Chaos descended on the streets of New York City this week as director Christopher Nolan filmed riot scenes for his new Batman movie.

Shocked bystanders watched as a crowd of extras and actors waving fake guns charged along a Manhattan road in a scene for The Dark Knight Rises, which stars Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader.

Almost 1,000 extras, along with actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt wearing a Gotham City Police Department uniform, took part in the shoot close to the city's financial district.

Filming will continue in the area over the weekend and posters have been put up around the neighborhood by producers, warning residents to expect fake gunfire in the next few days, according to Dnainfo.com.

The notice from Subconscious Productions reads, "The scenes we will be filming will have simulated gunfire and automatic weapon fire. Be assured, we are working in close cooperation with the NYPD Movie and Television Unit as well as the FDNY."

The film, which also stars Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman, is due for release in July 2012.