Let’s Figure Out Which of Christian Bale’s Upcoming Projects Has the Most Potential

We're St. Louis Cardinals fans -- we don't want to talk about it! -- and all summer we've had to contend with questions about what's going to happen with Albert Pujols once he becomes a free agent at the end of the season. Adding to our anxiety is that after the season started, Pujols made a pledge that he wouldn't discuss any contract stuff with ownership or the media. So we've had to sit and wait and see, which provoked endless, meaningless debate in the press. 'Twas no fun.

In Hollywood, it appears that Christian Bale is the Pujols of film stars, declining to announce what he'll do after "The Dark Knight Rises" until they finish filming in November. His options are piling up.

Variety delivers a list of five possible movies for the Oscar-winning actor to pursue. Here they are in a nutshell, with our grade for each project's potential:

Option 1: "A Star Is Born" remake
This project still boggles our mind. Director Clint Eastwood working with Beyonce to make yet another version of the musical. At one point, Leonardo DiCaprio was rumored to be circling the role, but apparently that's not happening now. Bale's got experience with musicals, and he'd get a chance to work with Eastwood. But we saw Beyonce in "Dreamgirls": We think Bale could do better.
Grade: C+

Option 2: "Gold"
Produced by Paul Haggis and to be directed by Michael Mann, "Gold" is supposed to be a contemporary take on "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre." As he's shown in "The Fighter" and elsewhere, Bale has an ability at playing desperate, potentially unlikable characters. That's what "Gold" would offer, and Bale was terrific in Mann's "Public Enemies." This isn't a slam dunk, but it's definitely intriguing.
Grade: B

Option 3: "Oldboy" remake
Spike Lee will be helming the American remake of the acclaimed revenge thriller from South Korean director Park Chan-wook. Variety hears that Bale's up for the role of the bad guy, though, playing the man who torments our innocent hero by locking him away for years without explaining why. We like Lee, we like Bale, but we didn't love "Oldboy." However, we love the idea of Bale as the villain in this. This might really work -- and would be a fun change of pace after playing Batman.
Grade: B+

Option 4: "Out of the Furnace"
Like "Oldboy," "Out of the Furnace" is a revenge tale. Here's how The Wrap described the story: It's "about a man who, after being released from prison, wants to marry his girlfriend, but finds himself avenging his brother's murder." This will be directed by Scott Cooper, who wrote and directed "Crazy Heart," which is mostly known for Jeff Bridges' Oscar-winning performance. Cooper's got a way with actors -- everybody in "Crazy Heart" was great -- but he has yet to prove himself as much of a storyteller. "Out of the Furnace" feels like second-tier stuff.
Grade: B-

Option 5: "Noah"
This one's been discussed since June: Bale teaming up with director Darren Aronofsky for his epic tale of Noah and the building of the ark. There's no reason why this movie shouldn't happen. Well, one: budget. This is going to be a pricey endeavor, but we'd love to see it get made. And we'd love to see Bale in it.
Grade: A

Option 6: That Terrence Malick movie
A week ago, there were rumors that Bale had signed up for some secret project from the writer-director of "The Tree of Life." But there's no mention of it in the Variety article. Guess they were just rumors? Oh well.
Grade: N/A

So, there you have it. If you're reading this, Mr. Bale, we're hoping you go with "Noah." Oh, and if you happen to be friendly with Pujols, tell him to re-sign with the Cardinals. But none of that 10-year business. That's just ridiculous.

Bale weighing post-Batman projects [Variety]