Sounds like Warner Bros. does not love this woman:
Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman have signed to star in a second Batman movie, but love interest Katie Holmes has been dropped. Movie bosses are thrilled with the response to Batman Begins - it took $46.9 million in its first weekend at the US box office - and have snapped up the film's stars for a sequel.
"Thrilled?" After Mr. & Mrs. Smith took in $50 million the weekend before? Granted, BB's five day total was a respectable $72 million, but don't let Warners fool you into thinking they're anything more than mildly pleased at those results.
Bale as Batman was the first to put pen to paper, followed by Caine as butler Alfred and Freeman as Bruce Wayne's business associate Lucius Fox. But Holmes won't reprise her role as district attorney Rachel Dawes - reportedly because Warner Bros is angry her engagement to Tom Cruise has stolen media attention away from the movie. A source tells Pagesix.Com, "Everyone is in agreement that the movie's strength is with Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman." Adding of Holmes, "She won't be in the sequel... the next romantic interest will be a much stronger actress. Warner is happy that people are now focusing on who'll be playing the Joker rather than Katie and Tom."
I guess they're trying to spare her feelings, but the sad truth is that Holmes' lack of dramatic heft and disconcerting resemblance to a 13 year-old boy made her stick out like a sore thumb. When you've got Bale, Caine, Freeman, Liam Neeson, and Gary Oldman in your cast, it might behoove you to trot out a leading lady whose last dramatic conflict wasn't whether or not to date the hunky Secret Service agent assigned to protect her.
I'm not going to speculate on who's playing the Joker, because I think the question of selecting the next female lead is more interesting. Unless they want to bring back characters that have already been used (Vicki Vale specifically, I don't think we'll be seeing Schumacher's Dr. Chase Meridian or Julie Madison again), the romantic options are all over the place. Linda Page? They'd have to modernize the hell out of her. Kathy Kane? Nah, "Batwoman" would be way too Schumachery. Silver St. Cloud? Only if they change that name. Talia Al Ghul? Doubtful, though she would probably be the most interesting. Not out of the question for a third film, if at all, as she could be seeking revenge for her father.
Female villains, meanwhile, are rather thin. Poison Ivy was a bust, and WB would sooner bring Chris O'Donnell back than even say the word "Catwoman" in the new films.
Then again, Warners could just embrace the extended continuity and bring in Harely Quinn. She's a fan favorite, and complements the Joker nicely.
Never mind. They'd probably cast Lindsay Lohan.
Wow. I used to love ElectraWoman and DynaGirl when I was a kid.
Thanks for the memory kick, Pete.
Hey, Pete-
OT but we got a press kit today to tell us all about a "midnight movies" documentary on Starz Encore:
This link to the PR Newswire story is old but apparently Starz is going to show the documentary as well as all the old Midnight Movie classics (Night of the Living Dead, Rocky Horror, etc).
It is sure to be a carnival of awfulness. Who's making popcorn?!
Hmm, you know, now that you mention Katie's "disconcerting resemblance to a 13 year-old boy", her recent engagement to Hollywood Pocket-Hulk Tom Cruise is a bit more plausible...
Wow. I used to love ElectraWoman and DynaGirl when I was a kid.
I also have the action figure.
This link to the PR Newswire story is old but apparently Starz is going to show the documentary as well as all the old Midnight Movie classics (Night of the Living Dead, Rocky Horror, etc).
That's awesome. El Topo and The Harder They Come? Count me in.
OMG Pete! This is why I loooove you!
"I guess they're trying to spare her feelings, but the sad truth is that Holmes' lack of dramatic heft and disconcerting resemblance to a 13 year-old boy made her stick out like a sore thumb. When you've got Bale, Caine, Freeman, Liam Neeson, and Gary Oldman in your cast, it might behoove you to trot out a leading lady whose last dramatic conflict wasn't whether or not to date the hunky Secret Service agent assigned to protect her."
Are you sure you're not English or at least related to Oscar Wilde? ;)
BTW, Maryscott! How ya doin' Babe? Love your caustic and bang-on comments on Daily Kos.
But, I wanna speculate on who is going to be the Joker! Freaking Gary Oldman would have been PERFECT.
Howzabout Christopher Walken?
I absolutely love that Holmes' obvious ploy to gain stardom has backfired in her face. Instead of being renowned as an actress, she's now the beard for a psychotic dwarf.
OOOOO...psychotic dwarf. That's gotta hoit! :)
BabyJane...
I've been worse. Got one helluva fucking flu bug at the moment, however. Charming experience. I'll spare you the liquid details.
So, are we hoping Batman's next love interest is Electrawoman?
Cause that would be just silly.
And, obviously, Tom Cruise as the Joker.
It's kind of a shame that Schumacher used up a perfectly excellent Batman-mythos girlfriend name in "Julie Madison". She was Bruce Wayne's fiancée in the first year or so of the character's adventures. I think she was in the big Hugo Strange adventure, to boot. (He'd make an excellent villain, too.)
Gordon showing Batman the Joker-card is exactly how Batman: Year One ended, incidentally. It doesn't dovetail terribly neatly with the Joker's first appearance in Batman #1.
I don't know why you're bagging on Katie Holmes so much...she's quite the hotty
Sincerely
Mary Kay LaTourneau
They showed the clip where Katie Holmes's character meets Batman on A&E last week, and it brought me back to sesame street: "One of these things doesn't belong!"
"What's the difference between Tom Cruise and a three-year old?"
"They're both psychotic midgets, but the three-year old at least has a good prognosis going for him......."
Katie Holmes was utterly wretched in BB. She wasn't signed for the sequel, imnsho, because she sucks.
As to why they cast her in the first place, my only guess is it was a quid pro quo deal with her agents -- cast Katie in this and have access to our OTHER clients next time...
She was appalling. Simply appalling.