Heath Ledger's menacing portrayal of the Joker dominates the latest trailer for the upcoming Batman movie The Dark Knight.

The stunning new clip opens with a shadowy vision of Batman soaring through the Gotham City skyline.

But it’s the Joker’s psychotic presence back on the ground that is sure to crank up the anticipation ahead of the film's July release.

"It's simple: Kill the Batman," Ledger announces by way of out-lining his plan for murderous anarchy.

"The city deserves a better class of criminal and I'm gonna give it to them," he adds.

The new trailer also features Aaron Eckhart as Gotham district attorney Harvey Dent, who becomes Batman's other legendary enemy Two-Face.

Click to view the trailer