Christian Bale IS Batman!!!!

[JoBlo]

YEAH, BABY........YEAH!!!! Here's the official press release:

"BURBANK, CA, 11 September 2003 – Christian Bale has been cast in the starring role of Bruce Wayne in Warner Bros. Pictures’ upcoming Batman movie, to be directed by Christopher Nolan and produced by Emma Thomas. The announcement was made today by Jeff Robinov, President of production for Warner Bros. Pictures.

Principal photography on the film is expected to begin in early 2004. The movie is written by David Goyer and Nolan, and will follow the early career of The Dark Knight.

Said Nolan, “What I see in Christian is the ultimate embodiment of Bruce Wayne. He has exactly the balance of darkness and light that we were looking for.”

Robinov stated, “Now that we’ve found the best person to play Batman, we are really looking forward to moving ahead with the rest of our casting, and are excited about the exceptional group we are assembling.”

Bale, who first drew critical attention for his starring role in “Empire of the Sun,” has starred in such diverse motion pictures as “Little Women,” “Portrait of a Lady, “Metroland,” “American Psycho” and “Laurel Canyon.”

[Nate6]

FUCK YES! The best choice of all the finalists, this is great and it's CERTAIN to give his career a much-deserved boost. Thank you Chris Nolan and Warner Bros.!

Hell, though I'm really happy it's Bale, I would have been happy just to hear that it was anyone but Joshua Jackson. Phew...

[Jon Lyrik]

He's a pretty good choice. He's got the dark edge.

[The Arrow]

YES!!!! Bale will be the best Batman since Keaton, he's got it all, the look, the acting range and the physical skills (see Equilibrium). And with Nolan at the helm, I'm hoping for a return to the Dark Knight's more somber roots! YOU GO BALE!

[Squid Vicious]

Ai-igit.

[The Delfonics]

YES YES YES YES YES FUCK ME YESSSSSSS!!!!

[vastlynne]

I don't know whether I should be reserved and somber for 9/11 or scream my lungs out in happiness over this news.

Eh, what the hell, YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!

*dies*

[Doc Holliday]

I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon and say Bale is going to bring new life to the character. Out of those who were consiered, I think they made the best choice. I really hope he brings back the darkness of the Dark Knight. But I am takingf a wait and see attitude.

[ReservoirDog]

I was hoping they would have picked Joe Pesci, but I guess Bale will do. :p

[A Canadian ThereWolf]

Now that's some really good news!!!

Finally a competent director, and a great lead!
Now all they need is a really good villian. (Preferably one that doesn't constantly make bad puns about ice!)

[RickySlade]

That's some really.......bad news. I don't think he possess enough to be Batman. He's not an action hero type of actor.

[The Delfonics]

Originally posted by RickySlade
That's some really.......bad news. I don't think he possess enough to be Batman. He's not an action hero type of actor.

:eek:

[badmotherfucker]

Holy Christ , Please take the fun out of batman.


Yeah yeah I know the original batman character was humorous but really that is the shit that ruins a good hero flick. Personally I think the best edge of humor to maintain should be no more than the humor content of James O Barrs "The Crow". I also beleive that if this movie is going to be successfull it should stand one-hundred feet away from even remotely tieing into the other batman flms. No more neat gadgets, I think we can all agree we want to see some fuck you up darkknight style gadgets. Screw leaving the bad guys out on a limb for the gotham police. Cut that limb down and take out those villians resvoir Dog Style.


Snootch to the bootch.

[Hannibal21]

I can sort of see him as Batman, and even though I dislike him as an actor and dislike a lot of his films, I hope he will pull it off, I don't enjoy disliking an actor this much.

[badmotherfucker]

"if assholes could fly this place would be an airport."

[Psychocandy]

Originally posted by badmotherfucker
Cut that limb down and take out those villians resvoir Dog Style.

Wouldn't that totally contradict the entire psychological makeup of the character as carefully laid out in decades of comicbooks? Batman has, to my knowledge, never taken a life since the early days of Bob Kane's work on the book. The characters entire reason for existence is to see criminals brought to justice. If he killed them then it would make him, at least in his eyes, as bad as the men who killed his parents.

