io9: Christian Bale

First look at Christian Bale's dark dystopian movie, Concrete Island

Meredith Woerner — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:30:00 PST

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We've been eagerly anticipating any news at all on the re-teaming of The Machinist collaborators Brad Anderson and Christian Bale, a movie adaptation of J.G. Ballard's Concrete Island. Even though the movie is years away, take a look at the first ever artwork from this dystopian film. More »

First poster for The Dark Knight Rises shatters Gotham's skyline

Meredith Woerner — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 06:30:00 PDT

It's finally here! The first ever official look at Chris Nolan's final Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, is out in this striking teaser poster. It promises a dark day for Gotham City. More »

Darren Aronofsky Wants Batman to Play Noah in a Biblical Epic

Katharine Trendacosta — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:53:46 PDT

Darren Aronofsky wants to do an "edgy re-telling" of the tale of Noah's ark. The first step? Getting Christian Bale to play the titular Noah. More »

Christian Bale is ready to go insane on J.G. Ballard's Concrete Island

Meredith Woerner — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 11:26:47 PST

Back in May of 2009, we predicted that Christian Bale and The Machinist's Brad Anderson would be teaming up again to bring J.G. Ballard's Concrete Island to life. Looks like that film is finally moving forward, according to various online reports. So, who's ready to see Bale lose his mind, a ton of weight, and eat his own car? More »

Tonight's Commentary Twack: Reign of Fire

Marc Bernardin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 07:30:00 PDT

At 9:00 pm EST, we're picking a gem from the Netflix Watch Instantly library and tweeting the shit out of it. This week, we're fighting dragons with Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey's Reign of Fire. More »

Kevin Conroy's Batman Zings Christian Bale: "You Sound Ridiculous"

Cyriaque Lamar — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 11:13:16 PDT

Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman on Batman: The Animated Series, had some choice words for Christian Bale's gravelly Bat-voice. Although he praised Bale's performance, Conroy noted that Bale "just got steered wrong" in the voice department. More »

Ryan Phillippe For Captain America? Bale For Superman? The World's Gone Crazy

Meredith Woerner — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:30:00 PDT

Today in completely crazed superhero news, Ryan Phillippe is rumored to be the top contender for Marvel's Captain spot. Meanwhile, it turns out Christian Bale almost won the part of Superman in Wolfgang Petersen's abortive Batman Vs. Superman picture. More »

Is Dressing Up In Bale's Batman Cycle Armor Just Asking To Be Sideswiped?

Meredith Woerner — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:00:00 PDT

Wasn't this exactly what Bruce Wayne didn't want? A bunch of fake Batmen running around getting themselves into trouble? And yet "official" Dark Knight motorcycle armor is being released — forearm fins and all. More »

Bale Tries To Crush Our Hopes For Batman 3, But At Least There's No Terminator 5 Either

Meredith Woerner — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:00:00 PDT

Everyone's favorite maniac for justice, Christian Bale, isn't holding his breath for Nolan's involvement in the next Batman feature. When asked if he thought Christopher Nolan would be back, Bale was uncharacteristically negative about a third Bat-film, generally. More »

Terminator Salvation Falters At Box Office

Graeme McMillan — Sun, 24 May 2009 12:00:44 PDT

Are organized sports the reason for a disappointing opening for Terminator Salvation? Warner Bros. are suggesting that may be the case following the news that it'll gross less than T3 in its first weekend. More »

John Connor Was Originally A Terminator 4 Supporting Character

Meredith Woerner — Mon, 11 May 2009 08:00:00 PDT

According to Christian Bale, his Terminator Salvation role originally only had him on set for one short week. Bale shared how he fleshed out John Connor's storyline. Also, the studio released 59 stunning Terminator pics. More »

What J. G. Ballard Novel Is Christian Bale Adapting To Film?

Meredith Woerner — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:37:32 PDT

Christian Bale is itching to jump back into another genre film via the works of beloved author J.G. Ballard. The actor revealed his desire for another Ballard film - update (we think we know). More »

John Connor Never Flinches — Even When His Head Is About To Be Popped Like A Grape

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 07 May 2009 07:30:00 PDT

The new Russian poster for Terminator Salvation shows how hardcore — and how weather-beaten — John Connor is. Those robo-claws look more intense every time I see them. Click through for the whole thing. More »

Will Sam Worthington Steal Bale's Batman?

Meredith Woerner — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:00:00 PDT

There's a crazy rumor circulating that after Christian Bale's little Terminator set outburst, Warner Bros. is looking to replace Bale in the next Dark Knight picture, with his Terminator co-star Sam Worthington... Riiiiiiight. More »

Terminator: "I'm Squishing Your Head"

Meredith Woerner — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:30:00 PST

A brand new promo picture from Empire Magazine from Terminator Salvation shows hot Terminator-on-Bale-face action. Did they color in his goatee and add some crows feet? He looks wiped. [Empire Magazine] More »

Is Christian Bale Your New Boogeyman?

