In Contention

Tag: Batman 3

  • Tom Hardy cast in Nolan’s next Batman film

    I kind of don’t like calling it “Batman 3,” but in any case, Mike Fleming is reporting at Deadline that Tom Hardy, star of Christopher Nolan’s “Inception,” has been cast in a “lead role” in the sequel to 2008’s “The Dark Knight.”

    Naturally, “insiders are keeping the role secret and won’t even say if he’s up for a villain role, but that seems a reasonable assumption,” Fleming writes.  I find myself wondering.  I heard an interesting theory (there are many surrounding these films) some time ago that Hardy would be an intriguing choice for actor Basil Karlo, aka Clayface (given his actorly role in “Inception”).  All talk, of course.

    There is also discussion that, solely based on the fact that the film is shooting in New Orleans, the villain might be bayou-centric…Killer Croc.  I’d frankly be all about that if they could pull it off.  Part of me wants this third film to embrace the heightened reality of the universe, rather than boil too much further into realism.  Supernatural elements could be done in a classy fashion, I think.

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  • Pre-Con Batman “news” to fend off the cravings

    Via FirstShowing:

    We’ve gotten word from a reliable inside source with a studio casting grid that The Riddler is listed as a character for Chris Nolan’s highly anticipated to the sequel to The Dark Knight, which is still called Batman 3 at Warner Bros. Even more interesting, the actor currently listed in the same grid to play the assumed villain is none other than Joseph Gordon-Levitt, whose status is just listed as “interested.” Let’s all say it together now: Hell. Yes!

    Truth? I’d rather not see Joseph Gordon-Levitt in this role. And I doubt that we will, actually. (I say spring for Michael C. Hall.)  But it’s nice to have quasi-confirmation on the villain. It wasn’t likely to be anyone else, but at the same time, you’re talking about a Rogues Gallery a mile long and you go back to the well?  And I mean, really, they brought elements of the Riddler into the Joker, so it could be slightly stale.

    Anyway just for fun, Method Man:

    [audio:http://www.incontention.com/audio/theriddler.mp3]

    [Photo: Entertainment Weekly]

  • Christopher Nolan speaks out on 3D

    Even with “Inception” still unseen, media and fans alike are hopefully positioning Christopher Nolan as both the artistic and commercial savior of the Hollywood blockbuster in this dreariest of summers. So his views on the lingering point of contention that is 3D strike me as more pertinent than most. And while lofty names from Scorsese to Herzog are boarding the bandwagon, it seems that Nolan — for the time being, at least — remains a sceptic.

    Writing for the LA Times, Geoff Boucher details a Q&A with Nolan that he hosted this weekend, in which the director dwelt on the industry’s current favorite fad, and indirectly alluded to pressure from certain quarters to make the next “Batman” instalment in 3D. At this stage, however, he finds the technology lacking:

    It’s all based on all the visual-effects technology, you know, that we’re currently most engaged in with match moving, so forth, and rendering 2-D imagery into a 3-D space. … On a technical level, it’s fascinating, but on an experiential level, I find the dimness of the image extremely alienating.

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  • 9/8 Web Round-up

    Viggo Mortensen at the 36th annual Telluride Film Festival• John Hillcoat and Joe Penhall already looking for life after “The Road.” [Variety]

    • The “Slumdog” kids set to star opposite Anthony Hopkins? [PR Inside]

    • Eugene Hernandez reports from the Telluride tribute to Viggo Mortensen. [indieWIRE]

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  • Memo to Christopher Nolan: Come back!

    The Dark KnightBy now you’ve probably read Geoff Boucher’s substantial interview with Christopher Nolan at the Los Angeles Times. As Kris mentioned, it’s strategically placed to launch “The Dark Knight” into the awards season. And Nolan has, in my view, a very strong claim for a Best Director nomination. Whether or not he receives it has more to do, realistically, with Ron Howard, Sam Mendes, Danny Boyle, Gus Van Sant, Steven Soderberg, Clint Eastwood, David Fincher, Baz Luhrmann and a slew of other directors waiting for their films to arrive.

    There will be plenty of time for Oscar jockeying and opinion slinging, something we all do well here at In Contention. But I write this piece not to lobby for Mr. Nolan, but to plead with him. As “The Dark Knight” nears the $1 billion worldwide mark, it’s become apparent — if not obvious — that Warner Bros. will be looking towards a third installment. How could they not? The question on their mind –- and mine -– is whether Mr. Nolan will return to direct.

    In his interview with Mr. Boucher, Nolan said that he was still considering it, and that he appreciated the studio’s patience in allowing him time to recover from the monumental undertaking of “The Dark Knight.”. But Mr. Nolan also notes something curious. His ambivalence towards making a third Batman film appears to be that there aren’t any good part threes. If you take a trip through cinema history, you’ll see that he’s right, mostly.

    You can start with the Batman franchise. “Batman Forever,” while not nearly as awful its dreadful follow-up, “Batman and Robin,” still stunk, painfully. Everyone who enjoys cinema, of any sort really, has labored through “The Godfather Part III.” Meanwhile, “Back to the Future Part III” was hokey, “The Matrix Revolutions” was incoherent and “Spider-Man 3,” clearly, never should have been made.

    “Once Upon a Time in Mexico” contained none of the mastery or coolness of “El Mariachi,” or even “Desperado.” And then there’s “Superman III,” “Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith,” “Rocky III,” “Blade: Trinity” and “Terminator III: Rise of the Machines.” Gross.

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