We would... if there was no award for him!

That was mostly expected & more or less all fans were sure enough that he'd going to win that.

Yes, we know that the rumor mill is churning out of control on all things related to Batman 3, but this report was just too juicy not to tell you about.

Although it appeared unlikely that we'd ever see the Joker in another Christopher Nolan-directed Batman film after Heath Ledger died, a Warner Bros. source for Moviehole suggests that the Clown Prince of Crime just might end up being part of a third Bat-film after all.

Moviehole's Clint Morris claims to have "heard from someone at the WB that The Joker may be a part of the next Batman film -- if even in a minor capacity. I believe 'It's definitely possible; ya never know. Heard some things' were his exact words."

The Joker, you may recall, was literally left hanging at the end of The Dark Knight. According to Moviehole, the Joker's inclusion in Batman 3 would be "merely for storytelling reasons -- they want to tie-up the character's storyline -- not because they wanna keep selling the Joker T-Shirt (which, of course, they do)."

While for many it's unthinkable to even ponder anyone else but Ledger as The Joker (especially given all the awards the actor has posthumously received), the site points out that producer Charles Roven recently suggested to MTV that the role is more important than the actor playing it.

So might the Joker be recast? Or, if it's just a small role, could Ledger's Clown Prince be digitally recreated a la Oliver Reed in Gladiator or Brandon Lee in The Crow in order to have the character make an appearance? Given today's special effects, that's certainly possible. But, as Moviehole stresses, right now the studio and filmmakers are simply tossing around ideas for a third Bat-film so this is all just rumor, so take all stuff like this with big grains of salt.

Warner Bros. really wants Christopher Nolan to direct Batman 3. That much is obvious, but a new report suggests that the studio already has a replacement in mind just in case Nolan should pass on helming a third installment.

Batman-on-Film reports that when "Nolan came to an agreement to helm Inception for Warner Bros., there is at least some sort of understanding between him and the studio that he'll do a third Batman -- though his reps won't confirm or deny it."

In case Nolan decides to pass on directing Batman 3 -- we already know he's working on the script for it -- then BoF claims that Warners "might" have considered its Watchmen and 300 director Zack Snyder as a possible replacement or as a successor once Nolan completes his trilogy.

While we fully expect Nolan to return to direct Batman 3, let's at least wonder what a Snyder-directed Bat flick would be like. Hmm...what say, Leonidas?

Too flashy by half.

MTV News caught up with Michael Caine at the Toronto film festival yesterday, and quizzed the British star (who played Alfred in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight) about the future of Batman 3.

"There is nobody, there's no script, there's nothing," he told them. "It can't possibly be made before 2011 because Inception [director Chris Nolan's next film] is such a big picture."

Caine said the studio weren't giving him any updates because he kept spilling the beans, then promptly revealed that as far as he knew, the rumour linking Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp to the role of The Riddler was false.

He said: "Johnny Depp is great in anything, but there is no Johnny Depp in this Batman. They tell me in no uncertain terms."

Some news that we missed last week about a little-known comic book movie franchise called Batman.

Batman On Film reports that director Christopher Nolan and studio Warner Bros. will officially announce their plans for Batman 3 in January.

Their scooper told the site: "The longer we don't hear a Nolan/B3 announcement in 2010, the less likely it is that the director will return."

We've heard so many rumours and counter-rumours about Batman 3 over the past year, so here's hoping BOF's source is true, and that 2010 brings some kind of official news about the project.

Some fresh Batman 3 rumours have hit the Net today, with a scooper – apparently from Warner Bros. – giving Comic Book Movies the lowdown on the plot for Christopher Nolan's sequel.

First up, we have to reiterate that – as with so much The Dark Knight sequel gossip we've heard in the last couple of years – this is unverified by the studio and thus should be taken with a pinch of salt.

The source claims that, with screenwriting beginning this month, the plot is already in place. We heard last week that David Goyer and Jonah Nolan might have already actually finished a first draft.

