The Dark Knight will rise against Catwoman and Bane

Hollywood beauty Anne Hathaway has won the role of Selina Kyle aka Catwoman in the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Bros has confirmed. Christopher Nolan will direct the final part of the Batman trilogy and has stated, "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story."

The comics depicted Catwoman as a frisky, high-class cat burglar who forms a complex love/hate relationship with the caped crusader. Screen tests for the role took place last week with the likes of Hathaway, Keira Knightley, Kate Mara and Jessica Biel all competing for the role once played by Michelle Pfeiffer in 1992’s Batman Returns.

It’s also been confirmed that Brit actor Tom Hardy will play the role of the muscular super-steroidal freak, Bane. In the comics Bane famously broke Batman’s back forcing the playboy to relinquish the mantle of the bat. The Inception star (30) has been attached to the project since Christmas and was linked to a variety of different roles.

Christopher Nolan (40) declared, "I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies." The British director will be continuing a trend of bringing multiple villains to his previous Batman films with the likes of The Joker and Two-Face in The Dark Knight.

Cast members from the previous Batman outing such as Sir Michael Caine and Gary Oldman will return for the final part of Nolan’s trilogy. Filming is slated to commence in April with a Summer release in 2012.

Perhaps if Nolan had committed for a fourth or fifth movie, matters might have been different. Selina Kyle (Catwoman) could have been introduced in Batman 3 and allowed to transform into her alter ego in a future film. But, despite the fact that only the name Selina Kyle (not Catwoman) is mentioned in Warner Bros' press release, that seems unlikely now, such will be the clamour to see the character on screen.

But you can’t help but think Nolan could have his work cut out with having multiple villains in his final Batman film. Taking into account we last saw the caped crusader running from the police and no doubt we will continue to see him on the run from the mob and the law. But introducing two new villains for The Dark Knight Rises could prove tasking to introduce the audiences with back-stories, it could all become a risky shoot for the Brit director. Having said that we are talking about one of the most talented and successful moviemakers working today, so if anyone was going to take on this challenge Christopher Nolan is your man.

Written By Michael Cunneen