Christian Bale Cast in Another New Upcoming Terrence Malick Film?

Source: Twitch

by Alex Billington

Wait - there's another Terrence Malick film in the works, and it's not the one shot last year in Oklahoma with Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams? So says Twitch. The site is reporting that Christian Bale is now cast as the lead in another untitled, unidentified project from the legendary "Terry" Malick (Badlands, Days of Heaven, Thin Red Line, New World, Tree of Life) that will start shooting in early 2012. All they know is it's a "story driven by a pair of dominant leads, one male and one female" and doesn't have as big of a cast as his other untitled in-the-can drama. Two more new Malick films in the next few years? This is exciting news.

As always with Malick, little is known about his projects until they're released. We do know that his next untitled film, already shot and currently in post-production (first look here), is a romantic drama starring Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Javier Bardem, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel Weisz, Barry Pepper and Jessica Chastain. We expect to see that in theaters sometime next year, but in the meantime, Malick is apparently working on this other project and has set Bale to star. Christian Bale was once attached to the aforementioned romantic drama, but was replaced by Affleck, and also appeared it Malick's The New World, so the two have had a connection before, and will finally work together again after The Dark Knight Rises.

The only other tidbit that Twitch adds is that Malick is circling a bevy of young, beautiful, talent actresses for the female lead, including: Rooney Mara (Tanner Hall, Nightmare on Elm Street, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Haley Bennett (Music & Lyrics, Molly Hartley, Marley & Me, The Hole), Clemence Poesy (Harry Potter, Heartless, 127 Hours) and Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, Jane Eyre). All fine choices, but they all seem quite a bit younger than Bale (age 37). I'm already excited that more Malick films are coming, hopefully it won't take years for him to edit, but Twitch hints that if all goes as planned "Malick may very well end up doubling his total career output in 2011, 2012 and 2013 alone." And I can't wait to see them all!