Frazer Harrison/Getty Images; Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images; Neilson Barnard/Getty ImagesCould some of Hollywood hottest actresses be involved in a major cat batfight over a plum role in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises.
Jessica Biel, Anne Hathaway and Keira Knightley are reportedly vying with some up-and-comers for the two female leads for the hotly anticipated sequel.
Catwoman? Batgirl? It's all a mystery until it's announced. But we do have some hints as to what they're in the running for.
Per the Hollywood Reporter, the trio, along with Kate Mara (whose credits include Iron Man 2 and 127 Hours and is big sis of Dragon Tattoo lady Rooney Mara), Charlotte Riley (aka the fiancé of Tom Hardy, who starred in Nolan's Inception and will also appear in The Dark Knight Rises) and former Bond girl Gemma Arterton (Quantam of Solace, Clash of the Titans), are on the shortlist of actresses testing for the roles in the coming weeks. Earlier reports had suggested Naomi Watts and another former Bond babe, Casino Royale's Eva Green, were among the contenders.
Nolan and Warner Bros. declined to comment on the casting rumors
One of the characters is believed to be a baddie never before seen on the big screen, and the other is a new love interest for Bruce Wayne/Batman, who will once again be portrayed by Christian Bale.
Sources tell the trade that the villain is possibly Talia, the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul—the nemesis of Nolan's 2005 reboot, Batman Begins, portrayed by Liam Neeson. In the comics, the character not only was Batman's foil, but also the woman who bore Bruce Wayne's son.
Considering Katie Holmes was replaced after the first installment and Maggie Gyllenhaal was killed off in the second, playing the female lead opposite this Caped Crusader is a risky gig.
In any case, we should be learning more soon enough. Cameras are expected to get rolling in London and Los Angeles sometime in May.