The Australian newspaper The Herald Sun is reporting that “Industry gossip now suggests the rising Australian star Sam Worthington could score the part of Batman in the third installment of the successful prequel franchise.” We’ve already gotten a bunch of e-mails linking this story, which means the story is already getting around the internets. But the fact of the matter is, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight sequel isn’t even close to approaching the casting stage. Christian Bale has said that he would return for another film if Nolan came back with a good story, and anyone who believes that Warner Bros would mess with any of the main ingredients in their successful comic book franchise is on crack. – From SlashFilm

A mock-up of Philip Seymour Hoffman as a Dark Knight-esque Penguin has fueled speculation and awk-awk noises. Meanwhile, Zack Snyder explains, once and for all, why his Bat-movie dreams won’t come true. – From io9.com

Earlier in the year the big, fake Batman 3 casting rumor going around was that Philip Seymour Hoffman would play the Penguin in Nolan’s next caped crusader sequel. Hoffman himself debunked it, saying that not only wasn’t he involved, he wasn’t really interested in being involved. Since then we’ve moved on to far less appealing fake Batman 3 rumors, like Cher as Catwoman. Yet as the year draws to a close, somewhere out there Warner Bros and Nolan may actually at last be thinking about moving on to the next Batman. I think that makes it a good time to revisit Hoffman. – From Cinema Blend

American singer and actress Eartha Kitt has died at the age 81, a family friend has said. Kitt was said to have been suffering from colon cancer. She was one of the few artists to be nominated in the Tony, Grammy and Emmy award categories and was a stalwart of the Manhattan cabaret scene. She famously played Catwoman in the 1960s Batman television series and was known for her distinctive, feline drawl. – from BBC

On television, she was the sexy Catwoman on the popular “Batman” series in 1967-68, replacing Julie Newmar who originated the role. A guest appearance on an episode of “I Spy” brought Kitt an Emmy nomination in 1966. – from AP

Once described as ‘the most exciting woman in the world’ by Orson Wells, Kitt was one of America’s most versatile performers, winning two Emmys and getting a third nomination. She was also nominated for two Tony Awards and a Grammy. A talented singer with a distinctive voice, her hits included “Let’s Do It”, “C’est si bon”, “Just an Old Fashioned Girl” and her most famous hit, “Santa Baby”. Kitt was given her first starring role as Helen of Troy in Wells’s staging of Dr Faustus. In 1958 she made her feature film debut opposite Sidney Poitier in The Mark of the Hawk. In the 1960’s she played Catwoman in the television series Batman. – from TimesUk

Warner Bros. will re-release “The Dark Knight” on Jan. 23 in a nationwide launch, guaranteeing that it will become the fourth film to take in more than $1 billion in worldwide box office.
“Knight” has cumed $530.3 million domestically and $465.9 million internationally, leaving it less than $4 million short of the billion-dollar milestone. Only “Titanic,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” have topped that mark. “Knight” also is the second-highest domestic grosser of all time, trailing only “Titanic.”

- from Variety

The world’s most famous comic book hero has breathed his last Bat breath.
Bruce Wayne – who by night is Batman – gets murdered by a man claiming to be the father he thought was dead.

In a highly controversial new storyline Bruce, who first appeared in 1939, is killed by Simon Hurt – the leader of the shady Black Glove organisation.

Simon claims he is really Dr Thomas Wayne, saying he faked his own passing when Bruce was a child.

The superhero dies when he tries to stop his foe escaping by helicopter in the new comic Batman R.I.P.

Writer Grant Morrison said: “This is so much better than death. People have killed characters in the past but to me, that kind of ends the story!

“I like to keep the story twisting and turning. So what I am doing is a fate worse than death. Things that no one would expect to happen to these guys at all.

“This is the end of Bruce Wayne as Batman.”

- from Sun

“It’s great that it stirs up such passion,” he said.
“Nobody loves Bruce Wayne more than me, and I hope everybody understands that this is part of the great ongoing adventure of Batman.”
The caped crusader first appeared in comics in 1939, and has spawned a 1960s TV series and a host of films.
The “death” of Wayne’s father – shot alongside his mother by a robber when he was a boy – was the catalyst for the young industrialist to become the vigilante crime fighter Batman.

- from BBC

That’s the official word, Bruce Wayne is to be killed off in the latest Batman comic – Batman RIP, by Simon Hurt who claims to be Wayne’s father Dr Thomas Wayne.

Thomas Wayne was shot alongside Bruce’s mother by a robber when he was a you boy, this was the catalyst that drove Bruce Wayne to become the vigilante crime fighter Batman.

In the final scene of the comic, Hurt is trying to escape by helicopter after shooting Batman, but the wounded superhero throws himself at the helicopter causing it to crash.

This would seem to signal the end of Batman, but the story ends without showing Wayne’s body.

Scottish writer Grant Morrison said earlier this week: “This is the end of Bruce Wayne as Batman. But, like I say, it’s so much better than death.

“People have killed characters in the past but to me, that kind of ends the story. I like to keep the story twisting and turning.

“So what I am doing is a fate worse than death. Things that no-one would expect to happen to these guys at all.”

Morrison would not reveal who would be taking up the role of the new Batman but characters at the forefront are Tim Drake, who has been Robin since 1991, and Dick Grayson – the original Boy Wonder – who now protects Gotham City as Nightwing. – from Dish