Furthermore, they claim that the villain of the piece is The Riddler and that Arkham Asylum will feature heavily in the story. Apparently several other classic Bat-villains will cameo – including The Penguin and Mr. Freeze (although only in his Dr. Fries incarnation).

According to the source, Barbara Gordon's role will be beefed up and Dick Grayson may also make an appearance, though probably not as Robin.

Finally and potentially most excitingly, Commissioner Gordon could name-check the Superman universe in the film, with Metropolis and Lex Luthor getting a mention. (You'll remember that only last week TDK director Christopher Nolan was hired by WB to "godfather" new Superman films.)

So there you go; some pretty juicy Bat-gossip, but we stress again that it should be treated as mere conjecture at this stage.

Despite the fevered speculation about the future of Batman in the wake of the spectacular success of The Dark Knight two years ago, we've been given very little in the way of hard facts about the future of the series.

That is, until now.

A new interview with director Christopher Nolan, in which he talks about his plans for the third film, as well as his overseeing role on Superman, appears to outline where the man who brought Batman back from the horrors of the Joel Schumacher years sees the character going.

And it may not make comfortable reading for execs at studio Warner Brothers.

Nolan, while characteristically tight-lipped, confirms that the third episode of his Batman series will be the final instalment, and will mostly feature the characters and actors who appeared in the first two films. "We have a great ensemble, that's one of the attractions of doing another film, since we've been having a great time for years," he told the LA Times.

Nolan refused to confirm whether there would be another main villain for the third film, saying only that Mr Freeze would not be appearing. But his comments over the returning cast make me wonder whether he and screenwriting brother Jonathan Nolan might have plumped for a scenario in which the story continues straight on from the end of The Dark Knight, in which Batman was left running for his life with the forces of Gotham at his heels, rather than a distinct new episode with a new bad guy to be outwitted.

"I'm very excited about the end of the film, the conclusion, and what we've done with the characters," Nolan said. "My brother has come up with some pretty exciting stuff. Unlike the comics, these things don't go on forever in film and viewing it as a story with an end is useful. Viewing it as an ending, that sets you very much on the right track about the appropriate conclusion and the essence of what tale we're telling. And it harkens back to that priority of trying to find the reality in these fantastic stories. That's what we do."

Ending it at the trilogy point will certainly help give the series a cohesive form (provided the film-makers get the final episode right). But one wonders what the reaction will be at Warner Bros, where that could presumably be read as shutting down a successful franchise just as it has got going. One can only assume that the movie would end with Batman either dead (unlikely, even in Nolan's dark universe) or retired. But even if Nolan does bring his tale to a satisfactory conclusion, who's to say that the studio won't attempt to revive the character in some form of continuation of the story, with a new director at the reins?

Short of saying that he will definitely be directing Batman 3, Nolan did admit that his brother, Jonathan Nolan, was currently working on the Batman 3 script for him.

"My brother is writing a script for me and we'll wait to see how it turns out.... He's struggling to put it together into the epic story that you want it to be. Without getting into specifics, the key thing that makes the third movie a great possibility for us is that we want to finish our story. And in viewing it as the finishing of a story rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story," he concluded.

Final part of Nolan's Dark Knight tale & their take on Superman reboot...things getting pretty exciting. :cool:

And yes, may be that's kinda sad & warning part for the studio but I think they'll continue to making Batman films years after that but probably keep Nolan's trilogy stand alone. They can go for a big budget alternate world of Cape Crusader where he may again find his side kick Robin & get the chance to fight against villain like Mr. Freeze or unwanted alliance like Bat woman:p.

Same bat channel, new bat time.

Warner Bros. isn't about to let little details like no title, no production start date and no locked-down plot stop it from setting up a tentpole, as the studio today announced a July 20, 2012, release date for the third installment of the rebooted Batman franchise.