Anyway...i'm all for Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman. He has the physique and he can brood with the best. This could be very cool indeed. :D

[Thrizzle]

I'm surprised anyone disagrees with this choice. Not only is he the best choice out of the actors working in hollywood, but he is miles above and beyond the actors trying to get the part!

[The Delfonics]

Originally posted by Thrizzle
I'm surprised anyone disagrees with this choice. Not only is he the best choice out of the actors working in hollywood, but he is miles above and beyond the actors trying to get the part!

You said it. Jake and Josh dont even combine to be what Bale is. I just think people out there dont know who he is and are quite to judege him. A LOT of his films are underground, less mentioned flicks that are great. I bet most nobody has seen All The Little Animals.

[Cosimo]

Originally posted by badmotherfucker
Holy Christ , Please take the fun out of batman.


Yeah yeah I know the original batman character was humorous but really that is the shit that ruins a good hero flick. Personally I think the best edge of humor to maintain should be no more than the humor content of James O Barrs "The Crow". I also beleive that if this movie is going to be successfull it should stand one-hundred feet away from even remotely tieing into the other batman flms. No more neat gadgets, I think we can all agree we want to see some fuck you up darkknight style gadgets. Screw leaving the bad guys out on a limb for the gotham police. Cut that limb down and take out those villians resvoir Dog Style.


Snootch to the bootch.

I can pretty much guarantee thet Nolans take on Batman will be truely unique, dark and very serious.Bale as Batman should be interesting as Nolan can bring out great performances from his actors (Insomnia/Mememnto) and it was clear from American Psycho that Bale has great potential
Just dont expect any homage to the Shumacher films

[Tom Samborski]

Alright, this project is shaping up to be good!

[blankpage]

Bale will kick some major ass. Excellent choice.

[darkface]

Excellent choice indeed. I could definitely see him as a Bruce Wayne, and Batman. he would definitely be a younger version, but he has the talent for sure. Hopefully this will break him into more mainstream movies.

[SIREN30]

I am a huge Tim Burton fan so I'm not gonna go on record saying that this installment will beat the first two but it will surely hit closer to home than the final two films (though I really like Batman Forever quite a bit). The last two had some colorful characters (Jim Carrey and Uma Thurman were both deliciously playful) but as a whole they struck me more as eye candy than good movies.

I think Christian Bale is an incredibly underrated actor and has all the style, charisma, and sex appeal to make his Batman the one to go down in history. Since (unlike Keaton) he is presently little known for his work, this could be the role to make him a household name and spearhead his career as a leading man. I'm crossing my fingers and trying to still my beating heart. ..:p

[Istari Master]

Originally posted by Nate6
FUCK YES! The best choice of all the finalists, this is great and it's CERTAIN to give his career a much-deserved boost. Thank you Chris Nolan and Warner Bros.!

Hell, though I'm really happy it's Bale, I would have been happy just to hear that it was anyone but Joshua Jackson. Phew...

this is great from what I hear Rah Al's Ghul will be playing the villian

[vastlynne]

Originally posted by The Delfonics
I bet most nobody has seen All The Little Animals.

He was FAN-TASTIC in that. If anybody doubts his acting chops, this is the movie to prove it otherwise even for a cynic.

[rushmore beauty]

I know I might get bashed or whatever for saying this, but I have the feeling that if Bale puts everything he's got into this role, he'll give us his best on-screen performance to date. Yes, better than Mr. Patrick Bateman.

[Scarface98.9]

This is some great goddamn news. From the emotionally empty Patrick Bateman to the emotionally challenged John Preston to the emotionally torn Bruce Wayne is a natural fit.

Now with a great comic book movie writer (Goyer) to a great director (Nolan) and a great choice for a lead (Bale), the star's already shining bright on this gem

[randythetool]

meh.

[The Delfonics]

Vast, isnt it great. And when you find out that he shot American Psycho a few years later, it shows just how diverse he is

[sleekproductions]

This is amazing news. From day one, I have wanted this to happen. And with Christopher Nolan at the helm, we may yet again see a GREAT batman film. Kick ass!

