First look at Tom Hardy as Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises”

May 20, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

Warner Bros kicked off the viral marketing campaign 14 months ahead of the release of “The Dark Knight Rises” with a complicated set of puzzles that, thankfully, the clever readers of SuperHero Hype took no time at all to decipher. After using an audio program to reveal the spectrum on a series of indiscernible chants on TheDarkKnightRises.com says “#thefirerises”, it was quickly discovered a Twitter account was set up to encourage followers to tweet “#thefirerises” in order to add their own image to http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/image.html, becoming one pixel that will eventually make up the first official image from the film.

Still with us? Don’t worry if you’re confused or unable to follow the sequence of events because all you really need to take away is this: this being the internet, the fans have scooped Warner Bros and managed to retrieve the full image ahead of schedule, revealing Tom Hardy in profile and in character as the villainous Bane.

“The Dark Knight Rises” has only just begun filming in India this week, with Christopher Nolan at the helm for the last time, directing a cast that includes Christian Bale and new additions Marion Cotillard, Juno Temple and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

The full image of Hardy can be seen below.

“The Social Network” star Josh Pence lands pivotal role in “The Dark Knight Rises”

April 8, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Josh Pence, often called the unsung hero of “The Social Network”, might finally have his moment in the sun. After body-doubling as the Winklevoss twins and then having his face digitally replaced with that of Armie Hammer’s, thus erasing 99% of acknowledgment for his work on the film, Pence has now landed a whopper of a follow-up, one that is likely to be the breakout moment that “Social Network” wasn’t. THR reports that Pence has landed the role of a young Ra’s Al Ghul in Christopher Nolan’s next (and final) installment of his Batman trilogy, “The Dark Knight Rises”.

Pence’s character will appear in flashback scenes. The present day Al Ghul was played by Liam Neeson in “Batman Begins” and though he seemingly died in the first film, the door appears to now be open for his return. Adding credence to that possibility is the strong rumor that Marion Cotillard will be playing Talia Al Ghul, love interest to Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne and the senior Al Ghul’s daughter. Pence joins Neeson, Cotillard and Bale in addition Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Tom Hardy as Bane, Juno Temple as a streetwise Gotham teen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a still unspecified role. Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman are also reprising their roles.

Pence followed up his thankless role in “The Social Network” with a slightly more noticeable one in upcoming action blockbuster “Battleship”, also with Neeson and Taylor Kitsch. “The Dark Knight Rises” will film this summer, with four to six weeks scheduled for Pittsburgh.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt confirmd for “The Dark Knight Rises”; Juno Temple eyed for supporting role

March 18, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

After weeks of rumor and speculation, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has closed a deal to reunite with “Inception” director Christopher Nolan on his third and final “Batman” film, “The Dark Knight Rises”. In addition, Variety also reports that Juno Temple is being considered for a supporting role as a street-smart Gotham girl, though no formal offers have been made yet.

Gordon-Levitt’s character remain tightly under wraps, though speculation from last year pegged him as iconic Batman villain The Riddler, last seen portrayed by Jim Carrey in Joel Schumacher’s 1995 “Batman Forever”. Whoever he plays, he will be joining something of an “Inception” reunion, with not only Nolan behind the camera but also Tom Hardy, perhaps the biggest breakout from the mind-bending summer blockbuster, who will be playing the role of Bane, and maybe Marion Cotillard as well. Cotillard’s role is rumored to be that of love interest to Christian Bale’s tititular superhero, Thalia Al Ghul, the daughter of the villain Ra’s al Ghul, played by Liam Neeson in “Batman Begins”. So, what, was Ellen Page unavailable to play the street-smart Gotham girl? Anne Hathaway is also on board to play Selina Kyle aka Catwoman.

Gordon-Levitt has a clear summer schedule, after filming on time-travel thriller “Looper” ends. His long gestating Jonathan Levine cancer comedy “50/50″ will finally see release on September 30th. Temple was most recently seen in Sundance’s “Little Birds” and was a finalist to play the princess in Bryan Singer’s “Jack the Giant Killer”. She’ll next be seen as Queen Ann in “The Three Musketeers 3D”, in the lesbian werewolf picture “Jack and Diane”. She just wrapped “Killer Joe” opposite Emile Hirsch and will soon begin filming indie thriller “A Single Shot”.

“The Dark Knight Rises” begins filming in May with a projected release date of July 20, 2012.

