Holy Movie Rumors Batman!

On October 13 Deadline.com broke the story that Christopher Nolan drafted Inception star Tom Hardy to join the Bat-team, likely to play a villain.  Now Deadline drops another pearl into the pot with the story that Christopher Nolan is narrowing his list of actresses to play two female lead roles in The Dark Knight Rises, his third installment in the Batfilm 'verse. Nolan always plays close to the chest, so he's keeping mum on the roles, but one role is to be a l<3ve interest for Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne, and the other (presumably) is a villain. The list includes: Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts, Keira Knightley, Blake Lively, Natalie Portman, and Anne Hathaway. In typical fashion, I have to attack my thoughts on these prospects one at a time in my own list.

Rachel Weisz - This brunette British beauty is probably most well known for her role as the female protagonist, Evy, in the first two installments of the The Mummy films opposite Brendan Fraiser, but Weisz (pronounced "Vice") actually has quite the range of experience; she starred in Darren Aronofsky's period-jumping existential drama The Fountain, portrayed a manipulative art student in The Shape of Things, and, lest we forget, took home a little Oscar for her supporting role in The Constant Gardner opposite Ralph Fiennes.  She has the acting (and action) chops and is gorgeous in a fashion that would work well in the film noir style Nolan has been implementing in the films. She gets my approval.

Naomi Watts - She's definitely been in some great films with some top notch actors and directors; she was the starlet Ann Darrow in Peter Jackson's King Kong, another starlet in David Lynch's psychodrama Mulholland Dr., alongside Clive Owen in The International and opposite Viggo Mortenson's Russian mobster in Eastern Promises.  She's got quite a resume and is not a bad actress.  And yet, every time I hear her name, I mentally shrug and go 'meh'. She's just barely outside the realm of my "What's-Her-Blonde?" list of Hollywood actresses - typically "beautiful" blonde actresses that, while I may recognize their names, have never given a performance actually worthy of my memory space and by all appearances pretty interchangeable.  She's a little bit prettier than those girls though and has done some mentionable work.  She always strikes me as very fragile and her eyebrows always seem to give her a disturbed/annoyed countenance - neither are qualities that lend themselves to an attractive love interest or a sexy but psycho villain. She's kind of a poor-man's Nicole Kidman (of whom I'm no great fan either).  All of this makes me question what role she could possibly do well in this film. I won't be disappointed if she makes the film, but I won't look forward to is for her sake either.

Keira Knightley - Christ on a cracker you've gotta be kidding me! Please cinema Gods, NO! Sure she has action cred under her belt, but that's about it. Here are my arguments against this one: 1) She has the body of a boy! We all remember the to-do over the King Arthur movie poster where they had to add a bump to her front to make it look like she actually had cleavage. Sure, there's a bit there, but nothing that I want to see getting tapped by BW or in a catsuit that's for sure. 2) To my knowledge, she cannot perform an American dialect.  If she can, I doubt it's all that good. Finally 3) While she has the smokey eyes for a Cat Woman character, if I have to watch her all too usual this-is-me-acting-dramatic/angry jaw clench, I may start dry-heaving in the theater.

 

Blake Lively - This blonde bombshell is the relative newb on the list. Most notably she's starred in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies (I saw the first one; don't judge!), is a lead on tele show Gossip Girl (which I have never seen), and was recently seen opposite Jeremy Renner and Ben Affleck in The Town (which I still want to see). She's also already been tapped for another superhero movie, next year's Green Lantern opposite Ryan Reynolds (grrrowl).  Of the little I've seen of her work, she doesn't suck. And she's pretty hot, great smile, has a bod and great hair... so yeah, she gets my OK. But with her already slated for Green Lantern, she may not be set to film another comic movie.