Christian Bale will be back in the cowl under the direction of Christopher Nolan.

With the release date now set, Nolan is currently hashing out a story for the Dark Knight followup, which already faces some steep competition.

Also headed to the big screen in 2012: The Avengers (May 4), Battleship (May 25), Star Trek 2 (June 29), and what will likely be the Bat's biggest competition: the Spider-Man reboot's reboot (July 3).

Comic geeks, get ready.

Congrats, you Bat nuts finally have an actual day to obsess over for months and months.

Warner Bros. has officially announced the release date of Christopher Nolan's third Batman film: July 20th, 2012.

All signs have been pointing toward the third Bat installment arriving in 2012, and you didn't have to be a rocket scientist to guess Warners would stick the flick on the same weekend as its closest sibling (especially since it shattered records), but it's still nice to know for sure that we'll be getting a new Batman movie from Nolan on a specific date in the future. It's all set in stone -- we can change the pencil to pen, make the invitations and start looking for a florist and photographer. This deal is done.

Now comes the fun part:

1. Who are the villains?

2. Which actors and actresses are playing those villains?

Who else will Nolan add to his delightful, ever-growing ensemble cast?

Which actress will replace Maggie Gyllenhaal as the girl Bruce Wayne wants to sleep with?

Will Christian Bale lessen the growl a little bit so we don't immediately make fun of him after the credits roll?

Can anyone top Ledger?

Will this new film forever live in the shadow of its predecessor no matter what they do?

How do you make a follow up to one of greatest superhero films of all time?


Those questions -- and many more -- will be answered one by one over the next several months.

Director Christopher Nolan says that he won’t bring back The Joker in Batman 3 or in any installment of the franchise while he’s in charge. From the latest issue of Empire Magazine [via Obsessed with Film, emphasis their's]:

It’s good to know that Nolan is choosing not to make the crassest decision of all-time.

Besides, who could you recast? Heath Ledger’s Joker is a singular performance, and while it can be impersonated, it can never be replicated. So let us simply resume speculation over who will be the villain of the next Batman movie.

Batman 3 (tentative title) is slated to hit theaters on July 20, 2012.

Batman 3 rumours are escalating, with further indication The Riddler may feature, and that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is interested in the role.

FirstShowing.net got their hands on a casting grid for Batman 3, a document which lays out the roles in the movie and actors available to play them.

For Bat-fans, this is as close to confirmation that The Riddler will be appearing as you can get without hearing it from Nolan himself.

Perhaps even more exciting is the mention of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is listed next to The Riddler as 'interested'.

JGL has been touted for the role in fan circles for some time, and thanks to his high-profile performance in Inception is now well known to the general public.

We already know that Nolan likes to work with the same trusted actors in his film projects, so it is easy to see the director offering the versatile young actor the part.

The problem with the slow leak of rumours like these is that it always leaves us wanting more... it's going to be a long wait.

We'd like to point out that this news should be considered confirmation that The Riddler is the villain in Batman 3 and less confirmation of the recent suggestions/rumors regarding Gordon-Levitt's casting as the enigmatic villain. A casting grid is used in the industry to keep production companies, agencies, etc. in the loop on a project's progress and the roles available for actors to potentially take. These documents are used for business planning in the industry and by no means would use internet speculation to list a character that may not even appear in the film. But when it comes to listing actors, this is info that can change at anytime, and just because an actor or studio is interested in one or the other, does not mean it will actually happen.

We're also cautious because the age range listed for the character is 35 to 45, and with Gordon-Levitt being 29 years old falls a little short of the mark. Of course, this wouldn't really be a reason for him to be excluded as characters can be modified in the script to accommodate a favored actor. On the lighter side though, the actor is fresh off working with Nolan on the brilliant Inception, so they've surely developed quite a working relationship as Gordon-Levitt called him "the genuine article… a real artist" and "a unique voice." For now we'll consider Gordon-Levitt's involvement a rumor, but seeing The Riddler in a studio casting grid is solid confirmation of Nolan's villain for Batman 3. Hopefully we'll get an official confirmation sooner than later.

