Finally. After months and months of fake reports, rumors and speculation, we now have official confirmation that Christopher Nolan has selected Pittsburgh to be the successor of Chicago as Gotham City for The Dark Knight Rises. This is no surprise, reports have popped up several times over the last couple months of Nolan & Co. scouting the Steel City as a possible shooting spot, but today the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette confirmed (via Coming Soon) the news after the Pittsburgh Film Office joyously announced Batman coming to their city.

While it’s sad to see Nolan & Co. depart from Chicago, which has provided the Gotham skyscapers for Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, the tax credits Warner Bros. will receive from shooting in Pittsburgh were too good to pass up. Not to mention that Zack Snyder will be filming his upcoming Superman reboot (also produced by Nolan) in Chicago this summer – so two simultaneous DC blockbusters would to tough for any city to handle.

We also have to take into account Nolan’s consistent message of trying to keep the look and feel of each of his Batman films fresh and new. And even though Begins and TDK were both filmed in Chicago, each film showcased its own unique visual style of Gotham City, and moving filming to Pittsburgh simply continues that ambition for freshness. Nolan provided some choice words for his new Gotham backdrop:

Pittsburgh is a beautiful city We have been able to find everything we were looking for here, and I am excited to spend the summer in Pittsburgh with our final installment of Batman.

In return, Pittsburgh Film Office director Dawn Keezer shared her excitement of Batman’s journey to the Steel City:

I think it’s the most high profile project we’ve seen. I think it’s as a direct result of the success we’ve had with the film tax-credit program that Pittsburgh is on the map and Southwestern Pennsylvania is considered now for every major production, which is great because it’s all about jobs and money.

We’ve been thrilled with all the work we’ve had in Southwestern Pennsylvania but Batman’s a known franchise. People know what Batman’s about and we’re thrilled that they have chosen Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Mayor Mayor Luke Ravenstahl also chimed in:

We are thrilled to be welcoming the Batman film to Pittsburgh, and eager for the economic impact that our city will experience. This is another example of the growing film industry in our community, and we will be rolling out the red carpet for them.

So there you have it. No exact date was announced for when Nolan & Co. will be setting up shop in Pittsburgh this summer, but I am going to keep my ears and eyes peeled for specific location announcements, as my friends and I are already planning a road trip to the Steel City to catch a glimpse of Batman in action.

What Do You Think? Will Pittsburgh make a good location for Gotham City? Are you disappointed that Nolan won’t be returning to Chi-town?