Christian Bale

We kid you not, Christian Bale and Amy Adams are legit unrecognizable as Dick and Lynne Cheney in these new set photos.

Christian Bale’s making a pretty strong case for his promotion to Everyone’s Favorite Method Actor when Daniel Day-Lewis retires later this year. The actor’s latest transformation is for the role of former Vice President Dick Cheney in Adam McKay’s upcoming film Backseat. Or so he says. I’m not entirely convinced this isn’t a clever excuse for Bale to chow down on some carbs and try out one of those weird and exhausting new eyebrow trends.

Adam McKay’s establishing a reputation as Hollywood’s foremost chronicler of the biggest hot-button issues... of ten years ago. He made blackly satirical mince meat of the subprime lending crisis with The Big Short, stepping back into our recent past to expose the avarice still at play in the world of macroeconomics today. And for his next project, he’s going to take aim at a West Wing political player loathed and feared by liberals as a power-mad despot intent on destroying America. No, not him, we’re referring to a different wannabe fascist with the public graces of Darth Vader. To be specific, Dick Cheney.

Imagine that both handsome, rakish doctor Oscar Isaac and well-to-do bearded reporter Christian Bale are fighting for your hand in marriage. With two such dashing suitors fawning over you, it’d take something huge to spoil it, something like... a genocide. The new trailer for historical romance drama The Promise has all that and more, featuring a tortured courtship with nothing less than the epic sweep of militaristic annihilation for a backdrop. That, and Oscar Isaac’s handsome, permanently-stubbled face. In the parlance of Hollywood executives, that makes this a ‘four quadrant’ picture.

The Dark Knight shattered box-office records across the world and Inception captivated the public in 2010, but an unassuming tale about magicians is the Christopher Nolan film I revisit most. Ten years have passed since The Prestige debuted, and without Batman or Leonardo DiCaprio, the film hasn’t gathered the mass following of Nolan’s bigger blockbusters. Perhaps, movie fans need to watch the film one more time.

TIFF is the unofficial kickoff for awards season, and we’ve already seen some very promising trailers this week. None more promising, however, than The Promise, which sees Oscar Isaac and Christian Bale go up against the Ottoman Empire-instigated Armenian genocide in the 1910s. An Oscar for Oscar might not be too far off.

Every generation has their Batman. Depending on the age of the person you ask, you’ll discover Adam West fans, Michael Keaton fans, Kevin Conroy fans and, if you stare into the darkness long enough, a George Clooney fan. For a certain group of fans, Christian Bale’s take on the Dark Knight always be the definitive interpretation, with his gravelly growl and trademark intensity instantly beating out whatever Ben Affleck brings to the character in ‘Batman vs. Superman.’ Some of these people are going to resent Affleck no matter what. And, in a surprising turn of events, it looks like they can all rally around Bale himself.

Christian Bale has abruptly pulled out of Danny Boyle's planned Steve Jobs biopic, just two weeks after entering discussions with Sony Pictures and Boyle over playing the iconic Apple CEO. Though Bale hadn't officially signed for the part (and hadn't even begun contract negotiations), his participation was considered a near certainly and his unexpected departure is another casting blow for the project, which already had Leonardo DiCaprio turn down the starring role.

'The Dark Knight' is one of the most popular superhero movies ever. Heck, it might even be one of the most popular movies of any genre in the past 10 years. But, even if you think you've seen and read all there is on 'The Dark Knight,' you still might not know everything there is to know about one of the biggest movies of all-time.

"Why apples, Master Jobs?" "Apples frighten me." As Christian Bale inches ever closer to playing Steve Jobs in Aaron Sorkin's long-in-the-making biopic, expectations only continue to ratchet up. What would Bale-as-Jobs look like? How high would the intensity level be? Will there be much growling? Unexpectedly enough, Conan O'Brien has the answers you seek.