Henry Cavill and Zack Snyder talk “Superman” auditions

February 17, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Interviews Leave a comment

The new issue of Entertainment Weekly digs into the unprecedented number of superhero films headed to the big screen in the next couple of years, from “Thor” to “X-Men: First Class” to “The Dark Knight Rises” to “The Avengers”. And playing such iconic roles as Spider-Man, Catwoman, Magneto and Captain America is a new crop of actors, most of whom were relatively unknown when cast, and who are about to become household names. The 2010 awards race has been serendipitous, propelling names like Andrew Garfield (Spider-Man) and Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique) into fame before they morph into their superhero alter-egos, but there are still more names to learn in the coming months, like Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Nicholas Hoult (Beast), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill) and the man gracing the cover of EW’s special issue, who is about to become perhaps the most iconic superhero of all time. British actor Henry Cavill was recently chosen to wear the red cape in Zack Snyder’s reboot of “Superman”, and the duo talked to EW about how Cavill convinced Snyder and producer Christopher Nolan that he was their Man of Steel, despite his own misgivings.

Cavill was fairly pessimistic about his chances of becoming Clark Kent, especially since his previous movie before the audition had forced him to tone down any bulk and muscle he had. When putting on a replica of Christopher Reeve’s iconic tights and cape getup, the actor recalls, “All I could think was: Oh, god. They’re going to look at me and go ‘He’s not Superman. Not a chance.’ The actor inside me was going: You’re not ready! You’re not ready!“

For Snyder, it came down to the suit: “If you can put on that suit and pull it off,” he tells the magazine, “that’s an awesome achievement. [Cavill] walked out, and no one laughed. Other actors put that suit on, and it’s a joke, even if they’re great actors. Henry put it on, and he exuded this kind of crazy-calm confidence that just made me go ‘Wow.’ Okay: This was Superman.”

To read the full interview with Cavill and Snyder and EW’s full feature on all the superheroes coming to our rescue over the next two years, pick up the new issue, on newsstands tomorrow!

Marion Cotillard in discussions to join “The Dark Knight Rises”

February 14, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

A little pregnancy isn’t going to keep Marion Cotillard from working. After French newspaper La Figaro reported the “Inception” actress would be reuniting with director Christopher Nolan on his final Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises”, THR confirms with her reps she is indeed “in discussions”, though nothing is finalized yet. In discussion is, of obvious reasons, scheduling. Cotillard is due to give birth this spring and the plan would have her beginning filming in Mid-June in London, all summer in Los Angeles and Pittsburgh, and wrap mid-November in New York. Guess she’s never heard of maternity leave.

After casting Anne Hathaway in the villainous role of Selena Kyle, aka Catwoman, Nolan has been focused on filling the other vacant female role, that of a romantic foil for Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne/Batman. Though earlier reports had younger, lesser known actresses including Blake Lively, Keira Knightley, Kate Mara and Gemma Arterton meeting with the director, it appears he’s gone older and more established, with THR sources reporting that he met with Kate Winslet, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts in recent weeks. But if it weren’t already evident from his casting of Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cotillard, who had been rumored for a role as early as last year, always had an advantage over the other ladies. Can Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page be far behind?

Cotillard’s role is rumored to be that of Thalia Al Ghul, the daughter of the villain Ra’s al Ghul, played by Liam Neeson in “Batman Begins”. “The Dark Knight Rises” begins filming in May with a projected release date of July 20, 2012.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt joins “The Dark Knight Rises”

February 1, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

An “Inception” reunion is already in the works. Deadline reports that Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who played gravity defying Arthur in Christopher Nolan‘s fantasy dreamworld epic is set to join co-star Tom Hardy in the final installment of Nolan’s “Batman” trilogy, “The Dark Knight Rises”. While it has been announced that Hardy would be portraying the villainous Bane and Anne Hathaway will be Selina Kyle/Catwoman, there is no word on who Gordon-Levitt might play, though last summer rumors were swirling and connecting his name to iconic Batman villain The Riddler.

Nolan begins shooting this spring, after Gordon-Levitt finishes shooting time-travel actioner “Looper” opposite Bruce Willis. Having made his splash on the indie scene, Gordon-Levitt had a big breakthrough in 2009 in Marc Webb’s “(500) Days of Summer” and then an even bigger one in “Inception”. He has indie drama “Hesher” and the again untitled Seth Rogen cancer comedy previously known as “Live With It” coming this year.

“The Dark Knight Rises” is set for release on July 20, 2012 and Nolan has kept a tight lid on details. Presumably, with the Catwoman role in Hathaway’s hands, there is still at least one more female role to be cast.

