The Dark Knight Rises: Christian Bale Praises Anne Hathaways Catwoman

First Published: November 26, 2011 12:00 PM EST Credit: Warner Bros. Caption Anne Hathaway as Selena Kyle, the alter-ego of Catwoman, in The Dark Knight RisesLOS ANGELES, Calif. -- After photos of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises surfaced in August, doubts arose over whether the 29year-old actress was right for the feline fatale. However, Annes co-star, Christian Bale, says he more than approves of her performance. I had plenty of scenes with Anne and I was there when we did the screen test for her, Christian, star of the Christopher Nolan-directed Batman films, told the Philippine Inquirer. The thing that I said to Chris [Nolan] that day was that there were many very accomplished actresses who had read for the role. Im terrible at auditions, so Im very impressed when somebody really seems to acquire an ownership of a character without having worked on it or prepared for some amount of time. Christian said Anne has been tasked with the hardest job in the film finding a fresh approach to Selina Kyle/Catwoman, who previously was portrayed by screen icons like Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry. In many ways, she has the hardest job, he said. There are a number of people who feel that the Catwoman role has been defined previously. So, I always saw Annes role as being the toughest job of any of us. Additionally, Christian praised his co-star Tom Hardy who will portray juggernaut Bane in the highly anticipated film calling the British Warrior star a phenomenal actor. I like working with [Tom] a great deal. He goes the whole hog, Christian said. I know that Bane has been seen in movies before, but in my eyes, Tom is essentially creating Bane for the first time. The Dark Knight Rises, which also stars Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, hits theaters on July 20, 2012. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

J.J. Abrams Confirms Benicio Del Toro's 'Star Trek 2' Interest

The villain of "Star Trek 2" remains unknown, though director J.J. Abrams certainly has his eye on someone for the role: Oscar-winning actor Benicio del Toro. It's still up in the air as to who BDT might play in the "Trek" sequel, assuming he comes on board at all, but Abrams confirmed to MTV News that he's very much interested in bringing the "Traffic" actor on board for his next interstellar voyage. "Well, we're just in negotiations, we're in discussions," Abrams told us on the red carpet for the "Super 8" Blu-ray and DVD release in Los Angeles. "It's not even negotiations just in discussion. But I would love to work with him. I've wanted to work with him for years, and this felt like a good opportunity." Abrams wouldn't get into specifics regarding the role he has in mind for del Toro. Speculation has ranged from del Toro tackling the iconic role of Khan Noonien Singh to him putting that prominent forehead to good use as a Klingon villain. But the "Star Trek" director would only offer that whoever the character is, del Toro is perfect for the part. "It's too early to talk about what the role is, but he's such an amazing actor," said Abrams. "He's so versatile. He could sort of do anything." "Except play Uhura," he joked. "I wouldn't buy that." Though things are enigmatic at the moment, Abrams promised that the role would be much less mysterious as soon as casting is finalized, whether or not del Toro winds up in the sequel. "As soon as we know who it's going to beand I'd love it to be himthat'll be public knowledge," he said. Tell us what you think of the "Star Trek" sequel news in the comments section and on Twitter!

The Catch (Gibier d'elevage)

