Area Residents Spent Some Time in Gotham This Weekend

Thousands of Pittsburghers flocked to Heinz Field over the weekend to be extras in the Batman film The Dark Knight Rises.

Among those were Stathi Mamatas of Verona, Shaun Tyborowski of Oakmont and David Brodbeck of Murrysville—he lives near the Plum border.

The day started early morning for extras, who were playing fans cheering on the fictional football team, the "Gotham Rogues."

Some of the players on the "Rogues" team were actual Pittsburgh Steelers, including Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu and Hines Ward. Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher also had a role in the film, as did Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who played kicker for the opposing team, the "Rapid City Monuments."

Batman's Tumbler vehicles also made an appearance.

"I'll leave the rest for when the movie comes out—no spoilers," Mamatas said. "The coolest thing about that day was over ten thousand Yinzers with little or no acting experience getting to be in a Hollywood movie.

"It was especially cool when the director would follow a shot with, 'great job everyone, that was awesome.' I never thought I'd hear that from a hollywood director in my life, and I feel i can speak for the other ten thousand people that they would agree."

Tyborowski offered a little more information.

"A lot of destruction occurs," he hinted. "If you're a Steelers fan, you may get upset."

The film is directed by Christopher Nolan, who also directed Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

The was a big plus for Brodbeck, who has been a fan of Batman comics for quite some time.

"I am a huge Batman fan and was a huge fan of the Knightfall storyline that ran in the Batman comics in 1993-94, and I still have the series in plastic covers with cardboard protectors safely secured in my room," he said. "I was amazed how Nolan was able to recreate the Batman mythos in Batman Begins and then again in The Dark Knight.

"In the hands of a lesser director, both movies would have just been super hero movies but Nolan added the extra dimensions of why and how Batman evolved."

Though all three extras said it was an amazing experience, there were some downfalls. Mamatas and Tyborowski said it was tough to film a scene in the middle of summer while having to wear winter gear. For Brodbeck, it was the three-hour traffic to get to set.

All said though they don't expect to see themselves on screen right away, they hope to catch a glimpse of themselves during their on-screen debut.

"I can't wait for this final installment of the Batman saga," Mamatas said. "Getting a sneak peak of a scene only makes me want it to come out faster. Once I get the Blu-ray, I will definitely be pausing the movie to find myself in the stands."