Batman Villain Two-Face Speaks: Eckhart Reveals 'Dark Knight' Details

SANTA MONICA, California — Two-Face may have a horribly scarred visage, but recently confirmed star Aaron Eckhart was all smiles as he discussed his plans for Harvey Dent in "The Dark Knight," Christopher Nolan's sequel to the hit "Batman Begins."

"I am excited. Christopher Nolan is an amazing director," Eckhart told MTV News. "It's another movie that's a dream come true."

Most villains have a hidden alter ego — Harvey Dent sports his in plain view as the twisted and deformed Two-Face, enemy to Batman and terror of Gotham City (see "Aaron Eckhart Likely To Be Batman Frienemy Two-Face In 'Dark Knight'").

Gotham City's youngest-ever district attorney, Harvey Dent, is permanently scarred when a criminal throws sulfuric acid in his face, resulting in a burn that leaves the entire left side of his body mutilated beyond repair.

Unable to cope with his deformity, Dent's long-repressed anger surfaces, creating a split personality and a battle for his overall instincts. On one side lies the good Harvey Dent, friend to Bruce Wayne. On the other, Two-Face, master criminal and enemy to Batman. Tommy Lee Jones most recently portrayed the villain in 1995's "Batman Forever."

According to Eckhart, it's a dichotomy and depth of character that matches Bruce Wayne's own transformation from millionaire playboy to crime-fighting vigilante (see " 'Dark Knight' Script Picks Up Right Where 'Batman Begins' Left Off").

"Batman is a complex character, and Two-Face comes a little bit from the same world," Eckhart insisted. "But [at the same time] he's apart from it."

Eckhart reported that the key to playing Two-Face, then, is finding specifically how he mirrors — and where he differs — from the Caped Crusader.

"I'm looking for the tension between the two, the similarities between the two," Eckhart said of his portrayal. "I want to find what's similar to Batman and then find what's opposite to him."

Two-Face flips a coin to decide how he's going to act. But will Eckhart even get the chance? Rumors persist that Eckhart's role as Dent will set him up as the main villain in the series' third installment, with his disfigurement coming toward the end of the second film.

Is Eckhart exclusively Harvey Dent in "The Dark Knight"?

"Yeah," Eckhart said, before reconsidering after a brief pause, "Well, I'm Harvey Dent ... then I go into Harvey Two-Face."

And what of speculation that, in this new installment, it's going to be the Joker (played by Heath Ledger) who scars the eager district attorney?

"I think I'll be killed [if I comment on that] — I'm not even sure I can say as much as I have," Eckhart joked as a wicked, Dent-ian smile broke across his face. "There are snipers looking at me right now!

"I'm looking forward to going to London and Chicago to shoot [the film]," the "Thank You for Smoking" star added.

Fans will have a long time to look forward to Eckhart's portrayal — "The Dark Knight" opens in the summer of 2008.

Source: MTV

Maggie joins Batman

Latino Review reported it back in early February and today Variety confirmed that Maggie Gyllenhaal is, in fact, in final negotiations to join the cast of THE DARK KNIGHT as assistant DA Rachel Dawes, picking up where Prototype Maternal Unit, Theta Class I Katie Holmes left off. The role apparently amounts to little more than a glorified cameo but Gyllenhaal has enough acting chops to put some real chutzpah into the role and erase the memory of Holmes for those of you who felt she was the only taint on an otherwise great film. Rachel McAdams and Emily Blunt were also in contention but the aforementioned chops and chutzpah likely helped Gyllenhaal land the role. She can next be seen in the drama HIGH FALLS.

Source: JoBlo

Cillian Murphy on The Dark Knight

Cillian Murphy talked to ComingSoon.net and did not confirm or deny that his Batman Begins character, Scarecrow, might be back for The Dark Knight.

And for those still wondering whether Murphy might return as Dr, Jonathan Crane AKA The Scarecorew in Christopher Nolan's Batman sequel The Dark Knight, the actor still is hesitant to talk about it. "I'm not at liberty and it's not my place to say," he repeated from other recent interviews. "I'd love to work with Chris again. I enjoyed tremendously working on that film, and we'll see. I think casting Heath Ledger as the Joker is fantastic casting. He'll make an amazing movie."

Source: Super Hero Hype

Buffy vs. Batman?

Despite having battled bloodsuckers for seven years on BUFFY, Sarah Michelle Gellar hasn't really had a movie role with any kind of bite since her devious vixen in 1999's CRUEL INTENTIONS. Will she be taking her stake (Mr. Pointy?) out of retirement to battle another creature of the night?

The rumor currently making the rounds is that Gellar may be in the Batman sequel THE DARK KNIGHT. Speculation then immediately arose that she'd play the Joker's lover and accomplice Harley Quinn, an acrobatic Arkham Asylum therapist who goes ga-ga for the grinning psycho and dons a jester costume to assist in his crimes.

Only time and/or an official Variety announcement will tell if this holds true, but the Bats sequel (to a prequel/reboot, making it... a seprequelboot?) starts production in the coming weeks, so if Gellar's involved we'll know soon. The Harley Quinn character first appeared on the outstanding animated Batman series and was then transitioned into the ongoing comics, much like Detective Renee Montoya, who we also hear might make an appearance in the new movie.

