The Dark Knight Rises casting seems to be going fairly smoothly so far, possibly because director Christopher Nolan seems to be using his film Inception as an audition. A new report from The Hollywood Reporter claims that French actress Marion Cotillard–the actress who played Malorie Cobb in Inception–is in negotiations to join the cast of The Dark Knight Rises.
According to the report, an offer has officially been made and negotiations have begun. That does not mean that it is a done deal, and scheduling may also be a concern. Early rumors pegged Cotillard (Inception, Nine) as a front runner for the role of Selina Kyle/Catwoman, but those same reports said that she was unable to accept due to scheduling concerns. The role eventually went to Anne Hathaway. If those rumors were true (and when it comes to The Dark Knight Rises casting, all rumors are to be taken with a grain of salt) the scheduling may be less of an issue for Cotillard if the role were smaller than that of Selina Kyle.
If Cotillard and the film’s producers can reach an agreement, the actress will rejoin fellow Inception cast members Tom Hardy and the recently cast Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Cillian Murphy may also have a cameo as Scarecrow, as he did in The Dark Knight, and Michael Caine is set to reprise his role as Alfred.
The report suggests that the role Cotillard is up for may be that of Talia al Ghul. In the comics, Talia, daughter of Ra’s al Ghul (played by Liam Neeson in Batman Begins), is a former lover to Bruce Wayne and mother of Wayne’s son Damian, the current Robin. She is also a frequent antagonist to Batman despite her feelings for him, and is member of the Secret Society of Super-villains. The character was also mentioned in passing in the novelization of Batman Begins.
So while the offer to Cotillard appears to be real, the role she will play, and her acceptance of the role, are both still unconfirmed.
