Batman Begins (Summer 2005)

[Last Updated: 01/29/04]

Director: Christopher Nolan Writers: David S. Goyer & Christopher Nolan Cinematography / Director of Photography: Wally Pfister Bruce Wayne / The Batman: Christian Bale Ras Al Ghul: Ken Watanabe Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow: Cillian Murphy Alfred Pennyworth: Michael Caine Lt. James Gordon: Gary Oldman Rachel Dodson: Katie Holmes Henri Ducard: Liam Neeson Lucius Fox: Morgan Freeman All the characters mentioned so far are in it - Bruce Wayne/Batman, Alfred, Jim Gordon, DA asst. prosecutor Rachel, Jonathan Crane, and Ra's Al Ghul. Other characters include Ra's protege Ducard, Wayne Enterprise's Applied Sciene Dept. head Lucius Fox, mob boss Falcone, acting Wayne Enterprise head Earle, and various crims & law officials and a bunch of ninjas. There's no link or mention of the previous film's events, this not only ignores them completely but restarts the franchise as its essentially an 'origin' movie which changes elements such as the 'parents being shot' and 'how Bruce found the cave and took up the mantle' subplots. Despite the filming in London, almost all of the film is set around Gotham City (there's no mention of London) though there's numerous flashbacks to the past and early on the footage is set around a mountain monastery in China. A good first portion of the film swaps between flashbacks and the present. In the past we see stuff we're all familiar with from the comics and earlier movies - Bruce as a child with his father Thomas Wayne, the famous alley shooting of his parents, being cared for by a younger Alfred, meeting regular beat cop Jim Gordon, etc. In the present its Wayne mano-a-mano fighting with Ducard whose 'training/testing' him as such for his master Ra's Al-Ghul whose watching from the shadows. This is no doubt the sequence being filmed in Iceland at the start of production. With Ra's Al-Ghul he does have insidious plans but there seems to be no mention of immortality, the Lazarus Pit, or Talia. His sub-ordinate Ducard is an interesting character with a clever connection to his master. One supblot has Wayne Enterprise head Earle trying to take over the company and using influence on public officials. Its revealed Gordon in the present is a Sargeant. There's also a small storyline about a mob boss whom Bruce has a personal score to settle with. One element I like is the discovery of the cave and its various entrances and the clever finding of the Batsuit described as "prototype spandex body armour". The Batman in full costume however doesn't appear for a while on screen (once he's there, he's there in force) which is a clever move and keeps one in anticipation. The Scarecrow is referred to only as Jonathan Crane who is the head of medicine at Arkham Asylum. There's a clever origin story to the fear toxin, and at certain points he covers his head in a sack/mask for protection. The second half (basically once the 'origin' elements are over) are more like a Batman movie we know but some cool new stuff and shots too which I won't spoil. Suffice it to say there's an elaborate plan which will wreak chaos on downtown Gotham. Key characters get drugged, Alfred pops in at the right time and place to save his master and offer wise counsel, and so on. Action fans will be happy with an extensive Batmobile chase through the streets, alleys and 'other surfaces' of Gotham. A decaying monorail system built by Thomas Wayne serves as the backdrop for some story elements. The coda includes mention of one of the Dark Knight's most famous villains--its pretty easy to guess which one.

See also: Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, Catwoman, The Batman, World's Finest: Batman vs. Superman You may also like: Superman 5, Spider-Man 2, Daredevil 2, X-Men 3, Sin City, Elektra, DreamScapesAxis, The Fountain, The Lone Wolf & Cub

