Do we have plot details for The Dark Knight Rises?

It sounds like we do, thanks to the crafty folks over at Badass Digest. And the details certainly work for me!

As written by the Badass boys, who cite an unconfirmed but trusted source, Anne Hathaway is indeed Catwoman, but she's not the villain of the piece. She and Batman go after the League of Shadows, who were the bad guys in Batman Begins. The League is led by none other than Talia Al Ghul, Ras's daughter. Bane (Tom Hardy), is Talia's possible love interest and the League apparently tries to finish what it started in the first movie. Somehow Joseph Gordon-Levitt figures into all this and, according to The Digest, he's a bad guy too.

This makes sense, and it sounds pretty damn solid. Writer/director Christopher Nolan is known for his misinformation, but it's fun to speculate on what could be. If this is indeed the plot for The Dark Knight Rises, then I'm sold.

The final Batman film is due in theatres July 2012.

Another Inception star could join The Dark Knight Rises

My hands down favourite working actor is Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He was brilliant in Brick, the best part of Killshot and The Lookout, and got a much deserved bit of public exposure as Arthur in Inception.

Now Deadline has it that Gordon-Levitt could be re-teaming with writer/director Christopher Nolan for The Dark Knight Rises. No word yet on who he will play or how large the part. Knowing Nolan, it will be something interesting.

In addition to the returning cast of Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman, Nolan has added two stars to his final Batman film: Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle (Catwoman) and Gordon-Levitt's Inception co-star Tom Hardy as villain Bane. That's a great cast and up them to anyone who thinks otherwise.

Gordon-Levitt is currently finishing work on the sci-fi thriller Looper with Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt. 

Nolan picks his Catwoman

News broke across the Interweb today that writer/director Christopher Nolan has picked his Catwoman for The Dark Knight Rises, and she is Anne Hathaway.

The Oscar-nominated actress is the first to play the role since Michelle Pfeiffer made latex and a bullwhip so hot in Batman Returns. Knowing Nolan, he'll give the character a gritty, down-to-earth vibe fitting the rest of his Bat Universe.

A press release from Warner Bros. also states that Tom Hardy, who was announced as a cast member late last year, will play Bane, the chemically created brute who first appeared in the comics in 1993.

It will be interesting to see how these two characters are used in the movie. But I have complete faith in what Nolan will do given how well he's not only handled his first two Batman films, but pretty much every other movie he's ever made.

The Dark Knight Rises beats the Mayan apocalypse to theatres in July 2012.

Inception actor to tackle role in the new Batman . . .

. . .  but there is no word yet on who Tom Hardy is going to play. All that's confirmed is co-writer and director Christopher Nolan has cast him in a lead role in the film.

While there’s zero confirmation on his part, we in The Basement encourage you to go bug  nuts with your guesses – would he make a good Riddler? Is he taking on one of the other iconic characters from Bats’ rogues’ gallery? Bruce Wayne's mail man? Hey, it could happen.

Hardy has been shooting the latest version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy for Thomas Alfredson and will appear in McG’s action comedy This Means War alongside Reese Witherspoon (whom yours truly caught a glimpse of in Vancouver last week. She's short and 50 per cent leg) and Chris Pine. His version of Mad Max has been temporarily waylaid due to bad weather Down Under.

The next Bat film is due out in 2012, just in time for the apocalypse.

Tom Hardy Reveals New Mad Max Details

I haven't watched Bronson yet, but hear good things about it and Tom Hardy's performance. And those in the know don't bemoan him taking over for Mel Gibson as the lead in a new Mad Max.

Hardy told Empire he's mentally preparing himself for a gruelling nine-month shoot: a colossally long period which is apparently causing some headaches for the production: "All kinds of people's shifting schedules need to be tied down".

What does appear decided is the "look" of the new Max. "Imagine a hungry wolf," suggests Hardy, "or like when you put a cat in the bath. That's what I'm going to look like, but like a puma: very hungry and dangerous. This is a guy who's not well, so it's imperative that I create that reality."

Hardy says the new film, subtitled Fury Road, has "the same amount of grit and rawness and authenticity" as before. "Big rigs, big explosions, big crashes, big violence. It's a relaunch and revisit and entire restructuring, which isn't to say it's not picking up from the Mad Max you know already. It's a nice retake on the character: depositing him in the same world but bringing him up to date by 30 years."

Given original director George Miller is back, I am keen to see this!