[Helter-Skelter]

Wow, what a relief :)

I remember those dark days when it seemed as if Aston Kutcher would be the next Batman - the very idea of which sent a shiver down my spine.... Kelso as the Dark Knight? Whoever thought of that should have been shot for crimes against cinema.

But Christopher Nolan was wise enough to see the folly is that choice & brave enough to fight those studio execs who were thinking of ways to best score with their target demographic & picked Christian Bale, a real actor who I think could very well be the best Batman ever. I honestly can't think of a better choice....

[ak]

This may sound ignorant, but I've never even heard of Ra's Al Ghul. What the hell is it/he/she? Funny sounding name...If someone could enlighten me it'd be appreciated.

As for Bale - Well, in terms of the final list, he was the best. A fine choice. He's a fine actor.

I'm excited to see the direction that this film will take in terms of content, violence and style. I mention violence, not because I hope it's there for the sake of it, but if Nolan is to take Batman into a new dimension, he must reload this dead package and make it tonally, a lot like the earlier comic books.

Batman: "An opportunity well taken is always a weapon of advantage."

Adam West

[The Delfonics]

Originally posted by ak
[B]This may sound ignorant, but I've never even heard of Ra's Al Ghul. What the hell is it/he/she? Funny sounding name...If someone could enlighten me it'd be appreciated.

Lol, dont worry, i find myself a casual batman fan, I read some of the comic books and seen all the movies but Ive never heard of him. Hes not the household villian name. then again, Im the one who also like the 66 version the best.

[Buc_Nonsense]

I am in Tears right now (Seriously). If anyone knows Bale movies, then you know he is perfect for this part. This is the best news I've heard in a while. Thank You God, Thank you JOBLO!

[vastlynne]

Ok, here's what I found out about Ra's Al Ghul:

http://www.batmantas.com/img/ras4.jpg

Ra's Al Ghul is the single most mysterious and cunning of Batman's foes. He does not associate with the criminally insane group of the rogues gallery. Ra's Al Ghul is a criminal like no other. No one knows exactly when he was born, but he claims to have been alive for over 600 years. His name translated means "The Demon's Head."

Ra's heads a worldwide criminal organization, whose mission is to purify a polluted planet, and restore nature to the dominion abridged by the human race, ultimately creating a better world where he would rule. He will use whatever means and force necessary to achieve his twisted vision of a new utopian society. Ra's is always accompanied by his faithful bodyguard, Ubu. His madness originates in the unique power source which maintains his body's appearance, The Lazarus Pit. It is a substance of unknown elements which replenishes the body, like a fountain of youth. The side affects however are spells of sheer madness. Being addicted to this substance for so long has dried any bit of morals and values for Ra's Al Ghul. He views himself as above any preset laws which are governed by mankind. He has many followers, and heads a cult like organization filled with men who will do his bidding. He is extremely dangerous and cunning.

His interest in Batman arose when he felt the Lazarus Pits affect was dwindling. Ra's feels he needs a male to be his successor. Since his only offspring is his daughter Talia, he has to choose a male to marry her that is worthy of becoming ruler of his vast empire. Ra's proves his resourcefulness to Batman by meeting the "Detective" as he calls him, in his own Batcave confirming that he knows his secret. Upon implementing many tests to prove whether Batman was worthy of becoming his successor, Ra's knew immediately he had found the one. But Batman refused numerous times, and thus Ra's believes that since he will not be with him, they must be against each other, as enemies. He is highly sophisticated and can be quite hypnotic. Ra's has returned many times after Batman thinks has foe had perished.

First Comic Book Appearance
Batman #232, June 1971.
--courtesy of Batmantas (http://www.batmantas.com)

[FilmBuff84]

Best Fucking Choice!

Bale is perfect for the role, has the right look, the best physique, and the right acting chops. Good choice Warner Bros, this will definitely make Bale even more aware to the paying public.

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news03/bale.jpg

[lalex81]

I most confess I don´t like Christian Bale but among the lead candidates he was by far the best choice.

