It seems Christian Bale and director Scott Cooper have decided their careers will stay intertwined. In 2013 they first collaborated on Out of the Furnace, followed four years later by Hostiles. And now, with the same amount of time in-between, they’re together again for a film titled The Pale Blue Eye.
Deadline reports Bale will star in an adaptation of Louis Bayer’s historical mystery novel, The Pale Blue Eye, which Cooper will write and direct. The story follows the murder of a West Point academy cadet in 1830, and a retired detective brought in to solve the case, drawing the attention of young recruit Edgar Allan Poe.
“Even though Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston and died, delirious, in Baltimore, the majority of his life was spent in Virginia, my home state,” Cooper said. “So I grew up with his presence. He bequeathed us the detective genre, and he’s still such a presence in our culture, with every horror, mystery, and science fiction writer indebted to Poe.”
“This is my attempt at a large canvas whodunit, with a serial killer at its center. I want to make films that push me into a different, maybe uncomfortable space, but I am glad to have Christian go there with me. I’ve wanted to make this for over a decade and fortunately for me, Christian has perfectly aged into the lead character. He was far too young when I first thought of making this. Films are meant to happen at the right time. Christian is always in high demand, but to be able to make this with him will be such a joy for me.”
Next up for Cooper is the oft-delayed horror Antlers, while Bale plays villain Gorr the God Butcher in Marvel’s Thor: Love & Thunder.