Natalie Portman - Portman has always been touch and go in my book. I definitely did NOT like her performance in the new Star Wars trilogy - but that begs whether it was her or the poor script - and The Other Boleyn Girl was like a really well costumed soap opera .  I thought she did well, though not astonishingly, in Where the Heart Is (total chic flick), The Professional, and Closer. And, of course, I loved V for Vendetta (which shows she's not afraid to do some drastic stuff for her craft). She's also getting early buzz for her turn as an obsessive ballerina in Darren Aronofsky's upcoming Black Swan.  So acting wise, she could pull it off.  Here's my catch, she has a very distinct look and I'm not sure I can picture her in the world Nolan has already set.  But who knows, she could blow us all away.  Tentative approval.

Anne Hathaway - OK, in case you didn't know (and you should by now) I have a massive girl-crush on Ms Hathaway. First of all, she is a fantastic actress; sure she started out in Disney's The Princess Diaries, but she has since gone on to build a resume of good variety; Nicholas Nickelby, Havoc, Brokeback Mountain, The Devil Wears Prada, Becoming Jane, Bride Wars and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.  All are excellent films in their own right and cast her alongside many first-class actors. She even got an Oscar nom for her portrayl of a young woman released from rehab for her sister's wedding in Rachel Getting Married.  She can be seen now opposite her Brokeback costar Jake Gylenhaal in the romantic dramedy Love and Other Drugs.  The girl's got chops and she's smokin' hot to boot. Don't believe me? Check out her stipper pole dance in Bride Wars or just about any scene in Devil Wears Prada. And guys, if you just want to see her tits (and she has a great rack) check out Brokeback Mountain (just fast forward if you're too much of a pansy to watch man love).  With her creamy complexion, big brown eyes and awesome talent, she'd be great in any Nolan film, but especially this one. Yes, Hathaway definitely gets my gold star of approval.

Anne in Havoc

Hunger Games The Movie

For those of you that work with me or have talked books with me at anytime recently, you know of my love of the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. Many of you even love them right along with me. If you haven't given it a look, you should. It's a fantastic sci-fi/fantasy, dystopian future set teen series! Hey now, don't grumble at the teen part, there are some excellent works out there mixed in with the likes of the Clique series and vampire hysteria latch-on novels! Stephen King even gave it props. 

Naturally, with the success of Twilight and other teen books gone to film, the rights for Hunger Games were bought by Lionsgate in spring last year and now rumors of directors are floating around.  Thanks to my friend Steve who posted this to a friend on Facebook- although not to me >:( - , there are some high (and low) contenders in talks. Check it out here!

Of those three, I'm rooting for Slade or Mendes, in that order.  

Slade is awesome! I loved Hard Candy- which was essentially two actors and a house, but full of great tension & drama! Plus, he's done 30 Days of Night and now Eclipse, which means he's got the chops for some good action & gore/horror but knows what to expect in dealing with a teen-genre story. Additionally, he's directed videos for the likes of System of A Down, Stone Temple Pilots and Muse. He has a knack for dark material, such as The Hunger Games. I have not seen Eclipse (haven't found the time and booze enough yet), but as for the others, he's done solid work. Plus, he's a Brit, and that will nearly always score a point with me.
 
Now on to Mr. Mendes (also a Brit). Almost all his previous films have started as books, so he has that experience going for him. What I have seen of his work has been pretty solid and beautiful material as well.  Away We Go was great! And while Revolutionary Road's story left me wanting to slit my wrists after leaving the theater, my understanding of the book from others tells me he captured it's feel perfectly and there's no denying is was a good film.  And we've all seen American Beauty. Unfortunately I have yet to see Road to Perdition or Jarhead, which would give me an idea of how he handles action/violence, but they're in my Netflix queue!

Ross has not done a whole lot directorially (2 done (Seabiscuit and Pleasantville), 1 in production and 1 just announced according to IMDb). He's more a producer and even that list doesn't seem to lend much experience to a project like this. Of what he's directed, none have the action and spectacle that, in my opinion, this series would require. Also, all his directed films have been period pieces, none present or future set (well Pleasantville was partially present, but that was back in 1998).

So this is my petition to the Universe/Powers-That-Be/what have you; Slade for Director (at least of those mentioned)!  Mendes is an very acceptable 2nd.  If Ross gets it, my expectations for a decent film translation drop exponentially.