Is The New Batman Film Cursed? Three Dark Events May Overshadow Box Office Records
I was in the car when word of Morgan Freeman's accident was announced on CNN. I literally held my breath as the reporter relayed the accident details, until she stated Freeman was in serious, but stable condition. Glosslip's own "k" has some more information about the Oscar winner's dangerous accident in Mississippi.
After the initial shock wore off, and I consoled myself that at least Morgan wasn't killed (I am a huge Morgan Freeman fan, so this really was upsetting news) it occurred to me this was the third major dark event to hit the stars of the film.
As we all know, the latest Batman film, The Dark Knight, which has made close to $400M in the three weeks since it opened, features an amazing performance by the late Heath Ledger who died this past January from an accidental prescription drug overdose. Ledger, haunted by his work in the film, had suffered from chronic insomnia and seemed to be medicating his way through a dark period sparked by his role as the homicidal Joker character. Ledger admitted in interviews that he had tapped into some very disturbing elements of his psyche to play such an intense role. The wake of his death left many unanswered questions and a grieving family to ponder what might have been for the talented star.
While many have been drawn to the film to watch what was Ledger's final completed project, another brooding character from the film, British actor Christian Bale resurrected his tortured role as Batman in this new film, only to have a decades old unresolved family feud boil over into his on-screen life. Bale, an intensely private star has made it clear to the press his private life is off-limits, this however, did not stop his estranged mother and sister from making a private altercation public when they filed assault charges. Anyone would question the timing of the events, which occurred on the eve of London premiere of the much anticipated film.
While details are sketchy, we do know the charge was serious enough to have resulted in Bale having to report to the London police to give a statement about the "assault" immediately following the premiere. Bale's mother, Jenny and older sister Sharon, allege Bale verbally and physically assaulted them, but according to most reports, the incident stemmed from Christian's mother and sister asking the star for $200K for his sister to use in "helping her raise her children". Things were said to have escalated when Bale's wife Sibi was insulted by his mother and sister, including a possible shove/push of some sort.
