Described as one of the "biggest public vote getters," Christopher Nolan's 2008 blockbuster The Dark Knight has been announced as among this year's selections for induction into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.
Every year, 25 movies are selected for the distinction. To qualify, a film must be at least 10 years old and be widely considered "culturally, historically, or aesthetically" significant. The 2020 selections, per a press release, include a record number of films helmed by women and filmmakers of color.
Other 2020 selections include the 2010 documentary Freedom Riders, A Clockwork Orange, Shrek, Grease, Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker, Julie Dash's acclaimed 1982 short "Illusions," The Joy Luck Club, the Sidney Poitier-starring Lilies of the Field, Kathleen Collins' historic Losing Ground, The Blues Brothers, and more.
"This is not only a great honor for all of us who worked on The Dark Knight, this is also a tribute to all of the amazing artists and writers who have worked on the great mythology of Batman over the decades," Nolan, whose most recent film was this year's pandemic-complicated Tenet, said in a statement.
Nolan has recently been in headlines due to his criticism of Warner Bros.' 2021 streaming vs. theatrical plans for HBO Max. Speaking with NPR last week, Nolan said the strategy (which sees all 2021 titles hitting the streamer on the same day as its theatrical release) marked a "great danger" for the average industry worker.
"Theatrical is really only one part of what we're talking about here," Nolan explained. "You're talking about your home video window, your secondary, tertiary windows. These are things very important to the economics of the business and to the people who work in the business."