A Catherine Dussart Prods., Arte France, Bophana Prods., Institut National de l'Audiovisuel production, in association with TV5 Monde, SIMF Management, CNC, Media, Fonds Francophone de Production Audiovisuelle du Sud. (International sales: Films Distribution, Paris.) Produced by Catherine Dussart. Directed by Rithy Panh. Screenplay, Michel Fessler, Panh, based on the story "Shiiku" by Kenzaburo Oe.With: Cyril Guei, Chem Chuop, Soeum Chhoeum, Pruoch Chhoeum. (Khmer, English dialogue)In "The Catch," Cambodian helmer Rithy Panh successfully reinterprets Kenzaburo Oe's story of an African-American pilot caught behind enemy lines. Updating the narrative from WWII (the setting of Oe's source and Nagisa Oshima's 1961 film version) to the Vietnam War, Panh places less emphasis on the captive's race; he's more concerned with illustrating how the Khmer Rouge turned oppressed people against each other in order to fulfill its militaristic aims. Despite an obviously tight budget, the pic is well mounted and fest play is assured, though commercial outlook is grim. Pic opens with devastating archival footage of the Cambodian bombings, with matching military commentary. Off camera, a plane crashes, and tough orphaned boy Pang (Chem Chuop) leads his gang to capture the surviving pilot (Cyril Guei). Given a nod for his bravery by Khmer Rouge soldiers, Pang has a hard time keeping his young gang in line and preventing them from empathizing with their prisoner. The helmer works well with his largely non-pro cast, while his direction shows a fondness for crane shots, hinting at a greater technical facility than the quality of the film's HD lensing would suggest.Camera (color, HD), Prum Mesar; editors, Panh, Marie-Christine Rougerie; music, Marc Marder; production designer, Benoit Cisilkiewick. Reviewed at Tokyo Film Festival (Winds Of Asia/Middle East), Oct. 22, 2011. Running time: 110 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Michael Fassbender: Best Quotes in the Breakout Star

Meet Michael Fassbender. Or possibly you know him? The GQ-anointed Breakout (Star) of the season performed Magneto in 'X-Males: Top Class,A had supporting roles in '300' and 'Inglourious Basterds,' shows Dr. Carl Jung in David Cronenberg's 'A Dangrous Method,' and will also be starring within the approaching drama 'Shame,' a film that's made head lines because of Fassbender's performance. in addition to its NC-17 rating. With the buzz all around the actor, he's be a press favorite recently -- interviews happen to be appearing on television, magazines, newspapers and websites. To assist limit all the Fassbender coverage, Moviefone has come up with an accumulation of his best quotes. On not recognized in the pub [via GQ] "[I] observe, merge, and disappear among everyone elseInch Around the debate surrounding his nude moments within the movie 'Shame' [via HuffPost] "1 / 2 of us possess a penis and also the partner have most likely seen one, and thus why if it is more normal to, like, chop individuals heads off and shoot people? Does which means that that that's more acceptable or nearer to us as people? ... The majority of us have sexual intercourse, and so i do not understand what we are attempting to sweep underneath the carpet or repress or otherwise have a look in internet marketing.Inch On becoming an adult in Ireland and becoming an altar boy [via TIME] "I recall hearing the spirit was always alongside you, and so i would always make room during my mattress for that spirit ... I'd make room for that teddies, Jesus and me. After which I'd awaken each morning, and I'd squashed Them all." On telling Quentin Tarantino he performed Mr. Pink inside a theater version of 'Reservoir Dogs' (and doing an "uncanny impression" from the director) [via TIME] "I stated, 'Look, guy, it had been for charitable organisation,' and that he stated 'Hey, that's awesome, guy, that's awesome, as lengthy as people aren't earning money off my shit.'" On getting the chance to perform a comedy [via TIME] "I must perform a comedy ... Lots of company directors the ones in the market most likely think I am this intense kind of dude, who's like, 'Don't speak with me at this time,A and hearing goth within the corner naked having a blueberry planning." On possibly playing Robocop within the remake [via Collider] "It may be type of fun. It may be type of good to possess a helmet which i could hide behind, for the majority of the film, too. That sounds type of appealing." On playing Rochester in 'Jane Eyre,' a tale that happens in Victorian England [using a.Sixth is v. Club] "I believe Victorian England am restricted and repressed that after you will find moments, it's just like a volcano. When you will find weak places that it simply kind of arrives, it's pretty primal, since it is being repressed 24-7. People aren't permitted to convey themselves very freely with one another, definitely not physically. Then when it arrives, it explodes. On who audition for Quentin Tarantino [via AskMen] "The very first factor is it's kind of surreal. I had been nervous, really. But when you begin reading through with him, he just will get so in it, and that he kind of brings together all the various figures that he's reading through. Therefore it kind of frees you up, after which it's nearly " [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