Batman is due to begin filming next year, and is set for release July 2012.

If I haven't said this already - He ought to consider Greg Kinnear as the riddler...I honestly cannot think of another actor who could look/play/sound the part as well as I envision him.
As for Johnny Depp rumours, I wish that guy would stop with the over the top shit and get back into something remotely serious...that would *almost* make me not want to see it.

I maintain, Hush would be the shit...perfect for the Nolan universe.

what if JGL may get the chance to appear in the last-quarter of the next film as a sidekick wannabe for BatMan!?!:eek:

:D:D

JGL would work great if the Riddler was used the way Paul Dini and Grant Morrison have been using him in the past few years, as a consulting detective and a foil to Batman. Particularly if he starts getting a good reputation while Batman's in the shadows.Supplemented by another villain with whom he could form an alliance after being revealed for the lunatic that he is, he would be a great character. My picks would be: William H. Macy as The Ventriloquist, James Spader as The Mad Hatter, Sam Rockwell as Hush or Black Mask, Antonio Banderas as Bane.

Given how great he was in Inception, this doesn’t exactly count as surprising news, but it’s still very welcome: according to Deadline, Christopher Nolan has recruited Tom Hardy for a major role in the next Batman film.

Before anyone hits the ‘net to scream “TOM HARDY IS THE RIDDLER!!!1!!” A WORD OF… Sorry, left the caps lock on there. A word of caution: there is zero information as to what his role might be, and only an insinuation that he’s playing a villain.

But while there’s zero confirmation on his part, feel free to go nuts with your guesses – would he make a good Riddler?
Is he taking on one of the other iconic characters from Bats’ rogues’ gallery?

Or could he be Robin? Kidding on that one. We hope…

Hardy, of course, has been shooting Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy for Thomas Alfredson and he also has McG’s action comedy This Means War, alongside Reese Witherspoon and Chris Pine, on his schedule. While we thought Nolan might try to factor him into the Bat-universe, there was always the lingering spectre of Mad Max: Fury Road in his future, but thanks to rain and a lot of flowers, that one has been pushed back.

As for Batman 3, all that we really know for sure is that Chris Nolan is definitely making the film (he told us himself) and that Jonah Nolan and David Goyer have been hard at work cranking out another script.

Batman is due to hit theaters in July 2012.

I have no doubt the Batman will come up with it's 3rd version sooner or later. All they are looking for a killer script for they don't want the classic series getting disreputed for any lacking.

Big news from the Batman camp in today’s L.A. Times: Christopher Nolan has revealed the name of the third film in his Gotham City trilogy.

In July 2012, we’ll be queuing for The Dark Knight Rises.

Not only that, but in something of a bombshell, Nolan went on to dispell what many had begun to assume to be a given – “It won’t be the Riddler,” reports L.A.T.’s blog Hero Complex, effectively pulling the leading villain candidate completely out of the pool.

So easy to get ahead of yourself, isn't it? Of course, true to form, the director wouldn’t reveal who it would be.

What Nolan seemed most interested in imparting was that he’s convinced Warner Bros. to keep telling his story in 2D, and to continue down the path of hi-def IMAX sequences.

And he’ll get no argument from us on the subject – if it ain't broke, etc.

The post contains one other potentially juicy, enigmatic Nolan quote: “We’ll use many of the same characters as we have all along, and we’ll be introducing some new ones.” From here, you can go down two schools of thought – 1) This is a straightforward, non-commital comment. 2) You can subscribe to the oft-chanted mantra that "In comic books, no-one is ever really dead" – and we lost two big characters in The Dark Knight.

But then again, of course, that doesn’t – to date – really wash with the realistic leanings of the first two films. What was that about getting ahead of ourselves? Exactly.

