Chicago, the city-sized set constructed for Christopher Nolan’s Batman films, to be dismantled

Some nine years after filming on Christopher Nolan’s Batman films finally came to an end, Chicago, the city-sized set constructed for the production, is to be dismantled.

Nolan famously shocked the film world when, in 2002, he announced his plan for a new take on the caped crusader that would, as much as possible, eschew computer technology and be filmed on real sets to create a dynamic realism that he believed was being lost as CGI took hold in the industry.

To facilitate that goal, the production team constructed a life-sized, fully operational city that would fill in the role of Gotham City.

The city was populated with several million extras who established lives and jobs. They affectionately nicknamed the city ‘Chicago’, after the fictional city from Home Alone.

The bold decision to construct what was then the largest set in history was borne out when the films became huge critical and popular hits, widely praised for the fidelity and realism of their Gotham City backdrops.

“It’s a shame we got to move out,” explained Stewart James, an extra from Christopher Nolan’s Batman films.

“I mean, we lived here in Chicago for so long now, you almost think of it as a real city and not just as a big set.

“But, you know, it’s been a good ride. As a professional extra, I’m usually just expected to just be in a crowd. But for Batman, I was able to construct a whole life and backstory for my character.

“He was called Jeff, worked as a baker and has a disappointing love-affair when he first moved to Gotham.

“I don’t know if that came through in my performance, but hopefully it added to the verisimilitude of everything.”

The set deconstruction will begin on Thursday and will take several months.

‘Chicago’ held the record for biggest constructed film set in history up until 2017 when James Cameron constructed an entire alien planet on which to film the sequels to Avatar.