LOS ANGELES — Anne Hathaway will play Selina Kyle, the slinky and savage outlaw who is known as Catwoman, in next year’s Christopher Nolan film “The Dark Knight Rises,” according to Warner Bros. Hathaway will appear opposite Christian Bale, who’s returning as Bruce Wayne and Batman.
Tom Hardy will play Bane, the chemically created brute who first appeared in the comics in 1993. Nolan’s Batman franchise has previously featured the Joker (who first appeared in 1940), Two-Face (1942), Ras Al-Ghul (1971) and the Scarecrow (1941).
Catwoman — then just called “The Cat” — first appeared in 1940. She was portrayed by Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt and Lee Meriwether on the 1960s TV series starring Adam West. Michelle Pfeiffer memorably cracked the whip opposite the masked Michael Keaton in Tim Burton’s 1992 film “Batman Returns.”
“The Dark Knight Rises” is scheduled to hit theaters July 20, 2012.
Los Angeles Times
