Heath Ledger to Play Joker in Next 'Batman'
Aug 1, 2:56 PM EST
The Associated Press
Heath Ledger will play The Joker in the sequel to last year's "Batman Begins," Warner Bros. studio announced. "The Dark Knight" is set to begin production next year.
Christian Bale again will play Batman. Christopher Nolan will repeat as director.
Ledger was nominated for a best-actor Oscar for his role as an anguished gay ranch hand in last year's "Brokeback Mountain."
"Our challenge in casting The Joker was to find an actor who is not just extraordinarily talented but fearless," Nolan said in the Warner Bros. statement issued Monday. "Watching Heath Ledger's interpretation of this iconic character taking on Christian Bale's Batman is going to be incredible."