02/11/04

Some Official "Batman" Details

Variety ran an article today with heaps of new details on the upcoming "Batman" movie set to begin shooting at the end of the month in Iceland. First off expect this Bats to be grounded more in reality which is why there's no costumed villains, little focus on gadgets, and a bigger role for Bruce Wayne - Director Chris Nolan says "I felt like doing the origins story of the character, which is a story that's never been told before. The world of Batman is that of grounded reality, ours will be a recognizable, contemporary reality against which an extraordinary heroic figure arises". Helping that reality is Gotham City which won't be the stylised version we've seen in the Burton/Schumacher films, rather most of it will be on-location work in New York & London which will be assembled together to reinvent Gotham as a modern day metropolis - "Gotham will seem like this great city in a contemporary world and will be created through various cities, we are trying to avoid a villagey feel for Gotham, as it starts to get claustrophobic". Expect the marketing angle to call this a re-imagining of the Batman franchise - WB Production Pres Jeff Robinov says "It's almost impossible to reinvent Batman, Chris is reintroducing Batman, and it feels smart and cool and fresh. That's no disrespect to the other movies, but it's really Chris' vision of Batman, and that's what we're supporting". Nolan's vision as such sounds interesting - "Few superheroes have the sense of purpose and destiny that Batman has. He is driven by an incredible sense of rage, sadness and grief because of the tragedy of his parents' murder at an early age. To me, Batman is the most interesting superhero because he doesn't have any superpowers. He is very human". Backed with a $150 million budget, and a new musical theme, expect this psychologically deep and conflicted movie not to be too dark thankfully.

01/06/04

Batman Filming Locations and Possible Press Conference

SuperheroHype.com reports that some scene for Batman: Intimidation will be filming in Iceland: Thought you'd like to know that some filming for Batman 5 is scheduled in Iceland sometime in the near future. An Icelandic production company "Saga Film" is already making preparations so it can't be long until the whole crew get here, they'll be shooting for two weeks. They later confirmed this along with the addition of some possible spoiler information: Still here? Of course you are. In the scene, Batman, played by Christian Bale, will be fighting on ice with Ra's Al Ghul's #1 pupil (who that is, you'll have to figure out). They won't be fighting for real, however, as it is more of a training exercise. While Batman On Film reports that a "kickoff" press conference is in the works from Warner Brothers. I work for Warner Bros. as a XXXXX (please don't reveal my position). While very few details about the new "Batman" film are available, I did hear this before the holidays. The studio may be planning a press conference soon with Nolan, Bale, and others involved with the film; much like the one prior to the filming of "Spiderman." And I don't think it will take place here in the U.S., so I am assuming it will be over in the U.K. where the film will shoot. Sorry, this is all the info I can offer you. The studio is keeping this thing under a TIGHT lock and key. So far there as been no official confirmation from The WB on anything.

081502155646

Batman/Superman, WTF's Going On?

