In the latest issue of Empire Magazine, some details were given in regards to the time frame of “The Dark Knight Rises”. When we last left The Dark Knight, he told Commissioner Gordon that he would be what Gotham needed him to be. Leaving Harvey Dent to die a hero, Batman fled from the scene and left us with nothing more than the end credits.

In an interview with Empire, the film’s director, Christopher Nolan, explained where TDKR would begin:

It’s really all about finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne’s story. We left him in a very precarious place. Perhaps surprisingly for some people, our story picks up quite a bit later, eight years after The Dark Knight. So he’s an older Bruce Wayne; he’s not in a great state.

For those of you who have followed the comics, Bane wasn’t just a brute who used toxins to boost his physical state, but an extremely intelligent being who was able to break Batman both physically and mentally.

Tom Hardy discussed a bit about Bane in his interview with Empire and the brutality that went along with the character:

Anything from small-joint manipulation to crushing skulls, crushing rib cages, stamping on shins and knees and necks and collarbones and snapping heads off and tearing his fists through chests, ripping out spinal columns. He is a terrorist in mentality as well as brutal action.

With the evidence provided, what can we expect from Nolan’s final installment of the Batman franchise? Will we see Bane leaving a tired and deflated Batman left to die? Will Nolan’s Batman separate itself from the other series for a definitive ending?

Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Entertainment Weekly is claiming based off of an unnamed inside source that Variety got it wrong and the rising “Inception” star will not be playing Alberto Falcone in the Christopher Nolan threequel after all.

If EW is right, does that leave the door open for Gordon-Levitt to play the much rumored Hugo Strange?  The Riddler?  Bruce Wayne’s new love interest?  Or maybe EW is mistaken and Variety has the real inside scoop.  Let the casting speculation begin!  Uh.  Again.

The speculation can come to an end regarding Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s casting in “The Dark Knight Rises”. Will he be The Riddler? Wrong. Deadshot? Wrong again. According to Variety, the actor has been confirmed to take on the role of Alberto Falcone. In the graphic novel, The Long Halloween, Alberto Falcone is the son of crime mob boss, Carmine Falcone, who was last played by Tom Wilkinson in Batman Begins. JGL certainly looks the part as you can see for yourself.

Additional casting news has revealed that 21-year old British actress Juno Temple has won a part in playing what’s been described as a “street-smart Gotham girl”. Minor speculation states that her character may be a female Robin-like character, possibly a nod to Frank Miller’s graphic novel, “The Dark Knight Returns”. Take that with a giant grain of salt though

The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters July 20th, 2012.

Well, it’s official.  Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy have been cast as Selina Kyle and Bane in Chris Nolan’s next Batman installment, “The Dark Knight Rises”.  Note that Anne Hathaway is only mentioned to be playing Selina Kyle – could this possibly mean there won’t be a Catwoman?  Here’s the full press release:

BURBANK, CA, January 19, 2011 – Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Christopher Nolan stated, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story.”

In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, “I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies.”

Nolan will direct the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven.

“The Dark Knight Rises” is slated for release on July 20, 2012. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Some interesting news from Ain’t it Cool – apparently, Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen, A Nightmare on Elm Street) is the frontrunner to play the villain, Sinestro, in the comic book movie adaptation of “The Green Lantern”. Not only that, DC Comics is planning for Superman to make a cameo appearance in the film! From the looks of it, it seems like DC Comics may be looking to follow a similar path to Marvel with its character mash-ups.

While there’s really not much else to say regarding these rumors, Harry at Ain’t it Cool does say his source is pretty reliable.

“Green Lantern”, which will be directed by Martin Campbell, is slated for a June 17th, 2011 release date.

If you haven’t already heard, a 4th installment of the “Beverly Hills Cop” series is in the works with Brett Ratner scheduled to direct the film. While numerous scripts have been submitted to the studio for consideration, nothing has been confirmed and there’s only been speculation over the past year or so.

Initially, it was announced that original cast members Judge Reinhold (Billy Rosewood) and John Ashton (John Taggart) would be reuniting with Eddie Murphy (Axel Foley) for the sequel, but with multiple scripts from different writers being sent in to the studio, nothing could be said for certain. Apparently, these scripts were also quite dull and uninspiring.

Lately, however, it’s been reported from Collider that “it’s not clear who will be back on Beverly Hills Cop 4 as the studio is hiring a new writer and they are starting over.” The writer is still unknown as of this point, but it looks like they are gearing this next film to be similar to the first two films in terms of casting. Moviehole has stated the following:

You’ve likely already heard that the former (played by Judge Reinhold) will return (and I won’t say what he’ll be getting up to in this one), but you may be surprised to hear that John Ashton’s being coaxed back to play the character he retired after ‘’Beverly Hills Cop II” (1987).

…Ashton is definitely wanted back for ‘’Beverly Hills Cop 4’’. Taggart might no longer be on the beat (he, as we learnt in the last film, had retired) but he definitely has a part to play in the upcoming Brett Ratner-directed sequel.

Coaxed? Sounds good! I’m glad they’re also taking their time on finding a decent script – hopefully a decent writer. Hey, I’m also all for the studio stalling on this project until Brett Ratner finally decides to move on to direct another “Rush Hour” film. We want Eddie Murphy to be badass again and that’s certainly not happening with Rattner on board.  Neither is an R rating.

While Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are set to reprise their roles, additional casting is scheduled to begin soon.

The full MTV article can be found here.

“Spiderman 4″ is aiming for a May 5, 2011 release.

Stellan Skarsgård is ready for a role in action movie “Thor.”

Everything is still secret about the project and Skarsgård can not reveal what role he will play.

“They wanted me to sign without reading the script. That I refused to do. Then they sent one to me that was so coded that I could only print one copy,” said Stellan Skarsgård to TT spectra.

Some time ago it was said that Stellan Skarsgård’s son, Alexander Skarsgård, was on his way to the title role in “Thor.” In the end however, it became Chris Hemsworth, known for “Star Trek,” who got the job.

“Thor” will be directed by Kenneth Branagh and will star Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Jaimie Alexander, Colm Feore and Samuel L. Jackson. Paramount is currently aiming for a May 20, 2011 release date.