NBCU wing taps marketing topper

NBCUniversal has attracted on John Shea to steer marketing initiatives at its Entertainment & Digital Systems and Integrated Media. Shea, which has just finished one 4th within the division becasue it is "CMO in residence," will need round the chief marketing officer title permanently and add professional v . p .. He reviews to division topper Lauren Zalaznick. It's the Integrated Media part of that extended title which keeps Shea busy -- mix-brand initiatives Women at NBCU, Hispanics at NBCU, Healthy at NBCU and Eco-friendly is Universal can come under his oversight. An unconventional area of the hire can be a first-look deal for nearly any content the professional produces. Shea's background includes creating high quality shorts series for MTV with Unilever and Verizon. The media initiatives, that NBCU produces bespoke ad campaigns across its television and digital characteristics, are actually most out of the business's advertising strategy since it seeks to find techniques to incorporate its ad partners in to a media landscape including much less traditional spots. Contact Mike Thielman at mike.thielman@variety.com

Glenn Beck Talks Digital Media Revolution, Capitalism

NY - Former Fox News host Glenn Beck, which has dedicated to building digital media offers, mentioned here Tuesday that his emerging multimedia empire may be a long time before the time is right, and may prove it's on the right course. The host in the Glenn Beck Program and founding father of live streaming network GBTV, that charges a normal membership fee of $9.95 monthly, spoke at Ad Age's ME Conference: Media Coded in Manhattan in the keynote interview completed by Betsy Morgan, leader of Beck's companion news site The Blaze. GBTV had 230,000 needing to pay subs if the launched, Morgan layed out, proclaiming that the Mercury Digital Network, which includes the Blaze, GlennBeck.com and e-commerce site Markdown, overall can get greater than fifty percent of the revenue from digital companies. "I don't consider [ourselves] a digital company," Beck told the conference though. "I consider ourselves more an account telling company together with a content company. The means by which we deliver it's secondary." But he stressed that focusing on traditional media delivery may have saved him from helping pioneer new models. "We are near revolution" that's as profound since the Industrial Revolution was, and may happen substantially faster, Beck mentioned. "We'll uncover soon whether we're too early or else.In . His estimate was that his focus on a completely new type of media empire may be three to five years before the time is right. But undertaking a tipping reason for media industry, "delivery as you wish it" will finish in the conventional, he predicted. The revolution that's inside the works "is one of the person,Inch he added. "It is so near the American Revolution. It's about yourself.In . He told his audience that consequently, afterwards, no media executive would achieve tell clients which show is off or on. "The occasions of 500 sitting channels [are] over," Beck mentioned. "You should know precisely what you areInch and who your audience is. Ultimately, people nowadays look for myriad opinions on different sites where they do know what you should expect. Because context, Beck also mentioned he doesn't know anybody more youthful than 30 who watches TV, however in the generation age 50-plus aren't using iPads. Still, Beck stressed he feels she must provide TV quality within the online offers. Mentioning the Today show only decided to attend his studio, as well as the Today team was impressed, he mentioned: "In the event you're prone to pioneer this, you have to hit the traditional - the old defacto standard.Inch Nonetheless, he predicted that in later on, "television goes completely interactive," that will enable a personalized pace for complicated news. For example, Beck mentioned he desires to design something where if he mentions the word "digital," audiences may take their mouse on that word and pull-up a dumbed lower or "dumbed up" explanation in the word. Asked for if all this ongoing personalization he needs implies that ESPN will probably be available a la carte afterwards, and for that reason clients can select to acquire or else get it in the pay TV package, Beck mentioned he doesn't expect much change "for a while.Inch Speaking about what they're known as of his online businesses, Beck mentioned the Blaze required its title within the spiritual burning rose rose bush as fire sometimes safeguards and frequently destroys - like the truth. Meanwhile, GBTV may include his initials within the title, but "I didn't desire to title by utilizing my title because that which you're building is not about me and could't really cover me," he mentioned, adding that others engrossed wanted his title about it. Evaluating GBTV with a Netflix of understanding, he added: "It ought to be bigger.Inch Beck also developed a reference to the current debate concerning the health of capitalism as elevated with the Occupy Wall Street movement while others. "We're at any given time of capitalism, not socialism," Beck contended. But capitalism has become "dirty" and "full of thieves." Which means that capitalism too often has become corruption, he mentioned. Beck also briefly stated a completely new studio that he's building in Texas. One idea for just about any feature inside the studio has become a screen that shows what people involved with real-time social media conversations are interested in, he mentioned.Speaking about his policy on ads, Beck mentioned she must either personally take advantage of the product or has his team study about it to find out if they can endorse it. "I guard my credibility," Beck mentioned. For example, he canceled Vehicle ads once the organization was bailed through the government. Mentioned Beck: "I am in a position to't endorse you while railing against large government relief."His advice to entrepreneurs is always to not discriminate involving the political left and right or other distinctions. "Respect the customer[s] even if you don't accept them," he mentioned. The Hollywood Reporter earlier inside the day had exclusively reported that GBTV was joining track of Howard Gordon's Icebox with an animated series. Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Subjects Glenn Beck

