14 DAY TRIAL // Excellent news for “Batman” fans: Christopher Nolan has announced the additions to the upcoming and last film, “The Dark Knight Rises.” Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy are officially on board.
In a statement to Deadline, Warner Bros. says both Hathaway and Hardy will be playing villains. She’ll be Selina Kyle / Catwoman, while he’ll take on “the man who broke the Bat,” Bane.
Hathaway’s fans may not be accustomed to seeing her in this kind of part, but director Nolan has no doubt that she can pull it through.
“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,” the famed director says in the press statement.
As Deadline points out – and other movie-oriented e-zines as well – Catwoman has a very “checkered” tradition in Hollywood, with Michelle Pfeiffer being appraised for her part, while Halle Berry’s performance is still considered one of the worst to date.
In other words, pressure will be huge on Hathaway to pull this one through, especially since this is Nolan’s last “Batman” film, as he announced a while back.
As for Hardy, in the aftermath of the announcement, there’s literally no doubt that he’ll make an excellent villain – what fans want to see now is how he’ll manage to pull of this look.
Then again, after Hardy’s critically acclaimed performance – and just as incredible a transformation – as Charles Bronson, Britain’s most dangerous inmate of all times, he will probably make Bane a villain to remember.
“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 says.
For those not familiar with the comics, Deadline explains: “Bane [is] an escaped prisoner who became abnormally strong after being pumped full of drugs. Bane is known as ‘the man who broke the Bat’ after he broke Batman's spinal cord in the comics storyline.”