It is really interesting that the villain will be Ras Al Gul, a human without powers but extremely inteligent, just like Batman, so expect a more realistic movie than the previus ones. Beside he´s from the mid east and the anouncment was made right on 9/11.

What I´m really looking forward is the action... all the Batman movies show him moving and fighting really slow, and ungracefull. But acording to the comics Batman has trained over the years with the top martial art masters of the world, ¿didn´t any other director before knew this?

On the comics Batman and his enemys daughter have a love/hate realationship that ends with Thalia expecting a son of our hero.

Future casting roles:
Thalia : Leonor Varela
Ras Al Gul: Richard Gere (believe me or not I think as odd as it seems that he could really pull it off, just like Robin Williams in Insomnia)

[El Bracamonti]

FUCK YES! bale is the best choice for the role, and it's gonna be fucking awesome!

[Americana]

!!!!CHRISTIAN BALE IS BATMAN!!!!
!!!!CHRISTIAN BALE IS BATMAN!!!!
!!!!CHRISTIAN BALE IS BATMAN!!!!
!!!!CHRISTIAN BALE IS BATMAN!!!!
!!!!CHRISTIAN BALE IS BATMAN!!!!
!!!!CHRISTIAN BALE IS BATMAN!!!!



YEAH BABY, YEAH!!! You Go, You Go, You Go CHRISTIAN BALE!!! Bale is Da Man.

[Strider]

Well, I am disappointed Nolan couldn't get Guy Pearce, but nevertheless....


FUCKIN' HELL YEAH!!!!!!


Bale is a superb choice for Batman!!! Damn!!! This is one of the best casting decisions I've ever heard of in f'n years!!!! Excellent choice indeed.... Whoo-hoo!!! Bring on Batman 5 already!!!!

:D :D :D :D

Strider

[Inglorious]

You guys have me all excited about this now! And I wasn't to begin with!!! BALE IS A GREAT CHOICE THOUGH! I can't believe ya'll have me this excited over this... :D

[Invincible]

FUCK YES!!!!


http://www.hokutonoken.it/cinema/bale.jpg

[NuclearMisfit]

GREAT CHOICE FOR BRUCE!

thank god that little prick Ashton Kutcher didnt get that role or else it would have been just like any of the other Batman movies a big gay joke! God bless the man who thought this up because I have to say this HES THE FUCK'N MAN!

[rushmore beauty]

I swear that I'm the only person here who wouldn't've minded seeing what Ashton Kutcher could've done with Bruce Wayne. Sure, he seems more likely to play The Joker (I would love him to be cast as the Joker in this film), but I think it just would've been interesting to what he'd've done.

But that doesn't change the fact that they chose the best man to don the cape. Christian Bale is going to rule ass.

[sharkstank]

amazing.
they made the right casting choice for once.cant wait for thois

[James Logan]

I say...

AAAAAMEN!

[bigred760]

Kickass news!! Finally Warner Bros. makes a right move and lets the director have the most say in who gets to dark knight. None of this Ashton Kuchter/Joshua Jackson crap. There is hope!!

[Tagia_Romero]

WHOOOOHOOOOOO! Bat dance!

This is great news! We have a possible revival of the Bat on our hands here, so lets all hope that Bale will slam dunk!

[Damned Martian]

I still don't think he's the best choice for the role, but out of the ones considered, he was by far the only one who could pull out a decent Batman. Anyway, with Chris Nolan behind, no matter which Batman or which villian will be, it will rock!!:cool:

[Stripes]

Da da da da da da da da, Da da da da da da da da BALE MAN!

[BannerXXX]

The jury is not completely in on Bale, but I will say he is a much better choice then Keaton, Clooney (who I had a tiny grain of hope for, but no more because Burton's Batman sucked to high heaven for reason to be discussed in a sec.) The man had lots of character and charisma - and he could do the obsessive, hard bitten Batman only captured correctly in a movie short seen at a recent comic convention.