With the latest news that Batman vs. Superman's greenlight flickered out, Batman On Film's done some digging and let's see what he's turned up: WB does not like superhero flicks at all. The only reason they do them is because they make money. Sometimes. Says a source, "I've heard this from writers who've worked on WB-based comic book films: WB hates comic book films, they don't get them, and they only make them to make money. That could explain all their back and forth on the Batman and Superman franchises these last few years." He goes on to say, "Every comic book flick they touch turns to dust. I remember what this writer whose worked on WB comic book films told me: that WB hates these movies. Worse, they literally have a formula written down that these films MUST follow -- even if it means they'll be crappy." Can you believe this tripe?! Anyway, it seems that perhaps BvS would take WB out of their comfort zone. Maybe it bucked their "formula" and decided they didn't want to take the risk. Wolfgang Petersen might have wanted it done a certain way that went againt WB's vision of the film. Nonetheless, several sources indicated to me that casting and money played a huge role in the demise of this film. They could not get the actors they wanted to do it under their terms. Several sources indicated to BOF that no one would agree to do sequels--or prequels mind you--unless they had some sort of idea where or control over where the character and franchise was headed. And with WB's track record, do you blame them. This is the major reason Jude Law walked away. Here is more from FILMFORCE: "In his latest Hot Button column, David Poland wisely speculates that with Batman vs. Superman delayed for nearly two years and no casting set, the likelihood of any of the previously rumored actors actually appearing in the film seems unlikely now. For example, writes Poland, "no matter how much Colin Farrell wants to be Batman, his agents are not going to sign him now to start a picture in 18 months or two years unless the dollar signs are so big that they can't imagine him being worth more then ... and that's just about impossible. The bigger question is, how the hell can a company like Warner Bros. continue to allow their biggest feature franchises to lie fallow year after year after year." But Batman On Film comes back with surprising news: There is never any ONE SINGLE REASON why a film gets put into turnaround. Even "The Matrix" was in turnaround for several months before Warners/VRP relented and gave it the greenlight. In the case of "BvS", it looks like a studio decision (they are unsure about their batting average in this genre -- and that has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the fantasy that "they hate these kinds of films"), but the only way a studio will change its mind once the plug has been pulled is if the producer (Petersen) musters his forces and gets them to greenlight the project. Other contributing factors are clearly casting the leads; the studio wants stars -- and stars cost money. Additonally, stars who want contractual "control" (read: script approval) over the future direction of their characters (read: sequels) are a studio headache -- particularly when the stars in question (Law? Farrell?) HAVE NEVER HEADLINED A HIT MOVIE!!! These guys, from a marketing/accounting point of view, are long-shots AT BEST! You may not think so, I may not think so, but the Warners execs who will lose their jobs if the film tanks certainly think so. As to the "Superman" McG project, I wouldn't hold my breath. McG is generally considered on the same par as Michael Bay (read: talent free zone); Warners see "Supes" as an all-action epic -- not a shampoo commercial. There is absolutely NO WAY McG will end up directing that film. He barely survived "Charlie's Angels" (it is acknowledged that he had virtually NOTHING to do with its success), yet his name is attached to "Supes" because of a little thing we call "horse trading". (More on that for another day). My bet is that "BY1" will be the first taxi off the rank. Why? Hmm. Warners wants a "Bat" flick...they want Aronofsky to direct it...and Aronofsky is about to direct a LARGE budget thriller with a MAJOR lead actor...geez...think this is all leading to something BIG? After "The Fountain", Aronofsky will be in the hot seat. Trust me, "BY1" is only a greenlight away. Year One first? If that's true, 2005 looks to be the earliest, with 2006 more likly. This also cuts down the tent pole The WB originally planed for 2004 with Catwoman and Scooby-Two as the stakes.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]081402162505 [an error occurred while processing this directive]Batman Interview w/ Christian Bale [an error occurred while processing this directive]Moviehole sat down and had a talk with Christian Bale (American Psycho). Amung many movies, they discuss Batman:

I've also been a big fan of Tim Burton's Batman movies [Batman (1989) & Batman Returns]. His almost gothic approach brought a wonderful cinematic feel to an American hero. I'd love to do [the] part but I'd also worry about being typecast. [B]atman is a wonderful character - the duality between his alter ego, Bruce Wayne, and the dark knight could be a fascinating character study.

"Frankly, both pictures ('Batman vs. Superman' and 'Troy') are big opportunities for Warners," said Bonaventura, "We decided that 'Batman vs. Superman' is like a good wine -- it will find its time and only get better. Wolfgang instinctually saw the opportunity in both pictures and decided that 'Troy' was the one to go with first."

"Of these two projects I have developed at Warner Bros., I had hoped to make 'Troy' first and am pleased that the scheduling worked out that way," Petersen said. "I'm looking forward to directing 'Batman vs. Superman' in the future."

Moviehole talked to Christian Bale's agent about the actors future plans, Moviehole discovered there's more to the story than what we think.

"The word about Batman is that NO ONE has signed on yet as all rumoured participants (Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Christian, Josh Hartnett, etc....) all have various conditions with regard to casting/money/marketing rights", he says. "For example, actor A may choose to do the movie ONLY if actor B is playing opposite him. If B drops out, A has the option to drop out or insist on Actor D, etc.... Actor C may sign on with a condition that he makes the same dollars as Actor B. If he doesn't get it, he'll walk."

The agent says that although Christian Bale is indeed still a contender for the role, there's several others who've been mentioned this week. "I've heard casting rumours as far flung as Ben Browder (from the Aussie-filmed sci-fi show FARSCAPE) who's agent is reportedly hoping to get him into a movie to prepare him once the series is gone to Tom Welling (who plays Superman in the TV series SMALLVILLE) to dualing cheekbones James Marsden and James Franco."