So, who will be the next "Batman" villain, and what do you think of the title?

I suppose if he "rises" for more than four hours he'll have to see his doctor

Not sure about the title, a bit wordy and perhaps pretentious? I dunno, just sounds like one of those ones film-makers take 10 seconds to come up with but feel it sounds "really dramatic".

As for the villain, I've got my fingers crossed on Clayface (the original masked killer movie star) or The Ventriloquist. I think both of those would work brilliantly in the Nolan universe.

Although, I think it might be interesting to see the "Batman: Knightfall" story on the big screen.

I think the Riddler is different enough from the Joker, we haven't seen any good death traps yet and (hopefully) we'd see some more actual detective work from the bat

Because Christopher Nolan likes keeping his projects as secret as nuclear launch codes, there’s been heavy speculation over who Tom Hardy will play in The Dark Knight Rises. Nolan apparently thinks that if we know who Hardy is playing now instead of a few months from now when it’s inevitably revealed, our enjoyment of the film will be absolutely destroyed.

However, the rumor du jour is that Hardy is playing Dr. Hugo Strange, one of the film’s villains. As we previously reported, the other villain will be a woman.

If you don’t know much about Strange, that’s okay. He’s not one of Batman’s more famous rogues.

According to Wikipedia, Strange has actually been around since 1940 and was one of Batman’s first recurring villains. He’s a villain in the mad-scientist mold and possesses genius-level IQ and is a master of psychology. In the comics mythology, Strange learned Batman’s secret identity but kept it to himself. He eventually becomes obsessed with Batman, even going to the point where he starts dressing up like the Caped Crusader.

Keep in mind, Hugo Strange as the film’s villain is just a rumor at this point, although the folks over at Batman-News say that their source is reliable and knew that The Riddler wouldn’t be the villain and that Rachel Weisz and Anne Hathaway were in the running for the lead female role.

Assuming this is true, what are your thoughts on Strange being the villain? Do you think Hardy is right for the role?

Just wanna say I absolutely love this movie, saw it in theatres 6 times lol

It looks like Christian Bale only has so much gravel-voice to give.

In a recent interview with E! News, Bale says that The Dark Knight Rises will be his last turn as the Caped Crusader. Said Bale,

Nolan has previously stated that The Dark Knight Rises will be the last Batman film he directs and that the third film will “finish the story” that started with Batman Begins.

Bale, who is picking up strong critical acclaim in David O. Russell’s The Fighter, says that when it comes to the plot of The Dark Knight Rises,

This coincides with Michael Caine’s recent interview where he said they weren’t set to receive the script until January.

Filming on the highly-anticipated sequel is set to begin in May. The Dark Knight Rises also stars Michael Caine and Tom Hardy. It’s slated for release on July 20, 2012.

Honestly I'm pretty excited to see what becomes of Tom Hardy over the course of the next couple years. After educating myself with Wiki about Dr. Strange, my knee jerk reaction is that Hardy is too young for the role...but I'm sure that's nothing a little Nolan/Hardy fusion can't fix.

I hope it's true.

Scarecrow, R'as Al Ghul, and Joker were all respectively older than Cillain Murphy, Liam Neeson, and Heath Ledger in the comics. So I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem.

Right now, it seems we know more about what won’t be happening in Christopher Nolan‘s upcoming “The Dark Knight Rises” than what actually will be happening.

The film won’t be in 3D, won’t feature the Riddler, will not feature a CGI Heath Ledger as the Joker and now we can tell you you one more thing that won’t be happening.

Aaron Eckhart, speaking with MTV at a recent shindig for “Rabbit Hole,” has revealed he won’t be reprising his role as Harvey Dent/Two-Face.

