the film hits theatres next summer.

Yesterday the big budget production took over the abandoned Brach’s Candy Building, renamed it “Gotham General Hospital,” and proceeded to blow it up in a spectacular display of movie pyrotechnics as seen in these pictures.

Warner Bros., the studio behind the film, paid for the demolition of the building so they could utilize it in “The Dark Knight.”

This isn’t the first time Hollywood has targeted abandoned structures to destroy for the benefit of the big screen. The producers of “Bad Boys 2” and “Lethal Weapon 3” also chose to make mince meat out of actual buildings rather than fake it with models or fancy special effects.

The destruction of the fictional Gotham Hospital in context of the well-guarded plot will no doubt be revealed only upon the film’s release, but one could speculate that behind the majority of mayhem wrought upon Batman this time – once again played by Christian Bale – is the Clown Prince of Crime himself, The Joker.

Heath Ledger will deliver the maniacal laugh and don a purple suit to do battle with the Caped Crusader in what promises to be one of the most anticipated movies to heat up the summer of 2008.