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Christian Bale Joins The Fighter
The Fighter is one of those projects that has been lingering around Hollywood studio offices but stuck in a stagnant mud puddle for years. Originally the film was supposed to star Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon and was to be directed by Darren Aronofsky (that’s a pretty impressive line up), but it was postponed and delayed for various reasons several times. Eventually Damon left the project… then Aronofsky left… then Brad Pitt became attached… then Brad Pitt left… and the movie has just been sitting in limbo ever since.
It now appears that life has once again been breathed into The Fighter’s lungs. Variety Magazine is reporting that the film now has a new financier (Relativity Media) and that Christian Bale is stepping in to play the role Damon was originally supposed to play.
Wahlberg will play Ward, a fighter who was losing bouts and was ready to hang up the gloves when his brother came back into his life. Bale will play Eklund, whose drugs and robbery spree drew him a 10- to 15-year sentence in state prison. There, he kicked drugs, became a model prisoner and emerged as a changed man who helped his brother reach the glory that eluded him.
I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for boxing movies… well… any sports movie really.
With Arnofsky gone, David Russell (who has previously directed I Heart Huckabees and Three Kings) is stepping in to helm the project. I’m looking forward to this one… if it ever actually gets made. Stay tuned next week when we probably have to report Bale ditches, Russell is off because he wants a sex change and Fox becomes the new studio.
Oof, be prepared for some leaked on set mayhem if Russel and Bale ever get in to a screaming match.
Christian Bale in a movie called The Fighter.
That joke just wrote itself.
Pity Aronofsky left, his films are always special. Then again doing THE WRESTLER followed by THE FIGHTER might have been dull for him.
In what alternate reality would bale play second string to walberg, I’ve liked walbergin a few things but as actors Bale and walberg aren’t even in the same arena. I think walberg gets lucky here and there but bale in my opinion is a true actor he shows true range. Every time I watch a walberg movie I feel like I’m watching the same character in different situations. My point being is that bale should play the main character and walberg should play the secondary character not the other way around.
I’d prefer that switch-around as well but Bale’s a guy who knows what he’s doing. Besides, I have no doubt that Blae’s going to make Wahlberg look like a lightweight.
Woops, *Bale* - sorry.
i have yet to see a bad movie from Bale, but im not gonna assume that its automatically a good film just b/c hes in it
lol.
russell + bale = assume crash positions.
No wonder Wahlberg and Bale were watching Manny Pacquiao spar in that Pacquiao-Hatton 24/7 episode last Saturday.
Drat! Kristina beat me to the punch! ;-)
Curses! Foiled again!
On a seperate note:
Kevin Federline is set to star in a film titled “The Douchebag”.
Whoa hoa! Zzzzing!
Looks solid, excellent actors involved but pissed Aronofsky left the project, could have made it special. I’m a boxing fan and have seen Ward fight, so I will check it out.