Talk about seeing your stock rise, when you’re an actor and you are about to reprise your role in the sequel to one of the top ten largest worldwide successes ever and your follow-up options include films directed by Clint Eastwood, Spike Lee, Darren Aronofsky and Michael Mann you can look yourself in the mirror and say, “Yeah, I’m doing something right.”
As it turns out, Variety reports that is exactly the scenario Christian Bale is looking at once he concludes shooting The Dark Knight Rises with Christopher Nolan later this year. He will be putting an end to his time as Batman and begin a post-cowl cinematic exploration and the grass certainly looks green as I’m sure the paycheck will as well.
Let’s just do a quick rundown of Bale’s options and we’ll go in alphabetical order by director…
Noah (dir. Darren Aronofsky)
At one time Aronofsky was set to direct The Fighter, of which Bale ultimately starred in and Aronofsky produced. Will the two finally come together for Noah, a risky pic for both director and star as well as the studio.
Out of the Furnace (dir. Scott Cooper)
Next is a film I didn’t have on my radar. Crazy Heart director, Scott Cooper, is putting together his sophomore effort and it will be called Out of the Furnace, based on Brad Ingelsby’s story “The Low Dweller,” and envisioned as a gritty throwback to pics of the 1970s.
The story is said to follow an ex-con bent on avenging the death of his brother as soon as he’s released from prison.
Relativity and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way and Ridley and Tony Scott’s Scott Free are among the producers and this one certainly looks to be the safer choice of the bunch as we move straight in to…
A Star Is Born (dir. Clint Eastwood)
A Star is Born has hit the silver screen several times as it tells the starry-eyed story of a girl dreaming of being a star only to have to scrape out a living as a waitress until she finds a helping hand from a alcoholic movie idol.
Previously, Leonardo DiCaprio was rumored to be in line for the role after starring in the title role of Eastwood’s upcoming J. Edgar. Before that, names such as Will Smith, P Diddy, Eddie Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Hamm were all mentioned.
Oldboy (dir. Spike Lee)
The film tells the story of a man who is kidnapped and imprisoned on his daughter’s birthday. For fifteen years, he is held captive, and, upon his release, must begin his journey to find the reason for his imprisonment. He soon finds out that his kidnapper has plans for him more tortuous than his solitary confinement.
Should Bale play the film’s villain, he may be acting opposite Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men) who was previously rumored as being atop Lee’s wishlist for the film’s protagonist.
Gold (dir. Michael Mann)
Finally we come to Michael Mann, whom Bale worked with previously playing Melvin Purvis in 2009’s Public Enemies. Mann is looking to direct the pic from screenwriters Patrick Massett and John Zinman (co-writers of TV shows “Friday Night Lights” and “The Chicago Code”), which is described as a contemporary thriller in the vein of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, set around a ruthless search for the precious metal.
So those are your choices. If you’re wondering what happened to The Last Photograph, which was previously expected to star Bale and Sean Penn for Niels Arden Oplev ( director of the original The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo), Bale is apparently no longer involved.
So where would you like to see him end up? Vote in the poll below and give your reasons in the comments. Will it be a musical? A revenge thriller? Another revenge thriller with him as the villain? A Treasure of the Sierra Madre-esque thriller? Or, a Biblical epic as only Darren Aronofsky can provide?