Graeme McMillan — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 10:30:30 PST

By now you've heard his outburst and his apology, and maybe even seen pundits wonder whether it was a good PR move or not. But what do you think? Tell all in our poll below. More »

Christian Bale Was Only Trying To Put The Crazy Into John Connor

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:17:21 PST

That Christian Bale freak-out on the set of Terminator Salvation we've all been obsessing about? It's all because he was trying to put the post-apocalyptic insanity into his version of robot-resistance-leader John Connor. Bale called the Kevin & Bean show on KROQ FM to apologize for his "out-of-order" screaming, which he admitted was totally unprofessional and wrong. But he also offered an explanation: he was in the middle of shooting a scene where Connor shows a bit of his mom's crazy streak. Remember in Terminator 2, where Sarah Connor is in a mental institution? That's because she's crazy, says Bale. (Which is so not how I saw it, but whatevs.) More »

Terminator Ending "Might Piss Off A Lot Of People"

Meredith Woerner — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:56:03 PST

Last night we were treated to about 15 minutes of Terminator Salvation footage. Spoilery details of what's going on below, plus McG's confession that the ending might piss people off. More »

John Connor Plays Chicken With Terminator Salvation Hydrobot

Meredith Woerner — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 11:00:00 PST

John Connor teases the spiky end of the Terminator Salvation's hydrobot. When you lose your hand, John, don't come crying to me. Two new Terminator pics are out, showing the desolate beauty of McG's future. More »

Christian Bale Vs. Will Smith! To The Death! Almost!

Graeme McMillan — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 16:00:36 PST

When we unveiled our 2008 Power List on Friday, you may have wondered what kind of consideration went into such a list. Today, as a special treat, we give you a glimpse into the process. More »

The Power List: 20 Movers And Shakers In Science Fiction

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:01:54 PST

Science fiction didn't conquer the media world in 2008 all on its own: A host of creative people helped power the mighty battlecruiser. Here's our list of the 20 biggest science fiction movers-and-shakers of 2008. More »

Shot-By-Shot Breakdown Of Terminator Trailer's Mayhem

Meredith Woerner — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:30:00 PST

Click to viewNo wonder John Connor is always so pissed: his calendar is full of Terminator slaying, leading a rebellion, running from giant harvester bots, and a whole lot more. More »

New Terminator Trailer Debuts Wheelie Bots And Bale Butt Kicking

Meredith Woerner — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:35:09 PST

There's just nothing like hearing Christian Bale shout out, "I'm John Connor!" A new trailer for Terminator Salvation shows us not only the death dealing motorcycle terminators, but John Connor giving it to the robots, face-full-of-bullets style. Truly, the "devil's hands have been busy." More »

No Wonder Christian Bale Looks Worried In New T4 Footage

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:53:11 PST

Here's our first official look at a Harvester in action, from Terminator Salvation. Entertainment Tonight will have a sneak peek at the movie's new trailer, which runs in front of The Day The Earth Stood Still, on Tuesday. But for now, here's about 20 seconds of new footage, including a familiar-looking metal skull. Rock on. More »