The rumours that Bale has been approached for the role of Batman are all true. "Christian has been approached for a number of BATMAN projects -including the Darren Aronosky BATMAN but all depends on the various conditions I mentioned above. He prefers the Aronosky project because the script is unique but that project is realistically on hold until BvS is done." he adds, "Don't forget that all-star casting usually drives a budget into over-drive so there's also the X-MEN approach to use lesser-known (and less expensive) actors from TV series. So, the dust hasn't settled yet." [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive]080302141445 [an error occurred while processing this directive]J.J. Abrams Talks Superman Movie [an error occurred while processing this directive]J.J. Abrams, who has been attached as writer for a Superman movie, told The Continuum that the film's future might be cleared up soon. Warner Bros. recently announced a Batman vs. Superman movie. Superman, which McG is attached to direct, and Batman: Year One remain in development:

"It's a very complicated thing right now," Abrams told The Continuum after the panel for his television series, Alias, at Comic-Con International in San Diego on Friday. "In the next couple of weeks, I think it will be much clearer." [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive]072302224203 [an error occurred while processing this directive]Batman vs. Superman Rehabilitating Characters [an error occurred while processing this directive]Variety reports that it's looking good for Darren Aronofsky's Batman: Year One and McG's Superman. Warner Bros. is counting on Batman vs. Superman to rehabilitate the characters for their own two films:

The arsenal of DC Comics-generated superhero films at Warner Bros. is expansive and it's with good reason that "Batman vs. Superman" will be the first one out of the gates. WB is counting on helmer Wolfgang Petersen's "Batman vs. Superman" pic to rehabilitate characters that were nearly ruined in the last Batman and Superman pics. They'll get a last hurrah before new versions of both heroes are ushered in. There are five other DC projects that should keep the pipeline filled through at least 2010. It's a race to see whether the next in production will be the McG-directed "Superman" or the Darren Aronofsky-directed "Batman: Year One." The latter has time, given the postponement of Aronofsky's Brad Pitt pic for WB, "The Fountain," which will not get made unless its budget can be pared to $70 million. Also viable are "Batman Beyond," "Catwoman" (which still has Ashley Judd purring), and "Wonder Woman," which George Miller might direct.

"As you know, [I've had some involvement with] MGM/UA, and it's interesting that Christian Bale's name has been bandied around for the 'Batman' role in 'Batman Vs. Superman'. Why interesting? Because MGM/UA are very hot for Bale to step into Pierce Brosnan's shoes for the Bond franchise. Brosnan has committed to doing at least one more Bond film after 'Die Another Day' comes out, but after that, the studio is looking at Bale and no-one else for the Bond role. So, the question is: Does Bale do Bond AND Batman? Probably not. Warners wouldn't have a problem with him doing both, but the Broccoli family sure would. They like to keep a tight rein on their Bond actors, and one franchise is enough as far as they're concerned. As for other potential Batman's, Colin Farrell's reps at C.A.A. are pushing him VERY hard for the role in 'B vs. S.' Personally, I still think Jude Law is going to put on the cowl at some point in the future, whether it be for Petersen or Aronofsky (if 'YEAR ONE' ever happens). Law's name has been thrown around so much by both his reps and the casting gurus at Warners that his odds are better than average. I suppose it just depends on whether he WANTS to do it...and let's face it, he might not."

According to the book 'Inside Men in Black II', the 11th page gives some information about production designer Bo Welch. According to the book, "he will be taking on the caped crusader again in a whole new context- as production designer on the upcoming Batman: Year One." Check it out.

"I really think the studio has decided to go with the Batman/Superman project first, and then relaunch the characters in their own franchises. They could still do 'Year One' later as a prequel, and they could even do McG's Superman film down the line. Remember, Aronofsky and McG were hired to develop a project; they were not greenlighted to make the films. Just like [Paul] Dini and Yakin with 'Batman Beyond' a few years back."

