'Dark Knight Rises' Launches 'Operation Early Bird'

It is safe to say that the viral marketing campaign for "The Dark Knight Rises" is in full swing. After two confidential CIA files appeared online, a new document and a countdown page may be the latest additions to the campaign.

A picture sent out from the Twitter handle @thefirerises, the profile used to reveal the first picture of Tom Hardy as Bane, was another censored document. It continues the narrative from the previous two docs, but references "Operation Early Bird," the proposed black op to retrieve the missing nuclear physicist that's set to take place on December 9 at 10 am PST.

Clever fans then followed the trail to OperationEarlyBird.com, a site consisting of only a countdown clock set to expire at 10 am PST on December 9.

Both today's and yesterday's releases have signaled a serious move toward a more involved viral marketing campaign along the lines of what we saw with "The Dark Knight." If this new campaign follows the pattern of its predecessor, "Operation Early Bird" should result in the release of new material from the film.

What that material may be has yet to be seen. There are two likely possibilities though. Previous reports have indicated that we are within a week of seeing both the six-minute prologue to "The Dark Knight Rises," which will appear before select IMAX showings of "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol," and the first theatrical trailer, showing before "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows."

If the campaign points to the prologue, expect early screenings to be hosted for participants across the country. The same may occur if the prize is the trailer, but there is also the less likely possibility that "Operation Early Bird" could lead to an online release of the trailer. Again, this doesn't seem as likely since that premiere is still a week away, and releasing the trailer online that far ahead of time would take buzz away from its theatrical premiere.

What do you hope to see from Operation Early Bird? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!