New Terminator 4 Footage Shows John Connor Out Of His Depth

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:30:00 PST

Terminator Salvation will be "a dirty, difficult, grimy, [H.R.] Giger world," says director McG, who showed some new footage in London yesterday. The assembled journalists, who'd just seen 20 minutes of Star Trek with J.J. Abrams a few days earlier, came out of the screening optimistic about T4's chances of competing with Trek next May. With Dark Knight star Christian Bale and scribe Jonah Nolan on board, McG was very keen to compare his movie to this year's biggest - and darkest - film, but will the movie live up to the comparison? Spoilers ahead. The contrast between the T4 and Trek footage was pretty apparent to the assembled journos. Terminator 4 is going to be a gritty world of killer robots and embattled resistance fighters hiding like rats underground. Trek, meanwhile, is shiny and optimistic. Another contrast: J.J. was a bit brash, making a point of mentioning at every screening that he's never been a fan of Star Trek. McG, meanwhile, went out of his way to be humble, admitting he has a silly name and that Christian Bale told him to fuck off when he first asked him to be in Terminator 4. (Bale changed his mind when McG convinced him it could be a serious drama as well as an action movie.) Also, McG addressed the ongoing James Cameron controversy, saying Cameron didn't give the film his blessing, but "didn't shit all over it either." In fact, McG admitted he didn't think the world needed another Terminator movie, until Nolan came up with the idea of making it a Batman Begins-style origin story of John Connor, who becomes the hero he's supposed to be. McG also compared his new movie to the Daniel Craig James Bond films, which reinvented the character. So, about the new footage. First, McG showed the featurette about the special-effects work of Martin Laing that we posted a while back. Then, he brought up special effects supervisor John Rosengrant to talk about how the film's effects are a mixture of CG and real special effects. The primitive T-600 model will have a "gritty, nasty Soviet look," says Rosengrant. Also, McG wouldn't say whether Arnold Schwarzenegger would find a way to show up in the movie, but did say the T-800 model will have a big role. Then he finally showed about five to seven minutes of new, unfinished footage, which had a Transformers-meets-Matrix vibe. Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) opens his eyes and asks what date it is. Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) replies that it's 2018. Wright asks, "What happened? Judgment day?" And then Wright and Reese are being pursued by a giant Harvester Terminator, which smashes up a gas station in the desert. Then the Harvester chases them across the desert in a sequence full of explosions and "fairly standard Hollywood action." Meanwhile, there's drama for John Connor, because he tries to step up as leader of the resistance, but there are more experienced military leaders (including one played by Michael Ironside) who don't want to let this young non-soldier take over. Connor discovers that the machines are collecting DNA and stem cells from humans to help create the human-looking T-800, and he warns that if the T-800 comes online this soon, then humanity has already lost the war. Also, there's the scene shown at Comic-Con, where Connor confronts up a chained-up Wright and says Wright killed his mother and his father, but won't kill him. Crucial dialogue: Connor says, "This isn't the future that my mother told me about." And resistance pilot Blair Williams (Journeyman's Moon Bloodgood) replies, "If you saved us in another future, you can save us in this one." Besides the John Connor stepping-up storyline, the film is also about where humanity ends and the machines begin, says McG — probably a reference to Marcus Wright, who's apparently a decommissioned Terminator. McG said the rumored ending of the film, in which John Connor turns out to be a robot or is replaced by a robot, is completely false. Also, Christian Bale says the famous catch phrase, "I'll be back." But the context is 180 degrees reversed from the way it's said in the original. Bale is already signed up for two sequels, and McG and friends already have the next two movies "arced out." Terminator set pics from VideoETA. [Channel 4 and Guardian and IGN] More »

Looks Like He'll Be Back After All

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:42:16 PDT

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger may not be too busy grappling with the state's budget crisis to battle John Connor one last time, it turns out. Pictures of Schwarzenegger and Terminator Salvation star Christian Bale hanging out in a Brentwood parking lot are all over the net, and rumor has it Arnie has been spending time on the T4 set. But in what capacity could Arnold lend his talents to the movie? Click through for pics and video. More »

The Batman Story Chris Nolan Won't Ever Adapt

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:11:00 PDT

Sure, Christian Bale and Chris Nolan have already made it clear they won't have Robin the Boy Wonder in their third Batman movie, but what about Batman's other sidekicks? I'm referring, of course, to Scooby Doo and his gang, who teamed up with Batman twice in 1972. I would tell you more about the plot of their adventures, but I'm distracted by a crucial question: OH MY GOD, what the hell happened to Batman's pants? He and Robin are talking about the Gotham Rubber Factory, and then suddenly Batman isn't wearing any pants. What the hell? Click through for another shoddily animated clip. More »

In The Battle Between Terminator's Bale And Worthington, We All Win

Meredith Woerner — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:20:00 PDT

Sam Worthington is a bad mutha (shut yo mouth). Can you dig it? But seriously, after watching steely eyed Worthington stare down the press at the Terminator: Salvation panel, I now believe that he could take down our beloved Christian Bale in the bad-assery department. How can this be? Click through to find out my reasons, including some T4 speculation. More »

See the Sketches That Captured The Crazy

Meredith Woerner — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:55:00 PDT

The Dark Knight concept art from legendary comics artist Bill Sienkiewicz shows Heath Ledger's Joker looking more crazed than ever. Sienkiewicz was the go-to guy for TDK, and it's no wonder. He pretty much captures exactly why the Joker is the scariest of all in Gotham. His concept drawings are pretty much a spot-on rendition of what the audience saw in the theatre. Click through for a few more of our favorites. More »

Did Christian Bale Rob Edward Furlong Of His Big Comeback?

Meredith Woerner — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:30:00 PDT

If there was any doubt that Christian Bale couldn't handle the role of the salvation of man, this newly released still from Terminator 4 just about clears it up. But what about the original John Connor? Would you believe the present-day Edward Furlong could replace shaven-headed Bale? Click through for a spoilery reveal as to what John Connor's got under his boot, and more about what Furlong's been up to lately. More »

The Dark Knight Twice As Long As It Should Be

Graeme McMillan — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:00:00 PDT

After all the hype and buzz, The Dark Knight turns out to be a taut, morally ambiguous crime drama that shies away for superhero schtick in favor of something more understated and suspenseful. As long as you leave the movie somewhere around the halfway point. If you stay for the whole thing, then be prepared to put up with a movie that gets so carried away with its own cleverness and supposed daring that it manages to make even Heath Ledger's compelling performance as the Joker seem boring. Plenty of spoilers under the jump, so be warned. More »