"[Let me] CONFIRM A LONG-SPOKEN RUMOUR THAT BAT-FANS HAVE ALWAYS ASKED ABOUT: YES! THE WACHOWSKI BROTHERS -- ANDY AND LARRY OF 'MATRIX' FAME -- WERE INDEED OFFERED FULL CONTROL OVER THE 'BATMAN' FRANCHISE (AND WHEN I SAY 'FULL CONTROL', BELIEVE ME, I MEAN IT!) AFTER THE SUCCESS OF THE FIRST 'MATRIX' FILM. THE REASON THEY REFUSED WARNER BROS. OFFER IS THAT THEY FIGURED THAT THEIR OWN 'COMIC BOOK FRANCHISE' -- i.e. 'THE MATRIX' TRILOGY -- WAS 'BETTER AND MORE ORIGINAL' THAN THE DEAL WARNERS WERE OFFERING, SO THEY POLITELY DECLINED. IN RESPONSE, WARNER BROS. CALMLY OFFERED THE WACHOWSKI BROTHERS (AND PRODUCER JOEL SILVER) A STAGGERING $600 MILLION DOLLARS TO COMPLETE 'THE MATRIX' SEQUELS, AND THE VIDEOGAME (RUMOURED TO BE COSTING THEM SOME $45 MILLION TO PRODUCE) CALLED 'ENTER THE MATRIX', WHICH IS CURRENTLY BEING FILMED IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. WORD IS THAT THE WACHOWSKI'S TRULY LOVE THE 'BATMAN' CONCEPT (THEY'RE BOTH WELL KNOWN COMIC BOOK FANS), BUT WERE SO APPALLED BY JOEL SCHUMACHER'S EFFORTS ON 'BATMAN & ROBIN' THAT THEY WERE AFRAID OF FOLLOWING UP SUCH A DISMAL EFFORT. THEIR IDEAS FOR THE 'BATMAN' FRANCHISE WERE SIMPLE AND REVOLUTIONARY AT THE SAME TIME ('REVOLUTIONARY' FROM A WARNER BROS. POINT OF VIEW, THAT IS). THEY SIMPLY WANTED TO DO A 'LIVE-ACTION' VERSION OF THE COMIC BOOK, AND WERE GREATLY INFLUENCED BY THE NEAL ADAMS ERA OF 'BATMAN' COMICS. i.e. TOUGH, DIABOLICAL VILLIANS (THE WACHOWSKI'S ARE REPORTEDLY 'IN LOVE' WITH THE 1970 COMIC 'THE JOKER'S FIVE-WAY REVENGE'); AN ISOLATED, MANIACAL BRUCE WAYNE/BATMAN, WITH THE EMPHASIS ON THE 'DETECTIVE' ASPECT OF THE BATMAN PERSONA (i.e MAKING BATMAN SUPER-SMART AS WELL AS SUPER-TOUGH); AND FLUID, VIOLENT PLOTTING, LOADED WITH ACTION, CONFRONTATIONS, AND THE SO-CALLED 'CLASSIC' BATMAN COMIC BOOK THREE-ACT PLOT. i.e. BATMAN CONFRONTS VILLIAN AND LOSES; BATMAN AND VILLIAN MEET AGAIN AND IT'S AN EQUAL MATCH; AND BATMAN AND VILLIAN FINALLY FACE-OFF, AT WHICH POINT BATMAN PREVAILS. THEY WERE REPORTEDLY LOOKING AT A TRILOGY OF 'BATMAN' FILMS BEFORE THE SPECTRE OF DOING 'THE MATRIX' SEQUELS BECAME A REALITY. AND BY THE WAY...KEANU REEVES WAS NOT(!!!) IN THE RUNNING FOR THE 'BRUCE WAYNE/BATMAN' ROLE; THE WACHOWSKI'S WERE REPORTEDLY LOOKING AT ACTORS LIKE JOHNNY DEPP, JUDE LAW AND GUY PEARCE, AMONGST OTHERS. SO: THE QUESTION REMAINS: HOW GOOD WOULD A WACHOWSKI BROTHERS 'BATMAN' TRILOGY BE??? PRETTY DAMN GOOD BY THE SOUNDS OF IT. AH, WELL...MAYBE WARNER BROS. SHOULD HAVE MADE THEM A BETTER OFFER...AND OFFERED TO LYNCH JOEL SCHUMACHER AT THE SAME TIME!"

