The Joker is a larger than life character -- and he's about to get even bigger. The Dark Knight will be the first feature film partly shot in the 70mm IMAX format. Christopher Nolan is shooting four action sequences on IMAX, including the introduction of Heath Ledger as The Joker. "You can't do this on any home theater," Nolan says. "Batman has some of the most extraordinary characters in pop culture. We wanted the Joker to have the grandest entrance possible." And this won't be like when you go see Kickin' It Old Skool: The IMAX Experience, and it's just a larger, more stretched out image. These scenes are actually being shot on IMAX film. "There's simply nothing like seeing a movie that way," Nolan tells USA Today. "It's more immersive for the audience. I wish I could shoot the entire thing this way."

So why can't he? Well, for starters, there are only 280 IMAX theaters operating worldwide, and less than 100 show feature films. In addition, IMAX film is 10 times the size of standard, it's much more expensive, and it has to be shot using large, cumbersome cameras. Oh, and "they're loud," says Nolan. "We had to figure a way to eliminate sound so we could shoot dialogue." If you can't get to an IMAX theater, you'll still experience a hike in picture quality. In traditional movie houses, the scenes will appear more vivid, as though they were shot in hi-definition.

Below you'll find two official, newly released shots from The Dark Knight. The first is an IMAX shot of what appears to be a bank robbery gone awry. And the second shot is the first fully confirmed photo of The Joker in full hair and makeup. Pretty cool, huh? What do you think of the look?