More Dark Knight Details, Joker News
Producer Chuck Roven talks about Heath Ledger and the schedule for making the Batman Begins sequel.
Chuck Roven, producer for Batman Begins and the Dark Knight sequel, talked about the new film with Superhero Hype and Heath Ledger being cast as the Joker.
"We're really thrilled about Heath Ledger playing The Joker. As Chris Nolan said, the great thing about Heath is he commits himself fully and totally to everything he does. He's just a brilliant, brilliant actor and you know this Joker is a very interesting dark fellow."
The film is due out June 2008. "We are supposed to start shooting what we call a preshoot, which we know what that is, in January and then the main body of the movie is going to start in March," he added.
Roven didn't give many more details or comment on whether Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) had been offered the role of the Penguin. "One of the things that we have always done--we did it with the first 'Batman' movie in which we were involved, 'Batman Begins'" he explained, "[is] we don't comment on any rumors because it takes all the fun away."
That goes for the rest of the cast as well, although Christian Bale has been confirmed as returning to the role of Bruce (Batman) Wayne. "We are hoping, depending upon everyone's schedule and other aspects of what it is they want to do with their careers, that we're going to get most if not all of them who are alive back. Meaning 'alive in the movie', not really alive… sorry. We're supposed to get them back if we can. The script is in the process of being written. There isn't a screenplay that exists right now, so I can't really tell you much more than that. Certainly Christian Bale is going to play Batman and Bruce Wayne."