Jill interviews Christian Bale

At Monday’s premiere of The Dark Knight, I talked to Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, and Aaron Eckhart. The BLACK carpet (instead of the usual red) was absolutely packed with reporters and camera crews… and surrounded on every side by fans.

Everyone was talking about the late Heath Ledger, who played the Joker to Christian Bale’s Batman. This was Ledger’s last completed role.

Bale says he and Ledger both generally stayed “in character” while on set.

Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gyllenhaal both raved about Ledger’s performance. Oscar-winner Michael Caine told me he “absolutely” believes this role will earn Ledger an Oscar nomination. Gary Oldman says he thinks Ledger might even win the Oscar for this performance.

The stars were somber while discussing Ledger, but the evening also had a upbeat feel, as fans screamed for each actor. Maggie Gyllenhaal gushed, “it’s a really great movie” and promised the film more than lives up to all the hype.

I’ll be reporting on this story today on Fox News Channel, so tune in for more… and check back soon for Part 2 of our Dark Knight blog coverage!