Fanboy Bites: 'Terminator 4,' 'The Dark Knight' and 'The Hobbit'

Some rumors do and some rumors don't ...

Well, it's totally official: Christian Bale is currently in negotiations to star in Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins (aka Terminator 4). The Hollywood Reporter tells us today that Bale is still talking, but he'll most likely join the project (as previously rumored) as its star, under the direction of McG. At this point, I think we're all wondering the same thing: How the f*ck did we get from James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger to McG and Christian Bale? I do not know, however the casting of Bale is definitely a step in the right direction. While THR doesn't come right out and say it, chances are Bale will play a thirty-something John Connor as he begins to wage a long, hard-fought war against a rising army of machines. No word on whether Bale will sign on for more than one film, as the Halycon Company (who picked up rights to the franchise earlier this year) have stated that they're interested in making at least three new Terminator flicks.

And while we're on the subject of Christian Bale, AICN managed to get their hands on a slew of promotional photos for this summer's The Dark Knight (see two above) -- most of which show Heath Legder as the Joker in a number of maniacal poses, with only one photo dedicated to Batman himself. We're not sure what these photos are for (perhaps magazine covers, reveals on the viral sites, etc ...), but I certainly like the way the Joker has come out. All that's left for us know is to see Ledger in action -- I want to see dialogue, I want to see it all. Rumor has it a new Dark Knight trailer (or footage of some kind) will play before IMAX screenings of I Am Legend this month, so I imagine the same footage will also arrive online (either that or a trailer) around the same time. The Dark Knight arrives in theaters this July 18. NOTE: Pics have come down at the request of the studio

Finally, that giant Hobbit rumor from the other day has been debunked. On Friday, a site called Marketsaw came out with the rumor that Peter Jackson was indeed going to direct The Hobbit, split it into two parts, with both arriving in 3D. AICN claims to have spoken with people over at the Peter Jackson camp, and they said it's not true. Things between Jackson and New Line are still not settled, even though the director is interested in 3D -- this Hobbit thing won't be happening anytime soon. They also say that Jackson, who's hard at work on The Lovely Bones, will go from that film to Tintin, which he is co-directing alongside Steven Spielberg. Will The Hobbit happen eventually? Probably. But not now and not with Jackson.