The Pittsburgh Steelers Will Be Playing Football In The Dark Knight Rises

Just yesterday we learned that the production of The Dark Knight Rises is going to be filming at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field this weekend for a major action sequence that would be set during the middle of a Gotham City Rogues football game. The release that was sent out said that they were looking for extras to fill the stands, but didn't say anything about the players on the field. For that it seems that Warner Bros. has found an fairly elegant solution.

Pittsburgh's Post Gazette reports that playing football in The Dark Knight Rises will be none other than members of the Pittsburgh Steelers professional football team. While it doesn't look like the entire team will be participating, the paper says that quarterback Roethlisberger and "about a dozen of his veteran teammates" will be taking the field to play in the fictional game. Thomas Tull, one of the film's executive producers, has been a part owner of the Steelers for two years and, according to the story, Roethlisberger and him have become quite chummy (that'll happen when you win two championships in the span of four years).

Said the quarterback of the experience, "I heard it's going to be a neat thing at the stadium. I don't think it will be a big part, it's not like we're chasing Batman down or anyting. It's something neat that in 10 years or 20 years we can tell our kids we were in a movie. Thomas does movies big and I'm sure it will be a big-time movie and something fun to be part of."

Here's a fun fact: Rooney Mara got her name because her great grandfathers, Art Rooney, Sr. and Tim Mara, founded the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants, respectively. Perhaps they could find a way to give her a cameo of some sort.