"How sick am I in two years going to be of talking about the suit?" Judd said. "Catwoman's really cool because she's this very hen-pecked, loser, insecure gal who ultimate sort of busts out and maximizes her alternate opportunities, shall we say.

"And it continues to have a dialogue between oppression and empowerment."

You mentioned a bit ago about Gillian Anderson in a new Batman flick. Thru the week I was reading one of those trashy magazines, think it was 17, and it says Anderson is only going to have a small role in the film. It's the Batman: Year One project; and she'll appear only in flashbacks. Cameo if you will.

CKNW AM980 was talking to actress Gillian Anderson (The X Files). I didn't hear the entire chat but I believe it was about the final season of the series.

Towards the end she got talking about a possible role in the new Batman movie. I didn't even know there was a new Batman movie? she said it's the 'perfect role' after playing good as scully for so long and looks forward to it if it happens.

Look no further than the casting of Tobey Maguire as "Spider-Man" for proof of just how much the action hero paradigm has changed. His role as the web-slinging crime fighter is a far cry from his earlier work in such character-driven dramas as "The Cider House Rules" and "Wonder Boys," but it is that dramatic background that convinced Sony to offer him the role.

"Tobey was the perfect Peter Parker because he's such a fine actor," Columbia Pictures president of production Peter Schlessel said. "He was able to play the nerdy-looking high school kid before the spider bite just as well as he was able to play Peter after the bite."

Heroes who are larger than life, whose powers seem over the top, no longer seem to be in vogue.

"Movies like 'Iron Fist' are not about a dominant super-powerful hero but rather about a guy people can relate to with special skills," said Patrick Gunn, executive vp at Artisan. "Action movies have become as much about watching someone become a hero as they are about what happens once they are a hero."

That transformation of a "regular" person becoming a hero is one that studio execs believe might especially resonate now in the wake of recent events.

"It's a new world now," said Emmerich, referring to the evolution of th e image of heroes. "On Sept. 11, we saw thousands of civilians go to work one morning and suddenly be caught in the center of a war."

These changes in the concept of heroism have led some industry veterans to believe that the traditional Stallone/Schwarzenegger-type action film might fade out of the Hollywood landscape much the same way that Westerns have.

"We might see someone emerge as the next action hero, but it's also possible that we will not see those same kind of characters any more," Gunn said. "Those guys had their time, but now it's a different time."

Aronofsky, who helped write the script with Frank Miller for the next installment, says studio bosses wanted "some edge, and a different take to the material."

But how far back will it go? "It won't be (Batman's alter ego) Bruce Wayne at 15," Aronofsky insisted. "That's one of the things still being decided: how old Batman is as the film starts?" [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive]011602213310 [an error occurred while processing this directive]Year One Workings? [an error occurred while processing this directive]Superhero Hype! reports that on the Home Shopping Network an "extremely annoying guy" mentioned that [screenwriter] Frank Miller flew out to California today to start work on the new Batman Movie "Batman: Year One". This report is unconfirmed. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive]011202195746 [an error occurred while processing this directive]Year One Set for 2004? [an error occurred while processing this directive]According to Batman On Film, "Aronofsky's LAST MAN goes in front of the camera this summer. If the YEAR ONE scripts gets the greenlight by WB before then, look for it to be his next project and start work on it in early to mid 2003. That timeframe would put YEAR ONE's release in 2004--most likely summer." Of course, more news as it developes. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive]010102162238 [an error occurred while processing this directive]Year One News [an error occurred while processing this directive]A source closed to the production of 'Batman: Year One' told Comics2Film that the designs released earlier were part of a failed pitch, pointing out that if the designs were to be used in the movie, the artists would not be posting them online.