CNBC's Republican Presidential Debate Draws 3.3 Million

CNBC's broadcast from the Republican debate using the presidential hopefuls averaged 3.3 million total audiences from 8-10 p.m. on Wednesday evening, based on Nielsen.our editor recommendsCNN's Republican Debate Draws 5.5 Million ViewersRick Perry Presents Top Ten List on 'Late Show' in Wake of dialogue 'Oops' (Video) The Your Hard Earned Money, Your Election debate from Concord College in Rochester, Mich. located by Maria Bartiromo, John Harwood along with a slew of CNBC personas featured Bachmann Wanted, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Ron Perry, Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman and Ron Santorum, came nearly a million audiences within the core grown ups 25-54 demographic. In comparison to the newest GOP debate, which broadcast March. 18 on CNN, CNBC's debate -- filled with Perry's memorable "oops" remark after blanking with an response to an issue -- was behind by a lot more than two million audiences (3.3 million versus. 5.5 million). Fox News Funnel's debate on Sept. 22 averaged 6.a million, still probably the most-viewed so far this year. Though CNBC, an economic news network, is well behind Fox News Funnel and CNN's debates, its rankings throughout the 2-hour period is above average for that funnel. Throughout 8-10 p.m., CNBC was the very best-ranked cable network as a whole audiences and rated second in 25-54 behind the united states Network. Related Subjects TV Rankings

Brian Grazer Replaces Brett Ratner as Oscars Producer [UPDATE]

UPDATE: It's official. Brian Grazer has replaced Brett Ratner as Oscars producer, and -- contrary to earlier rumblings -- won't hold a candlelight vigil for Eddie Murphy to return as host. "Insiders tell me that Imagine Entertainment co-founder Brian Grazer has moved on this afternoon," wrote Nikki Finke at Deadline about the Murphy-return rumors she initially revealed. "'We are not going back to him. No way,' they say." Noted! "It's very gratifying to be part of a show that honors excellence in the medium to which I have devoted so much of my career," said Grazer in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences press release about his hire. "Brian Grazer is a renowned filmmaker who over the past 25 years has produced a diverse and extraordinary body of work," said AMPAS president Tom Sherak. "He will certainly bring his tremendous talent, creativity and relationships to the Oscar." Now all that's left is finding a host. EARLIER: What was rumor mere hours ago is now apparently almost fact. Deadline's Nikki Finke reports that Brian Grazer has accepted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences offer to produce the Oscars telecast, following the resignation of Brett Ratner. Why do you care that Grazer, the super producer behind 'J. Edgar' and 'Tower Heist,' has taken the gig? Because he's going to try and convince Eddie Murphy to un-quit as Oscars host. That's right: per Finke, the Academy wants Murphy to host and Grazer's first duty as producer is to get him back! Hey, why not? At this rate, maybe Ratner can come back to cater the Oscars or something. (Shrimp cocktail, natch.) Just hire Neil Patrick Harris already, AMPAS. RELATED 10 Possible Oscar-Host Replacements Ricky GervaisRobert Downey Jr.The MuppetsMeryl StreepTina FeySteve Martin and Alec BaldwinNo OneNeil Patrick HarrisHugh JackmanBilly Crystal See All Moviefone Galleries » [via Deadline] [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

