'The Dark Knight Rises' to Occupy Wall Street: Zuccotti Park Reacts

As reported last week, The Dark Knight Rises is gearing up for a two-week film shoot just blocks away from the Occupy Wall Street encampment.

Down the street from Zuccotti Park, Dark Knight fans and paparazzi are expected to show up to the New York set, one of the last film locations of the final installment to the Christopher Nolan Batman series.

The hype and coverage surrounding the production of The Dark Knight Rises has been well documented, thanks to fan videos and reports from the UK, Pittsburgh and the film's most recent shooting location in Los Angeles.

As Occupy Wall Street entered Day 38 on Tuesday, IBTimes caught up with some folks at Zuccotti Park to talk about the arrival of the film crew and actors.

Most expect business to remain as usual come Saturday, when The Dark Knight Rises trucks roll into town.

I think they'll be far enough away. I'm so impressed from the first time I came down here with how dignified and respectful these people are, said David Ippolito, a local singer-songwriter.

Ippolito arrived at Zuccotti Park on Tuesday afternoon to film a music video for his song, The Occupy Wall Street Rag - Where'dat Money Go?

If they're coming down here to exploit this, then that's ugly. If they're coming down here to get the feeling of this movement and put it in a movie, that's a beautiful thing, he added, as he colored in a poster that read, I Love the 99 Percent.

Sitting along Liberty St., a man wearing a Guy Fawkes mask said the film crew won't bother the Occupy crowd too much.

Maybe they'll light things up for us. We'll still have a crowd no matter what. They're just filming a movie, said Raven Bluefeather, who has been down at Zuccotti Park for the last three weeks.

Instead of having crowds here staring at me, they'll have crowds over there staring at some girl in some leather and some guy in some plastic. No big deal, he said.

Warner Bros. confirmed last week that there would be no filming at Zuccotti Park itself, according to the New York Times. Still, some Occupy protestors are hoping to make a cameo or two.

I hope they come down to Occupy Wall Street. We can get into their film. They can get into our film over here. We got a lot going on too. They can come by for lunch, said Susan, 50, who only gave her first name.

Batman's a big guy. I guess a lot of people will show up with cameras. I think it's exciting, she added.

According to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration, there is a bigger, more positive issue related to the Wall St. film set: jobs.

As with any major motion picture, we are working with the studio and relevant city agencies to ensure that the production goes smoothly. There are thousands of jobs attached to the production, and we are thrilled those jobs and this production are in New York, Chris Coffey of the Mayor's office said in a statement obtained by the New York Times.

The Dark Knight Rises stars Christian Bale as the caped crusader, along with Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, Tom Hardy as Bane, and Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman reprising their roles from the first two films.

The film will be released on July 20, 2012.