Other internet rumors that surfaced these past weeks are untrue. Reports indicated that 'Batman: Year One had been accepted' by the Warner Bros. and designs for Batman, Catwoman and the Joker are underway. Catwoman will not part of the Year One movie as that character is in development as its own feature. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive]122801112642P[an error occurred while processing this directive]Batman Rumors [an error occurred while processing this directive]Toonzone reports that WB may want to have an unknown actor under the cape and cowl, hoping to bank on the popularity of the Dark Knight. Reportedly the sales of Frank Miller's other work Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again #1, which is closing in on 300,000 in total sales when the second print goes through.

Toonzone also adds that the popularity of the Batman OnStar commercials, based mostly on the Tim Burton take, are continueing their wave of popularity, with more likely on the way. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive]121901090002P[an error occurred while processing this directive]Batman: Year One Info [an error occurred while processing this directive]According to Batman On Film, we may not be seeing Batman: Year One in 2003.

Jett, here is a bit of news that I think you and your readers may find interesting. If you have not heard already, Warner Bros. has secured the distrubution rights to T3 and plans for a summer 2003 release. With that, and plans to release THE MATRIX sequels in the spring and fall of that year, it is highly unlikey that a 'BATMAN' film will make it in '03. And this makes sense to me. From what I hear from my work at [deleted], while WB wants a new 'BATMAN' film, they are in no hurry to get one out--especially if YEAR ONE is a restart of the franchise."

Jett, I work at [deleted] -- in what capacity I can not say -- but I know there has not been any casting for a 'Batman' film. In fact, 'YEAR ONE' is still in early script stages.

I went to the Lakers Game in Dallas on Wednesday (go go go) and John Cusack (Americas Sweethearts) was there. I managed to ask him a few things interesting near the end. Mostly I asked about musical tastes but then i got some news out of him about his new projects. He said he's doing another grosse pointe blank but the good news....he's going to be in the next BATMAN movie. He 'joked/said he's going to get killed if he says much - and said its not confirmed or something but he's negotiating to play a central character. He didn't tell me if it was batman himself - i doubt it. Unless someone knows something i dont know. I presume he was referring to the year one 'Batman' project though!

• A very gothic Gotham City.
• Several designs for Batman.
• Designs for Catwoman.
• A few designs of the Joker.
• Designs for the Batmobile.

Batman: Year One: To be directed by Darren Aronofsky. Ignore any casting rumor you've heard because it's too early to cast as no casting has begun. But why? Because the scripts have been rejected countless times now and that doesn't mean they went back to revise them either. Nope, each time a script has been rejected for the new film, they have gone back to square one delaying the project even further. This movie won't be seen for awhile.

Batman Beyond: This one has been dead for along time. The movie was apparently too expensive due to the futuristic environments that would have had to be created, Coming Soon's source claims, and Warner Bros. dumped the film in the trash. Sorry director Boaz Yakin (The Punisher) and screenwriters Paul Dini and Alan Burnett. What would have been a great edgy film is now trash material.

Catwoman: The website got in touch with the screenwriter for the upcoming movie. Catwoman screenwriter John Rogers revealed the comic adaptation is still in development at Warner Bros. unlike what was previously believe. Also, Rogers mentioned that he's turning in the second draft tomorrow! Catwoman in the second draft is still called Patience Price, played by Ashley Judd, who "has to stand on her own two feet."

Batman / Superman: The movie reportedly had screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker (Sleepy Hollow) and director Wolfgang Petersen attached. Same thing for this one - stuck in development hell, and will more than likely stay there.

Out of the many live action movies planned, only Batman: Year One and Batman/Superman have the chance of being made. Coming Soon also reports that Wonder Woman still has a chance to be made. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive]100101052706P[an error occurred while processing this directive]Bale As Live-Action Batman? [an error occurred while processing this directive]Rumor has begun to spread that actor Christian Bale may be up for the role of the Dark Knight in the upcoming Batman: Year One project. The actor is perhaps best known for his work in the chilling American Psycho. For almost the past year, names have been dropped countless times for actors supposedly linked to the upcoming project. Only the director is confirmed to be attached to the upcoming movie.

(Source: ToonZone.net)[an error occurred while processing this directive]

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