I am coming from the place of being a die hard comic reader and fan. I am not a comic book snob (someone who only reads comics the same way some critics see films - only these idiotic titles that veer so far from the genre that only an artsy-fartsy type would get it or like it.) We comic fan suffer the snobs like movie fans suffer them. You know them. They hate action because it wasn't deep, almost all their movies that are "EXCELLENT" fall into two basic categories:

1. The one all artsy fartsies agree are excellent.
2. Movies with subtitles.

They are exactly the same as comic book snobs. I make this point because when movies from comics are discussed, you get either movie critics types or comic book snobs.

Not to mention the comic book genre is still under the shadow of "crapville" like Science Fiction, Horror and Action movies. No matter how good the material, no matter how entertaining, no matter how well done, they all are view as fair for the brainless - which isn't fair. Comics are not trying to change the world, do not pretend that getting caught in the heart of a nuclear explosion will make you a muscle bound brute ready to destroy everything you see. Its entertainment, its fantasy, its escapism and like all things it has its share of really crappy stuff.

Not so with Batman. This is one character that somehow brings out the best in even some of the worst writers. In the comic world men name Frank Miller, Neil Adams and Alan Moore set a bar with the Batman character that everyone dies to match. Most get it right, some get it wrong. And it could have gotten no worse then with Burton's version of Batman.

Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of what Tim Burton makes. But he did something with Batman very few comic fans appreciated. He didn't take the material seriously, and it showed.

Say what you want about the explosion of comic movies, but the success of them shows one important thing. When taken seriously these stories can be compelling and dramatic and make for some really kick-ass movie watching. Superman was taken seriously, and it remains a cult classic to this day. Batman, on the other hand, was a success for two reasons wrapped up in one: Name Recognition. You had Tim Burton (who was at the top of his game back then) and Batman, iconic character even non-comic readers knew about. Then you had the only thing in the movie that was good Jack (Ah Jack, you make even a bad movie good just by standing in front of the camera and opening your mouth. Wish I had that power.) Other then that, the movies and all its sequels remain something that TNT can show every other Thursday for eight months in a row (while pretending its a "First Run" or "Exclusive Showing.") X-men was taken seriously, as was Spider-man, Hulk, Blade and Daredevil. Most of that list is movies you'd pop in the DVD without a second thought. They had their problems, I admit this without hesitation. But the core stories were not insulting to the base fans and the over all ideas were accessible to the general public. Now we await Spider-man 2, X-men 3 (and like it or not they are pushing through the Hulk 2 - which gets a personal Woo-Hoo from me.)

Batman needs to be taken seriously. His only real connection to the camp of the 1960's show is the costume, but we comic fan realized how silly they look in real life with the television shows spawned in the 1970's. Let’s face it, if Linda Carter wasn't in the custom, even Wonder Woman would have look hokier. (Thank God there was nothing "Hokey" about Linda Carter in that Wonder Woman outfit.) If you want to know why there are collections of Batman stories in Barn's and Nobles or B Daltons (or Amazon) that you can get and I promise you will find some awesome writing despite the four colors, panels and word balloons. I recommend:

1. Batman: The Killing Joke
2. Batman: Son of the Demon
3. Batman: The Many Deaths of Batman
4. Batman: Return of the Dark Knight
5. Batman: Year One
6. Batman: The Long Halloween I & II

Six books collections by a range of writers and artists with a wide range of styles. Its stories like those that made us comic fans groan at Michael Keaton and the decided choice for Batman, and start shooting our ray guns at Tim Burton targets after seeing how far he took the character away from what makes his books give X-Men a sales run for their money.

It is for this long winded reason that I will applaud the choice of Christian Bale for now. He's a serious actor who takes some interesting career chances. He has the intensity, not so sure about the build yet - but it’s not the build of the actors its that costume. In real life it’s a hard sell, even if it looks great in the comics. Equilibrium, in my unhumble opinion, was a masterpiece (and NOTHING like Matrix, JEEZ!!!) Reign of Fire could have been better, but American Psycho caught me off guard with its ending and I don't think anyone but Bale could have pulled the role off.

