Worthington to replace Bale?

Will we hear up and coming Sam Worthington utter the words “I’m Batman” for the next film in line? Rumors circulating all over the Internet say the Terminator Salvation co-star will. When Christian Bale went crazy on DOP Shane Hurlbut on the set of T4 it’s said that his reputation has been stained so much that Warner wants him out. Unfortunately I don’t believe this for one second and neither should you. This and the fact that Bale is contracted for at least one more film and there isn’t even a script or casting yet make it hard to believe.

Christopher Nolan and Bale have a great relationship on and off screen. There is no way that Nolan would let someone like Bale go. His talent (albeit having temper issues) is unprecedented. I’ve personally never seen a film he’s been in and walked away disgusted. Hell, even Shaft was enjoyable because of you guessed it, Bale.

More on reality though. The franchise has been rejuvenated by both Nolan and Bale. One on set spat that if looked at hard enough could almost be accepted as what should have been done. You see, Hurlbut was a repeat offender of getting in the way of camera shots and fidgeting with lights. He’s done it several times on other films too. Of course Bale had no right to act like a dick about it but I do understand.

Here’s what Nolan and Bale (Health Ledger too of course) have brought to the table from just The Dark Knight Alone:

*The largest opening weekend in movie history at $158,000,000.

*The largest IMAX opening ever at $6,800,000 and $55,000,000 total gross.

*Only second in domestic gross to Titanic at $533,000,000 and the largest grossing comic book movie ever.

*Over one Billion (yeah, billion) in total gross worldwide and only the 4th film to ever do it.

*Over 12.4 million DVD units sold for an additional $212,000,000 in revenue.

*The best selling Blu-ray disc ever with close to 3 million units sold worldwide.

So in short if the rumors are true and a new face and possibly a new director (as Nolan would probably walk), the franchise could be in the hands of someone else and that would be quite unpredictable. Whereas if they keep the formula that has worked for two films and almost guaranteed for a third, it’s the ultimate cash cow.

I’m betting this all bullshit but if there is one glimmer of truth to it, it wouldn’t be the first time Warner has let down the fans of this franchise.

Christian Bale Goes Nuts On Shane Hurlbut

I find it amazing that this even leaked out.

Granted, audio of celebrities flipping out is always a big seller. Remember how long we had to listen to Alec Baldwin cursing out his daughter on her answering machine? Bill O'Reilly going mental on his producers back when he was still pretending to be a journalist also comes to mind, although it isn't really in the same category.

The speed with which this came out might be what surprises me. A month might seem like a long time, but not when you take the scope of a major film production into consideration. On-set explosions usually don't make it out this quick. The Lily Tomlin and David O' Russel screaming match on I Heart Huckabees, for example, didn't make it out until after the DVD release. Of course, an independent philosophical comedy that went over the heads of most audiences probably doesn't compare to the latest entry into one of the most popular modern science fiction franchises still running.



The reason it was recorded is actually a bit mundane. You can clearly hear Bale say that he would leave the film if Shane Hurlbut screwed up one more time. So, the recording was sent to the insurance company in case he made good on his promise. Completion Bonds are no laughing matter in Hollywood, especially when you are talking about a mega-budget summer release like T4.



As for why it was leaked to the media, odds are that someone in the production wanted to get back at Christian Bale for being a complete dick about the whole situation. If there's one thing that people have an increasingly low tolerance for, it is celebrities that don't play well with others.



Of course, what it all comes down to is the opening weekend Box Office totals. So, what you have to ask yourself is, would a YouTube video of Christian Bale crushing puppy skulls under his boot heels in between takes on the set of T4 deter you from buying a ticket?

Think hard.