Purrr-fect! Anne Hathaway Lands Dark Knight Rises Role

Looks like Batman's getting a feline foe.

Warner Bros. announced Wednesday that Anne Hathaway will play Selina Kyle, Catwoman's alter ego, in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises.

Talk about catnip for the fans.

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story," the director said.

As Kyle, the Love and Other Drugs actress will undoubtedly reinvigorate Bruce Wayne's love life after the loss of childhood love Rachel Dawes, played in Batman Begins by Katie Holmes and Maggie Gyllenhaal in The Dark Knight.

Hathaway reportedly beat out a slew of other A-listers, including Jessica Biel and Keira Knightley, for the part, and the announcement comes on the heels of news that she'd signed on for a cameo on Fox's Glee as the lesbian aunt of Kurt (Chris Colfer).

But that's not the only bombshell Nolan dropped. The helmer also confirmed that Tom Hardy (Inception), previously reported to have come aboard the highly anticipated sequel for an unidentified role, will play Bane, the most physically powerful comic book baddie ever to square off against the Caped Crusader, who will once again be portrayed by Christian Bale.

Case in point: in the Knightfall arc, after a violent encounter with Bane, Batman suffers a broken back, leaving him a paraplegic. He's also one of the few criminal masterminds worthy of the Nolan treatment, given his expertise in martial arts, high intellect and background in escapology.

"I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman's most formidable enemies," added the filmmaker.

Nolan, of course, first worked with Hardy in last summer's smash hit, and the latter has since comfortably ensconced himself in Nolan's company of actors.

The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters on July 20, 2012.

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b221...ands_dark.html