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Christian Bale to Play Robin Hood in Ridley Scott’s Nottingham?

Posted on Friday, June 20th, 2008 by Hunter Stephenson

UPDATE: According to sources, this rumor is totally bunk. Thanks for the new pollution, Daily Mail. Anyhow, who should play Robin Hood for Scott?

Bruce Wayne. John Connor. Bryan Adams’ muse? According to the Daily Mail, director Ridley Scott is seeking out Christian Bale for the role of Robin Hood in Nottingham, which is scheduled to begin filming this summer…

“Nothing is signed for Bale, but director Ridley Scott is exceedingly keen to cast him. Costume fittings begin next week, so he’ll be either in or out by then. Vanessa Redgrave and William Hurt are also in discussions about being in the film, which is called Nottingham.”

Bale would join a cast that also includes Scott-staple Russell Crowe (as the Sheriff of Nottingham) and the freshly signed Sienna Miller as Maid Marian. However, both of those actors have expressed moderate concern about a looming SAG strike putting the kibosh on the project. Unlike prior versions of the tale, Crowe’s sheriff will be the protagonist and Robin Hood will be a quiver-carrying bad guy (terrorist for the poors?). Bale and Crowe faced off in last year’s superb Western remake 3:10 to Yuma.

Earlier today we reported on the teaser for Terminator 4 with Bale starring as John Connor. He remains attached to the Pablo Escobar adaptation, Killing Pablo, though news on that film has been very quiet as of late. Scott will follow-up his 180-degree Robin Hood flick with a longtime dream project, Brave New World, based on Aldous Huxley’s 1932 sci-fi classic. He also has an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian on the burner. More on Nottingham/Bale as it develops…

Discuss: Bale’s not exactly persona non grata with the geeks and fanboys, but who would you choose for the Prince of Thieves?

Comments

Reggie

This sounds like the fantasy version of 3:10 to Yuma.

gah

Uh, Christian Bale is a great choice for anything.

gocitizen

Jackman maybe?
Owen? I'd love to see Clive Owen play opposite Crowe.
Sadly, Ledger might have been very good for the role.

Whatever works. I'll trust Mr. Scott. I just hope he gets on with it so he can get moving on BNW.

Cinexcellence

I love Christian Bale, but can't see him in the role. At least get someone British. :)

ca62peter

someone else probably mentions this, but he is British.

Matthew

umm, yeah. Bale is perfect for the role of Robin Hood (physically) and to see him portray a potential bad guy? Game over. He rocked in Harsh Times and could be amazingly powerful in something like this.

Batman, John Connor, and Robin Hood? Eventually this dude will be more popular than Will Smith. My only concern is that he becomes "too mainstream" and starts to pass up on really interesting projects equivalent to The Machinist, Rescue Dawn, or American Psycho.

Greg

Cinexcellence, Christian Bale is British. He would be great for this role though.

dick

Perfect. I agree though, Heath Ledger would have been great for this role too.

Jackson

This role is meant for Christian Bale. He will elevate this production to "must see"

Davezilla

Cinexcelence, I've met Christian Bale when he was promoting 310 to Yuma. He's HARDCORE British. He puts on his American 'accent' for certain movies.

Gary

Christian Bale is a great actor, he can do anything, his best performance so far was in "the Machinist" for which he should of been nominated for an oscar. and for those who didnt know he is a Brit check out "Reign of Fire".

Jon

What would happen if Patrick Bateman finds himself as Robin Hood?

Raerth

I'm fairly sure Cinexcellence was tro.. joking.

Vapor

Bale would be great choice. I could imagine him as a more edgy and dark Robin Hood.

Robert

Do we really need another Robin Hood movie? I vote no.

nick

@ Robert

Not really, but if Ridley Scott is directing and CHRISTIAN BALE is starring... then YES.

Cinexcellence

My bad. Someone told me that he was from New Zealand recently. He must have been thinking of Russel Crowe.

fanboy d

i wanna see russell crowe beat up orlando bloom...this is as good a reason as any

ez

Clive Owen or Daniel Craig. They have the gravitas to go up against Crowe. However, I bet neither of these will happen. My prediction? Maybe Eric Bana.

mudywaters

If they bring Bale on, is a sure-fire hit. Bale and Crowe are the best out there right now and a 3:10 to Yuma reunion would be ill. Bale is probably the best actor out there right now, but who do you think are the top 5 biggest male movie stars? I think it goes:

1. Johnny Depp
2. Brad Pitt
3. Christian Bale (my personal choice for #1)
4. Tom Hanks/Russell Crowe/George Clooney
5. Tom Cruise

Maybe Harrison Ford or Bruce Willis thrown in there. Maybe Denzel, Mel Gibson, or KEANU REEVES who I found out earned $185 MILLION for the Matrix sequels!!! Whoa...However, I think that the Johnny Depp bandwagon (even though I really like him) has really made him the biggest star now.

evan

Robin Hood may be the role Colin Farrell was born to play. Just putting it out there...

And Bale is doing Pablo Escobar? Vinny Chase would be so jealous!

Cinexcellence

Let's hope they don't get Kevin Costner for the role. *shudder*

Hunter Stephenson

@ evan

Bale is not attached to play Escobar, he'd play the main DEA-ish type trying to bring him down. Killing Pablo is a great book, recommended.

evan

Ah, that makes more sense.

jbone123

@ Cinexcellence

Bale is from wales look into it!

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