Christian Bale to Star in Revenge Drama 'Out of the Furnace' (Exclusive)

Getty Images

Christian Bale

Out of the Furnace is being reignited.

our editor recommends

Christian Bale, Colin Firth and Natalie Portman to Present at Oscars

Christian Bale's Bizarre 'American Psycho' Whitney Houston Tribute Revived Online

Berlin 2012: Christian Bale Won't Compare 'Dark Knight' To 'The Flowers Of War'

'Flowers of War' Director Zhang Yimou Reveals Steven Spielberg's Role in Casting Christian Bale

Christian Bale is in talks to star in the revenge drama project, which was once known as The Low Dweller and is being directed by Crazy Heart helmer Scott Cooper. Relativity is behind the project.

Furnace was a hot spec by Brad Ingelsby when it hit the town in 2008. It centers on a man released after serving four years in prison. His hopes for a peaceful homecoming are thwarted when his younger brother is brutally murdered and he sets out for revenge.

PHOTOS: The Christian Bale Directors Posse: 6 Auteurs Won Over By the Actor

The project immediately attracted top directors such as Rupert Sanders and Ridley Scott as well as such actors as Mark Wahlberg. (Scott is now a producer on Furnace, via his banner Scott Free. Appian Way, the company run by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran, also is producing. Brooklyn Weaver of Energy Entertainment is exec producing.)

The project almost came together with Bale and Sanders last year, but Bale dropped out because of scheduling reasons.

The intent is for Robert Duvall, who appeared in Cooper’s Crazy Heart, to join the Furnace case, though no deals have been made.

The plan now is for Bale, repped by WME and Bloom Hergott, to tackle the movie in the spring before moving on to his media commitments for summer sure-thing blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises and shooting Terrence Malick's drama Knight of Cups.

Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com

Twitter: @Borys_Kit