THR's 5 Books of the Week: Stephen King, Formula One, Rock History, and Umberto Eco

The holiday book season heats up this week with an entertaining Stephen King time travel adventure, a fabulous book about the dangerous days of Formula One racing that is headed to the big screen, Umberto Eco's esoteric thriller and two music histories that look at the rock era from different perspectives. Here are the week's five most important books:our editor recommendsStephen King Brings 'Shining' Sequel 'Dr. Sleep' to Life at Book Festival 11/22/63 by Stephen King, Scribner, 864 pages, $34. Movie Rights to Jonathan Demme. Deviating from his usual horror thrillers, King offers up a time travel story featuring an English teacher named Jake Epping, who travels from the present to 1958 to prevent President John F. Kennedy's assassination and change the course of the 1960s. It's easy to see the classic King elements - well-developed characters, a familiar plot made fresh, a fantastic climax - that make him such a popular author in Hollywood and indeed Jonathan Demme is already working on a film adaptation. But there's more here than the usual King - a deep humanity to the characters, an element of romance, and a thoroughly researched love of the period - that make this his best book in years. STORY: Stephen King Brings 'Shining' Sequel 'Dr. Sleep' to Life at Book Festival The only downsides? The length (864 pages) and that clunky title. King's stories have always featured a Norman-Rockwell-meets-The-Twilight-Zone vibe. 11/22/63 falls squarely on the Rockwell side in its nostalgia. The early reviews have been unanimously positive. Expect this book to not only appeal to loyal fans but crossover into new territory for King and become the hit novel of Christmas season. The Limit: Life and Death on the 1961 Grand Prix Circuitby Michael Cannell, Twelve, 336 pages, and $25.99. Movie rights to Tobey Maguire. In 1961, Phil Hill became the first - and only American - driver to win the Formula One Championship. The season was marred by one of the sport's worst accidents: A multi-car collision at the 1961 Grand Prix of Italythat killed 13 spectatorsand the driver Count Wolfgang von Trips, Hill's Ferrari teammate andmain rival. As Cannell makes clear, the accident was not an aberration. Formula One racing was incredibly dangerous in the early sixties, before things like seat belts and roll bars became mandatory equipment. In just the four years from 1957 and 1961, 14 drivers died in race accidents.Watching could be just as dangerous. Once a piece of a car's hood flew off decapitating several spectators. The Limit is full of drama, macho drivers and duplicitous team owners, including a wonderful portrait of Enzo Ferrari. It brings alive an earlier thrilling period of a sport unfamiliar to most Americans. Tobey Maguire snapped up the rights to develop the project at Columbia Pictures long before the book was published and if he can get it off the ground it could make a fantastic movie. Love Goes to Buildings on Fire: Music Made New in NY City in the '70s by Will Hermes, Faber and Faber, 369 pages, $30. NY's music scene in the 1970s has been a hot topic this year, notably with the news that Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger are developing a period series for HBO. Love Goes to Buildings on Fire focuses on the pivotal five-year period from New Year's Day 1973 to New Year's Eve 1977, when NY was an incubator of musical talent ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Grandmaster Flash to the Talking Heads. Hermes, a senior critic at Rolling Stone, moves from the post-Dylan environs of Greenwich Village, to the arson-scarred urban wasteland of the South Bronx where hip-hop was invented, to the city's legendary clubs like CBGBs. PHOTOS: 10 Biggest Book-to-Big Screen Adaptations of the Last 25 Years While others have written wonderfully about parts of the story, for example Jeff Chang's great early history of hip-hop Can't Stop, Won't Stop, no one has weaved as large or as vivid a tapestry of the NY music scene in the 1970s as Hermes. The Last Sultan: The Life and Times of Ahmet Ertegun by Robert Greenfield, Simon & Schuster, 496 pages, $30. The Turkish-born, London-raised Ertegun, who died in 2006, changed American music when he founded Atlantic Records in 1947. Ertegun had fallen in love with American music as a child living in London where his father was the Turkish Ambassador. Atlantic signed some of the greatest names in Blues and Rock starting with Ray Charles and Big Joe Turner in 1952. Other acts on the Atlantic label included Bobby Darin; Sonny and Cher; Eric Clapton; Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Led Zeppelin; the Rolling Stones; Bette Midler; and Kid Rock. The Last Sultan concentrates mostly on the business side of the Ertegun's life, leaving his well-known womanizing to a future biographer. Even with little personal gossip, Ertegun is a compelling figure, easily one of the two or three most important music impresarios of modern America. The early days, where he was trying to build a business, and the later years, where a 70-somethingErtegun could still relate to young stars like Kid Rock, are the best parts. The middle, which is heavy on corporate intrigue and his conflicts with other moguls like David Geffen, sags. The Prague Cemeteryby Umberto Eco, trans. from the Italian by Richard Dixon, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 464 pages, $27. Eco's new novel is the fictional history of the origins of theProtocols of the Elders of Zion, the infamous 19th century forgery that purported to show a Jewish plot to control the world. The story centers on Simone Simonini, an Italian spy, who Zelig-like finds himself at the center of the great European events of the late 1800s, slowly assembling what will become theProtocols. The plot is full of esoteric conspiracy theories, arcane knowledge and convoluted plot twists that make Eco a love him or hate him proposition. The book is already a big but controversial hit in Europe, with sales topping a million copies and criticism of the plot from the Vatican newspaper and the chief rabbi of Rome. Related Topics Stephen King