“Chris and I had a meeting, on the beach, just the two of us,” Eckhart said. “I said, ‘Chris, a lot of people are asking me if I’m in the next ‘Batman.’ And Chris said, ‘Yes?’ I said, ‘Am I?’ He looked at me and he said, ‘No.’ “

We wish we had our meetings on the beach instead of the windowless storage closet we call a “conference room,” but it appears that with the third and final installment, Christopher Nolan is breaking completely from “The Dark Knight” and really, it’s not that shocking. With Heath Ledger’s passing, the alleged original plans to bring back the Joker for the third film had to be scrapped and we imagine that many of the other story elements that might have been planned have probably been scrapped completely for a fresh approach.

The only thing we do know right now is that Tom Hardy will be in the film and will join the regular cast of players—Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman—who are all expected to return.

The cast will get the script in January, the film will begin lensing next spring and will hit theatres on July 20, 2012.

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/images...res/22403L.png

BURBANK, CA, January 19, 2011 – Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Christopher Nolan stated, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story.”

In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, “I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies.”

Nolan will direct the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven.

“The Dark Knight Rises” is slated for release on July 20, 2012. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.


Read more: http://batman-news.com/2011/01/19/an...#ixzz1BVVVExE5

Now that it's a new year, i hope he's willing! Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight were brilliant

hahaha I posted my previous question too fast,
2012, okay!

The Dark Knight Rises might just be the most anticipated comic book movie in the history of always, so it's no surprise that everyone has been following casting rumors and announcements very closely.

For several weeks we've known that Inception stars Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are re-teaming with director Christopher Nolan, but we haven't known what roles they'll be playing until today. Smart money was on Inception's Mol playing Talia Al Ghul and JGL playing Falcone's son, Alberto.

Nope. Not happening. Instead, they are playing a...Wayne Enterprises employee and a cop on Gordon's force, respectively.

Cotillard will play Miranda Tate "a Wayne Enterprises board member eager to help a still-grieving Bruce Wayne resume his father's philanthropic endeavors for Gotham." Gordon-Levitt will play John Blake, "a Gotham City beat cop assigned to special duty under the command of Commissioner Gordon."

http://movies.ign.com/articles/116/1162771p1.html

Fans in Southern California will have their own opportunity to parade around the set of a comic book come to life as an open casting call for extras, stand-ins and photo doubles has been announced for the Los Angeles leg of director Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises (TDKR) production.

The Third and final installment in Nolan's Batman film series is now heading into principal photography and casting for extras, stand-ins, and photo doubles for the film's stars has begun. There will also be principal actor casting [sic] Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, New York, and London.

The Dark Knight Rises goes into production in India on May 6, 2011.

The shoot in India will be a short one with only Christian Bale filming scenes there at Mehrangarh Fort located in Jodhpur city in Rajasthan state. Shooting in Pittsburgh will take place for four to six weeks. The production will movie to the United Kingdom before returning to the U.S. and shoot in New York. The majority of filming will then take place in Los Angeles, mainly in sound stages at the Warner Brothers studios in Burbank.

The Screen Actors Guild currently lists the filming dates for The Dark Knight Rises as May 6, 2011 through November 14, 2011.

Most of the location information was previously known, but the casting call did reveal one juicy bit of new information about The Dark Knight Rises: the character that actress Juno Temple will play in the movie. Temple's character was previously only described as a "street-smart Gotham girl," but the call reveals that Temple will actually be playing a role taken right out of the pages of the Batman comic book, that of Holly Robinson.

Holly first appeared in Batman #404 in Frank Miller's now-classic "Batman: Year One" story arc as a juvenile prostitute who found refuge with Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman (to be played by Anne Hathaway in TDKR). Following a later story arc, Holly actually took over the mantle of Catwoman for a short time after Selina became pregnant. Holly is also one of the few lesbian characters in the DC Universe, which earned Catwoman recognition from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) in 2004. It will be interesting to see how Nolan chooses to portray this complex character, but comic book movie fans are sure to be excited by the announcement of her inclusion into the Batman movie mythology.