A Closer Look At Our New Robot Foes From Terminator 4

Meredith Woerner — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:20:00 PDT

The future of the human race is looking pretty grim in John Connor's world — especially with all the new-fangled robots director McG is populating the post-Judgment Day world with. We took a closer look at the trailer for Terminator Salvation, and examined each of the new robotic enemies humanity will have to face. Click through for your first real look at Harvesters, Hydrobots and the T-600. Spoilers ahead. More »

First Look At Terminator 4's Underwater Kill-Bots

Meredith Woerner — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:50:00 PDT

The teaser trailer for Terminator 4 is out, and John Connor is still looking grim. The smokin', shaven-headed Christian Bale uses his sexy Batman voice to tell us we're all going to die. Add some shots of robots stepping on skulls and dangling bodies, and I'm pretty sold. I hate to let a well-edited trailer get to me, but man, this movie looks bad ass. It also features our first look at the Terminator aqua bots. More »

Would Robin Ruin The Christopher Nolan Bat-Movies?

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:42:00 PDT

Christian Bale has promised we'll never see Robin in one of the new Bat-movies, telling a reporter: "If Robin crops up in one of the new Batman films, I'll be chaining myself up somewhere and refusing to go to work." What do you think — could a Dark Knight sequel benefit from having a little plucky kid acrobat jumping around and cracking jokes, to lighten the mood? More »

Rumor: John Connor Meets An Alarming Fate In Terminator 4

Meredith Woerner — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:40:00 PDT

Ain't It Cool News claims to have gotten wind of the ending to robot-apocalypse film Terminator 4, which just started shooting. If it's true, it could set up some very weird directions in the fifth and sixth movies, which Christian Bale is already signed up for. And it would make the Terminator saga even more twisty and tangly than it already is. Spoilers avast. More »

Everything John Connor Knows About The Future Is Wrong, In Terminator 4

Meredith Woerner — Fri, 23 May 2008 10:40:00 PDT

Terminator 4 could be a lot more unpredictable than we'd expected, judging from a Warner Bros. press release that reveals a bunch of new plot twists and turns. Meanwhile, the movie has cast John Connor's wife Kate: it's Charlotte Gainsbourg (21 Grams.) This character, originally portrayed by Clarie Danes in T3 , sent the Terminator back in time to help them both after John was killed in their messy future. Another young actor named Jadagrace will be portraying Star. Plot details (and spoilers, of course) after the jump. More »

3 Chances To See Christian Bale Time-Travel Naked

Meredith Woerner — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:40:00 PDT

The producers of Terminator 4 plan to keep Christian Bale around as John Connor in three Terminator movies total. T4 producer Derek Anderson revealed to the BBC that "he [Bale] read the script and he loved it, so he's signed on for all three." More »

Terminator 4 Will Be Like The Matrix Sequels

Meredith Woerner — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:40:00 PDT

Like the Matrix sequels, Terminator 4 will leave behind the original movie's weird mixture of present-day action with futuristic intrigue. Instead, it'll be set entirely in the land of machines, designer Miles Teves said in an interview with Fanboy Confidential. But the Terminators in the new movie will be older versions (because these are among the first Terminators). There was also brief discussion of a new type of endo-skeleton super-Terminator. Teves promises, "a lot of tanks and vehicles [and] weird machines." Interview highlights below the jump. More »

Terminator 4's PG-13 Rating Will Mean More Dumb Explosions

Meredith Woerner — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:30:00 PDT

First they gave us a sub-standard Teminator (T-X) that kicked 75% less ass than Terminator 2's T-1000. Then they added Claire (Shopgirl) Danes to the equation, and the result, T3, was a poor person's Terminator 2. The only thing that kept hope alive was the promise that Christian Bale would blow us all away as an embattled John Connor in Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins (aka T4). But now news has broken that T4 will be rated PG-13 instead of R, like the previous installments. How can this movie rock half as hard as T2 with Disneyland limits? More »

Terminator's Bleak Future Will Keep Growing

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:05:00 PDT

Rumors that the unstoppable Terminator franchise was being deactivated have turned out to be totally false. Various sites reported last week that Terminator 4, the post-apocalyptic robot-fighting sequel starring Christian Bale as John Connor, was cancelled. But now it's just been announced that Moon Bloodgood (the smirking time-traveler from TV's Journeyman) will co-star in T-4 as a resistance fighter suffering from survivor's guilt because she survived the nuclear holocaust. And the movie starts principal photography May 5. Meanwhile, it's official that Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles will have a second season on Fox, so we'll find out if Summer Glau survived almost getting blown up in the season finale. [Hollywood Reporter and TV Guide] More »