Fantastic, MPI in 'Stitches' deal

Fantastic Films and MPI Media Group with the Irish Film Board came onboard horror comedy "Stitches," directed by Conor McMahon. Deal was introduced Tuesday within the American Film Market. McMahon might be the writer-director of "Disturbed," "Dead Meat" as well as the TV series "Zombie Bashers." Principal photography will begin late this year in Ireland. The cast includes Ross Noble and Tommy Dark evening of "Physician Who" and "The Sarah Jane Adventures." The film continues to be produced having a couple of financing within the Irish Film Board. Story concentrates on Richard "Stitches" Grindle, a jaded kids' birthday clown. He falls victim with a fatal party problem consequently of countless nasty children. Years later, the crowd of now teens attend a celebration where Stitches might be the uninvited guest of recognition, returning to avenge his untimely dying. MPI Media Group's recent productions include "The Innkeepers," "Stake Land," "Hatchet 2" and "Home from the Demon." Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Berman: Uses connections, persistence to build slate

Jason Michael BermanEver since his days at a Baltimore middle school, Jason Michael Berman has been wheeling and dealing to make movies."I was 13 and wrote a letter to the president of Sony Electronics saying that I was starting a film and video program at my school, and we would love their support," says Berman, who struggled in the classroom due to his dyslexia and found refuge in the alternate reality of films. "They wrote back and donated an entire editing system to our school."In similar fashion, Berman scored an Avid for his high school. But it wasn't until his undergrad days at USC that he began interfacing with such future industryites as Jon Chu and Ryan Piers Williams."Ever since USC, I've been working my relationships with my classmates," says Berman, who began his Hollywood career at the William Morris Agency before stints at MGM and Gary Ross' Larger Than Life Prods.In fact, he teamed with Williams for his first producing credit, the America Ferrera-Melissa Leo starrer "The Dry Land," which premiered in competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival."I definitely think that jumping from assistant to producer is one of the most difficult jumps you can make," notes Berman, who has put together and raised coin for five more indie films since "Dry Land" including the Robert Duvall-Lucas Black starrer "Seven Days in Utopia." "But I am extremely persistent. I am very good at assembling all the different pieces and pushing things forward."10 PRODUCERS TO WATCH 2011Jason Michael Berman | Borderline Films | Tyler Davidson & Sophia Lin | James Gay-Rees | Lawrence Inglee | Red Granite Pictures | Laura Rister | Jonathan Schwartz | Diarmid Scrimshaw | Kevin Walsh Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com