Batman 3

With “The Dark Knight” collect million bucks in the States and overseas, Warner Bros is already trying to figure out how much money it’ll take to get Nolan back in the director’s chair for a third outing. Nolan probably secured as director, the interesting question turns to the casting: Bale will be back as Batman, but who will villains? The names that have been floating around the Internet for the last week and change has Johnny Depp as the Riddler, Angelina Jolie as Catwoman, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin.

So let’s look at where all the “Batman Begins 3″ casting rumors are coming from.

The Angelina Jolie as Catwoman rumor seems to have sprung from one source: Julie Newmar, who played Catwoman on the Batman TV show, via NYDailyNews:

Julie Newmar, Hollywood’s most iconic “Catwoman,” thinks Angelina Jolie is the right choice to slip into her skintight costume - once the steamy actress is back in fighting form.

“Angelina would own the part,” said Newmar.

“My industry friends tell me [she] has made inquiries about the role,” added the 74-year-old actress, who played Catwoman in the original “Batman” TV series starring Adam West.

“I can understand how it would pique her interest. Catwoman is Batman’s one true love,” noted Newmar. “She’s tremendously popular with women because she’s both a heroine and a villainess.

“When you look at the staggering box office of this current film, which actress wouldn’t want to jump in?”

Up next, the Johnny Depp as Riddler rumor. Another major casting coup, but I have the same problems with it as I do the Jolie as Catwoman rumor — Depp is too big of a name, and his casting may overshadow the story. And we all saw what happened when Jim Carrey was thrusting his package at us the last time he was in the Bat universe.

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