Christian Bale Becomes Part of The New World Posted: Feb 01, 2005

New Line Cinema has signed Christian Bale, David Thewlis, Noah Taylor and Q'orianka Kilcher to co-star in director Terrence Malick’s upcoming epic The New World. They join previously announced Colin Farrell, Christopher Plummer, August Schellenberg and Wes Studi in the production.

The New World an action film set in the middle of the encounter of European and Native American cultures following the founding of the Jamestown settlement in 1607. Inspired by the legend of John Smith and Pocahontas, filmmaker Malick tries transforms this classic story into a sweeping exploration of love, loss and discovery that celebrates the birth pangs of America.

Bale will play English tobacco planter John Rolfe in the film, while Thewlis will play Smith’s rival Captain Wingfield, and Taylor portrays Selway, one of the initial English settlers. Kilcher will make her feature starring debut in the role of Pocahontas.

Bale recently landed the coveted role of Bruce Wayne/Batman in the upcoming Warner Bros. feature Batman Begins and can be seen starring in the upcoming thriller The Machinist which opens Oct. 15. He is also a veteran of such films as American Psycho, Shaft and Laurel Canyon.

English actor Thewlis has appeared in such films as Seven Years in Tibet, The Big Lebowski, and most recently in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. He can next be seen in the Ridley Scott-directed drama Kingdom of Heaven opposite Orlando Bloom and Liam Neeson.

Taylor has been seen in a number of recent movies including Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life and Vanilla Sky, as well as Almost Famous and Shine. He also recently appeared in the Wes Anderson-directed film The Life Aquatic.

Kilcher landed the role of Pocahontas after producers conducted an extensive eight-month search that involved thousands of actresses. The Indian actress is descended from the Huachipaeri and Quechua tribes of South America.

The New World is being produced by Sarah Green and executive produced by Bill Mechanic, Trish Hofmann, Rolf Mittweg and Mark Ordesky. The film also features director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki (Y Tu Mama Tambien, Sleepy Hollow), production designer Jack Fisk (Badlands, The Thin Red Line), and costume designer Jacqueline West (Quills).

The New World is scheduled for a November 2005 release.