In addition to Bale, Morgan Freeman, Sir Michael Caine, Nestor Carbonell, and Gary Oldman all return in The Dark Knight Rises. New additions include Tom Hardy, Josh Pence, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Daniel Sunjata, Diego Klattenhoff and Burn Gorman.

First look at Tom Hardy as Bane -

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...m-hardy-01.jpg

Official site launched - http://www.thedarkknightrises.com

Production has officially commenced on Thursday.

Saw this earlier and it does look very awesome. I was wondering how they'd make him realistic enough but it seems to have worked. Now we just have to wait for Catwoman!

I'm excited to see "The Dark Knight Rises" the title seems to of lacked a little creativity to me, but I but should still be great. And like most movies probably wont see it in the theater, but will try.

Shooting is officially underway on Nolan's epic trilogy closer, and a few more names have been added to the line-up.

Matthew Modine (ironically best known for playing 'Joker' in "Full Metal Jacket") has landed the role of a character only known as 'Nixon': we're guessing he's not playing Tricky Dicky, but if Nolan is using Ra's al Ghul flashbacks, you never know…

Modine looked set to become a big star after "Jacket", but his career never went quite as stellar as expected. Perhaps that had something to do with mega-flop "Cutthroat Island".

Still, he's worked fairly consistently since then, and luckily Nolan has a penchant for unsung 80s heroes (Rutger Hauer, Anthony Michael Hall, Tom Berenger) in his A-list populated blockbusters.

Also joining the cast is Tom Conti, the Scottish thesp known for his work on the stage as well as the big and small screens.

His notable movies include "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence", "Reuben, Reuben", and "Shirley Valentine".

And finally, Joey King, the young actress who starred in "Ramona and Beezus", has also come aboard the production.

Despite being only 11 years old, King has racked up an impressive list of screen credits, including appearances in "Crazy, Stupid, Love", "Battle: Los Angeles" and "Quarantine".

There's currently no word on who Conti and King will be playing.

In addition, Israeli actor Alon Aboutboul joined after Nolan wrapped his two-day shoot in Jodhpur, India, and moved the production to London.

Nolan's production is currently set up in Clerkenwell, London, where the Farmiloe Building is doubling as the Gotham City Police Station. A scooper for AICN sent in photos of vehicles emblazoned with "Gotham Police Department" from the location and said that title star Christian Bale and Tom Hardy, who plays Batman's nemesis, Bane, were on site, but neither actor has been captured on film so there is no way of confirming this.

Additionally, LiveForFilms nabbed an assortment of pictures of actors, extras or stuntmen wearing Gotham police and S.W.A.T. uniforms at the location, and Aboutboul has been spotted on the set.

After London, the TDKR production will most likely move to Scotland before heading Stateside, where it will shoot in Pittsburgh, New York and Los Angeles.

"The Dark Knight Rises" was written by Nolan's brother, Jonathan, from an idea conceived by Nolan and David S. Goyer, the writer of both "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight".

The cast includes Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Sir Michael Caine, Nestor Carbonell, Josh Pence, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Daniel Sunjata, Diego Klattenhoff, Burn Gorman and Juno Temple.

As usual, Christopher Nolan and company are maintaining strict secrecy regarding details about The Dark Knight Rises.

But Hollywood Life scored an interview with a "source very close to the costume design," who revealed details about Anne Hathaway's Catwoman costume.

The outfit apparently won't have the overt sexiness many are expecting, but instead will go back to the DC comics for inspiration. Rumors on the Internet speculate that the design will resemble that of award-winning comic-book artist Darwyn Cooke, who worked on the reboot of the Catwoman comic 10 years ago.

The anonymous source spoke to Hollywood Life about the design:

Here's an image of the Cooke design, courtesy of Spinoff Online -

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...man2-cooke.jpg

The Dark Knight Rises opens July 20, 2012.

Cant wait for this movie!!!



Seriously!!!

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