Bale Attached to ‘Prisoners’ with Wahlberg

Posted by Dr. Cole Abaius (cole.abaius@filmschoolrejects.com) on April 4, 2009

We don’t often have stories like this, but it’s stuff like this that shines a light on the Hollywood process a bit more than other. Unfortunately, it’ also stories like this that don’t come with a lot of details because the process is a fragile one.

According to The Hollywood Reporter’s Risky Busines Blog, Christian Bale has taken so much of an interest in a spec script by newcomer Aaron Guzikowski entitled Prisoners, that he’s now attached to the project alongside Mark Wahlberg.

Bryan Singer is attached to direct.

The story of a desperate man trying to find his kidnapped daughter, fighting resistance from law enforcement, seeking a very real revenge against his daughter’s captors is currently not in development – but with Bale’s inclusion, the package deal just got a lot sweeter. Of course, the flipside of that sweetness is the need to find a financier that won’t grimace at the salary requirements from the major stars.

The script is obviously strong enough to attract some of the top talent working in the business today. For Bryan Singer, it would be a return to intimate filmmaking, and for Bale and Wahlberg it would be yet another foray into stark drama.

Regardless, it’s very cool to see a first-timer get some heavy names attached to a quality script. We’ll try to keep an eye out to see who might want to bankroll this project. Madhouse Entertainment will be producing the flick, so if you work for a studio or have your own private bank account worth millions, feel free to give them a call.

What do you think? Quality project for the crew?

Read more articles by Dr. Cole Abaius