So with the new Batman coming, a decent choice for the role, and a not too bad director (anyone but Burton will due thank you. I'd say Rodriguez, but I don’t think he can find a place for all his buddies. Tarrentino would make a great "Riddler" though. And if you put Selma in a Catwoman outfit then I'd be there no matter how bad the movie was.) As a comic fan I pray they try to take the character seriously. They take Shakespeare seriously and he has plays with mother sleeping with sons, people talking to ghosts, witches and more murder then Agatha Christie on uppers.

[Goku]

I like Bale, but the Batman movies have all sucked, so I don't care that much.

[adamjohnson]

Well theyve sucked because of the damn Schumacher piece of crap director. The new director is an excellent one.

[dellamorte dellamore]

Awful , just a godawful casting choice . Not too mention some pretentious director at the helm .


Fuck the idea to go with a Batman in his younger days , you could do that with some flashbacks , you don't need to make an entire film based on his early days . For me this franchise is dead , dead , RIP . I could care less if this film ever gets made . What a freakin joke it's going to be .

[adamjohnson]

Would you rather have Robin and Batgirl back in it????

And i think its terribly narrowminded of you to say that before yuve seen absolutely anything from the film.

[KcMsterpce]

I thought Keaton did an outstanding job as Bruce Wayne.

I think Christian Bale is a badass choice. I'm all over this shit like white on rice.

[Droog989]

Sweet. And here I was worried they'd cast someone like Kutcher in the role.

[lalex81]

Rumors are that Dennis Quaid will play lieutenant Gordon, Ithink he could pull it off well. He has the good american cop look.

If the villain is the Scarcrow I think there´s just two candidates: Steve Buscemi and Jermey Irons, both very diferent but I´m sure they could do a great job.

For the Ra´s Al gul caracter I vahe no idea who could do it well but for he´s daughter Talia I´m sure the best choice would be Leonor Varela (hot chick from Blade 2)

[adamjohnson]

Yeah shed be good. Also the chick from Fast and Fruious 2. How odl is the actor who played IT? He has the voice and the eeeeeeeevil attitude.

[Edward's Hands]

Okay, so maybe it's the horny teenage girl in me, but Christian Bale has always been one of my favorite male actors, (and not purely for his dramatic talent, if you know what I mean*nudge*nudge*wink*wink*). It's cheezy, but my favorite one of his films was a musical called The Newsies, which was about a group of newspaper delivery boys and involved an excellently impressive amount of song and dance routines. Bale has a very sexy voice, not to mention he is uncommonly flexable(*typical girlie drooling and clutching of heart*).

Yeah, moving on from my more feminine tendencies, I think it is definatly within Bale's range of talent to play Bruce Wayne. I'm just on the verge of falling into the whole comic book craze, and The Batman is one of my favorite characters. He is dark, self-loathing, depressed, almost indifferent. I think his character has an obsession with death, and therefore his life is worth little enough to him so that he can risk it for the sake of others, (notice, when he begins to care about himself/those around him, his job gets harder). Tim Burton did an excellent job of portraying his dark and brooding character when he directed the batman films. I think that Christian Bale has the same stylized darkness as Burton was trying to capture, (judging by his past work), and would be one of the few actors capable of pulling off The Batman's character without sucking all the hate and misery out of this film. After all, hatred, revenge, and a perpetual unquenched misery is what drives our dear batty friend. Bale definatly seems like the kind of actor that could bring this character to life.

[FilmBug]

Beauty. Love him.

[superman28]

i LOVE superheroes but i neva liked batman but i think bale is a GREAT FRIGGIN GREAT actor so i will prolly see this batman movie.

[Brandon9000]

I've seen a few of Christian Bale's movies, and I think he's a good actor, but remember that Keaton and Clooney were decent too, and the producers still ran the franchise into the ground with bad writing and directing.

[SIREN30]

I just saw A Midsummer Night's Dream again...love that movie. Anyway, in it we are treated once again to Bale's beautiful voice dishing out Shakespeare and his stunning half naked body....so yeah, I am ready for some more. Gotta go wipe the drool off my keyboard.:D

[Arathon]

Awesome choice. I'm eager to see what Chris Nolan can do with the franchise, and how well Christian Bale can portray Batman. Tho I think he'll do a kickass job, and the movie will be kickass too.