Anne Hathaway to play Catwoman in “The Dark Knight Rises”; Tom Hardy plays Bane

January 19, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

This just in via official press release from Warner Bros. Anne Hathaway, who was in the latest batch of girls said to be testing for a role in Christopher Nolan‘s third Batman feature, “The Dark Knight Rises”, will be playing Selina Kyle aka Catwoman in the film. They also confirm Tom Hardy will be playing the role of Bane.

The official press release follows, courtesy of Hero Complex:

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.

Not so fast, Eva Green? More Batman rumors put Kate Mara, Gemma Arterton in the mix

January 11, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 9 Comments

Well, that’s the danger of this 24/7 news cycle. Hours after we reported Collider’s scoop that Eva Green and Naomi Watts had been cast to play Talia al Ghul and Vicky Vale in “The Dark Knight Rises”, THR jumps in to debunk their sources, claiming an exclusive list of actresses who are still vying for the role. The kicker? Green and Watts don’t show up on THR’s list at all.

THR reports that well-established actresses Anne Hathaway, Keira Knightley and Jessica Biel will test for one of the two still vacant roles in the next couple of weeks, and will be competing against relative unknowns Kate Mara and Charlotte Riley. Warner Bros is also interested in Gemma Arterton, but may find scheduling conflicts given her recent commitment to Paramount’s Hansel and Gretal: Witch Hunters. Hathaway and Knightley are two names who have carried over from the initial list of actresses reported to be in the running by Deadline, while Biel, Mara, Riley and Arterton have never before been mentioned in connection to the project.

Mara and Riley are still building their resumes, Mara in the recent Oscar favorite “127 Hours” and Channing Tatum’s upcoming “Ten Year”, and Riley on a handful of British TV series, but at the moment they are a bit overshadowed by other people they are associated with. Mara is the older sister of Rooney Mara, recently thrust into fame upon being cast as Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, while Riley is engaged to “Dark Knight Rises” villain and “Inception” star Tom Hardy. Not a fan of nepotism in this or any other industry, so let’s hope that connection doesn’t sway Riley’s casting one way or the other.

That is, if this is the report that turns out to be true!

New Batman rumor: Eva Green cast as female villain?

January 11, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

Right off the bat, Collider prefaces their new scoop with the disclaimer that they are rumors and it’s impossible to verify them due to Christopher Nolan’s intense desire for secrecy surrounding “Batman: The Dark Knight Rises”. Nevertheless, they are confident enough in their source to pass along word that allegedly, former Bond girl Eva Green has been cast as the villainous femme fatale Talia al Ghul (they also suggest Catwoman is another possibility). Collider also states Naomi Watts will play Vicky Vale, presumably the reporter/love interest role that was played by Kim Basinger in Tim Burton’s “Batman” days. From our perspective, both ladies seem very well suited for their respective prospective roles, especially opposite Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne.

Watts was among the shortlist reported earlier who were in contention for one of the two roles up for grabs, but Green’s inclusion is brand new. Of course, the shortlist reveals, compiled by anonymous sources and in no way official, mean virtually nothing in the long run, proved most recently when Carey Mulligan was cast as Baz Lurhmann’s Daisy Buchanan in “The Great Gatsby”, despite not appearing on the initial shortlist.

We won’t know the veracity of these rumors until Nolan decides to make an official announcement. Predictably, there is still no official word on what villainous role Tom Hardy will play in the film either.

More rumours for Tom Hardy’s Batman role

November 19, 2010 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting Leave a comment

Tom Hardy has already confirmed a role in “Dark Knight Rises”, the third Batman film, but new rumours of a specific role are now circulating. Total Film are now predicting that Hardy is attached to the role of Dr Hugo Strange, a police psychiatrist who fixates on Batman.

Batman News first reported the rumour, and they have previously been on the mark with other rumours for this latest Batman film, knowing that The Riddler wouldn’t be the villain, and that Rachel Weisz and Anne Hathaway were both potential female leads.

Filming is due to start in May 2011, and Michael Caine has already revealed the cast will obtain a script in January, a script for a plot that is still unknown. Total Film also believe that “Dark Knight Rises” will be based on the graphic novel Prey, which would be a perfect lead on from “The Dark Knight” as “Prey features Strange as the main villain, an insane psychiatrist working with Gotham PD as head of a unit assigned to capture Batman. Obsessed with the Caped Crusader – and wanting to become him – Strange hypnotises police sergeant Max Cort into becoming a masked vigilante to try and bring Batman out of hiding.”

Not much else has been confirmed for this third film, one which is aiming not to suffer from the “third film curse” that so many other superhero franchises have had to bear, but here at upandcomers.net we look forward to finally having a confirmed role for Hardy!

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