Several trailers of note over the past week: Aragorn continues his History of Violence and returns to the unsettling world of Cronenberg in the new trailer for Eastern Promises, also with Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel, and Armin Mueller-Stahl. Shopgirl Natalie Portman looks adorable facing up against stiff-suit Jason Bateman in the otherwise cloying trailer for Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, also with Dustin Hoffman as Willy Wonka, uh, Magorium. Nicole Kidman tries to stop her sister (Jennifer Jason-Leigh) from marrying Jack Black in this look at Noah Baumbach’s Margot at the Wedding. (Not usually my bag, and Jason-Leigh can be a huge red flag, but Baumbach has earned a look after Squid & the Whale.) A bit-player in the Russian mob and a recent emigre to Liberty City (you) tries to move up the ranks of his organization in two new trailers for Rockstar’s eagerly-awaited Grand Theft Auto IV. (I may have to break down and get a 360, just for this game.) And, finally, a Kramerfied, really poor quality version of may very well be the teaser for Chris Nolan’s The Dark Knight has emerged online. (I’ll reserve judgment until a higher quality version emerges, but for now I like the laugh.)
Tag: Batman
Bats Goes Torque.
I’d be more excited to see Heath Ledger’s Joker in action, but for now on The Dark Knight front, we’ll have to content ourselves with pics and video of Batman’s goofy new trike (the “Batpod”) and Flickr-ized shots of Maggie Gyllenhaal and Aaron Eckhart as Katie Holmes and Harvey Dent respectively. Hmm, ok.
DKNY (or DKGC, rather.)
Also via AICN, and the new issue of Entertainment Weekly: Bruce Wayne shows off his new Bat-duds for Chris Nolan’s The Dark Knight…now with kung-fu, head-swiveling action! (Accessories not included.)
Griswold Goes Gotham.
“It’s really a great role. I’m in throughout the whole movie, and I’m really looking forward to working with Christian and Morgan and all these real Hollywood heavy hitters.” Um, who is Anthony Michael Hall playing in The Dark Knight? “‘I signed a confidentiality agreement, and I can’t say which part I’m playing because it affects the story,’ says Hall.‘” Some sites have suggested he’s [spoilers] playing a vigilante Batman, likely one who gets snared by the Joker, although that wouldn’t explain why his scenes seem to involve Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox).
The Joke’s on Dent.
“I always say, you never know what a man is truly made of until you peel the skin off his face one piece at a time…” Christopher Nolan and co. are up to some very funky viral marketing for The Dark Knight at the moment. You may or may not have seen this political ad for possible Gotham City District Attorney Harvey Dent make the Internet rounds over the past few days. Well, it seems the Clown Prince of Crime has taken issue with the campaign, and is now revealing himself to Gotham’s denizens — with your help — one pixel at a time. Get to it, fanboy nation! Update: After a weekend of work, Heath Ledger’s Joker is revealed. (Ouch, that had to hurt.)
The Pope of Gotham City.
You know what the next Batman movie needs? That certain straight-to-video je-ne-sais-quoi…Eric Roberts joins the cast of Chris Nolan’s The Dark Knight, as “a Mafia kingpin.”
Four-Color Gyllenhaals.
It‘s official: Maggie Gyllenhaal takes Katie Holmes’ place in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. And, with Tobey Maguire appearing to beg off any future webslinger installments after Spidey 3, the door is now wide open for Maggie’s brother Jake…
Split Decision.
“Batman is a complex character, and Two-Face comes a little bit from the same world. But [at the same time], he’s apart from it. I’m looking for the tension between the two, the similarities between the two. I want to find what’s similar to Batman, and then find what’s opposite to him.” The Dark Knight‘s Aaron Eckhart talks D.A. Harvey Dent, and suggests that he may well be popping up as Two-Face before the last reel of Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins sequel. (Presumably, Heath Ledger’s Joker is somehow involved.)
Justice is Served?
Word leaks that Warner Brothers is moving forward on a Justice League film, having hired the writers of (ugh) Mr. and Mrs. Smith to pen a screenplay for the project. “How the story arcs unfold will also affect whether the studio will make offers to actors Christian Bale and Brandon Routh to play their respective roles in the project.”
Dented Eckhart | Ripley Returns.
As rumored a few weeks ago and in a bit of inspired casting, Aaron Eckhart looks set to join Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight as Harvey Dent, a.k.a. Two-Face. And, also in fanboy casting news, the cast of James Cameron’s Avatar fills out, with Wes Studi, Sigourney Weaver, and others joining Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana for the 3D-epic.