Christian Bale to play POW

The 'Batman Begins' star will take the lead role in 'Rescue Dawn' for director Werner Herzog.

Jul 21 2005

Fresh from the critical and commercial success of 'Batman Begins', Christian Bale has signed up to star in 'Rescue Dawn', an action-adventure about a Vietnam prisoner of war.

The long-gestating project will be directed by Werner Herzog ('Fitzcarraldo', 'Woyzeck') and is to be based on his 1997 documentary 'Little Dieter Needs to Fly'.

Both films recount the true story of Dieter Dengler, a German-born youngster who moved to America to fulfil his dream of becoming a fighter pilot.

Once there, he signed up for the Vietnam War before being shot down, captured and held as a POW.

He then fashioned his own escape with a group of fellow prisoners.

Bale will play Dengler, while Stephen Zahn ('Sahara', 'Out of Sight') has been cast as one of the other inmates.

Shooting is due to start in Thailand in August.

Before then, Bale will be seen in director Terence Malick's epic drama 'The New World', while Zahn is starring in action-comedy 'Bandidas' opposite Selma Hayek and Penelope Cruz.

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