Source: JoBlo

This is an April Fools joke right..

De Niro, it is when some wreckless people post anything they read on the internet as news, unless such people want to work for CBS News, Fox News, or CNN.

Besides, apply wonderful logic. This is Joker's first appearance in the midst of a crazy movie where Two Face emerges as well. Nolan doesn't jam his movies like all those Schumacher flicks did.

I've not seen her act, but really, I'm behind Nolan whatever he does.

How about we let it be announced officially if its actually happening or not.

Better yet....you all know they already started shooting, right?

Is anybody actully interested in this?What are you ganna gain from this movie..

She's a decent actress Capo, but I imagine the part is being cast for looks rather than acting ability, am I right ? She is attractive, I'll tell you that much.

Dear God, you know where this so-called rumor first came from?

A SMG fansite....more specifically, a Whedon web-ring.

Besides, WB sort of learned their lesson for getting super-burned on Katie Holmes. Thats why Maggie Gyllenhaal is on board. They want a competent enough actress to hang with the big boys.

What's with Katie holmes ? Her douche bag husband don't want her around guys her own age ?

Yeah, she broke her curfew outside the prison, err I mean family home.

No, but Holmes was a problem for WB because...

(1) Out of the other stars and actors in BATMAN BEGINS, the vast majority of reviews trashed her performance...and its justified. She is a TV actor, and she can't seriously cut it with theatrically-trained great actors like Oldman, Bale, etc.

(2) Her romance with Tom Cruise became *the* news in 2005 instead of the movie, which sort of pissed of WB and their $150 million they spent on it.

(3) The fans on the internet hated her, calling her useless, etc. WB listened, and she was canned from the next movie.

She's starring in the new Batman film, apparently. There's not going to be a Batman vs. Buffy movie.

It's been 20 years and Oldman is still Hollywood's best kept secret. I don't get it.

Woah, hey, what's with bullying the little guy?

If you wanna fight Cruise, fight me.

I'm interested in THE DARK KNIGHT. Its Joker, baby....and a Joker that isn't an over-the-top clown like Nicholson...maybe they'll finally make him psychotic, be the anarchy to Batman's Law & Order. (Doink Doink!)

Plus, Aaron Eckhart will own people...he will own as Harvey Dent.

What's Cruise up to now, anyway ? Any big releases in the offing ?

The problem sadly with Oldman is that Hollywood only wants him to play baddies all the time, and its usually cheap blockbuster movies.

Of course, no one in Hollywood seems to remember him excelling as the fucked-up Sid Vicious in Alex Cox's SID & NANCY, or any other of his great work.

A pity, but he was great as Gordon.

Capo, why so offended? Did I insult your holy leader?

Cruise is my homeboy. Let him be, or I'll jump you after school.

homeboy?

Capo, are you short, psychotic, eccentric, rich, and American as Maverick?

Oldman was phenomenal in STATE OF GRACE (1990), a very underrated movie that was overshadowed by being released the exact same week as GOODFELLAS.

I forgot about STATE OF GRACE. Thanks for bringing up that little gem.

Also, Cruise and his former producing partner that were fired by Paramount, somehow are now in with Sony...and have been given the vacant UNITED ARTIST studio label.

Among their first projects, they picked up distribution of Francis Ford Coppola's YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH.

Coppola's first film since THE RAINMAKER, 10 years ago, also starring Matt Damon.

Indeed pizzaboy.

Coppola apparently has another movie being lined up with Matt Dillon(oh boy, I can hear the OUTSIDERS reunion shit before it even begins!) about Italian emigrants in Argentina, which should be interesting.

See what last year's Oscar nomination did for Dillon ?

Put him right back on the map. I'll give it to him, he's a very adequate actor.

No Batman for Gellar

Sorry, Buffy fans... my data-collecting microbots have finally returned from Gotham City, and they're telling me that there's "no truth" to the recent rumor that former vampire slayer Sarah Michelle Gellar will have a role in the Batman sequel THE DARK KNIGHT.

When the rumor arose, it quickly led to speculation that Gellar would play the Joker's lover and accomplice Harley Quinn, but it's not even known if the character is in the script, and my microbots could not confirm either way (they're not very good -- hey, I made them myself out of some old Zoids toys and a Radio Shack kit). However, they did record some indecipherable mutterings that another female cast member would be announced soon.

But who could that be? Aside from the returning Rachel (played by Katie proxy Maggie Gyllenhaal), the only other female role we know of is a Latino cop, possibly the big-screen version of Detective Renee Montoya from the early 90s animated Batman series. Yet it's still conceivable that the Joker will receive therapy at Arkham Asylum from one nimble nubile shrink named Dr. Harleen Quinzell. Returning director Christopher Nolan starts production soon, so we'll see a complete cast listing in short order.

Source: JoBlo

Wow, news that originated from a Buffy fansite turned out to be FAKE?

I'm shocked.

As if Katie wasn't bad enough...now we have her pseudo-lookalike, claims-9/11-was-a-conspiracy fucking ACLU card-carrying retard? Ugh. I may not be able to stomach this movie. She'd probably go off on Batman in real life because he framed the Joker, he never got a fair shake, blah blah blah.

Oh well. [/off_rant]

Wanna bet Maggie's part in the movie is irrelevantly useless?