25 MARCH 2004
The dark alleys and grimy pavements of Gotham City will soon be taking on a distinctly British feel, with a roll-call of English stars signing up to appear in the new Batman movie.

Renowned character actor Tom Wilkinson, who received an Oscar nomination for his role in In The Bedroom, is the latest English thesp to join Batman Begins.

Welsh star Christian Bale, who made his mark in movies like American Psycho and Empire Of The Sun, will take on the title role, while the inimitable Michael Caine appears as his butler Albert. Belfast-born Liam Neeson is to play Bruce Wayne's mentor Henri Ducard and Gary Oldman will be doing his best to lay down the law in the role of Lieutenant Gordon.

Fans of the "Dark Knight" can also look forward to seeing Japanese star Ken Watanabe, who you'll remember from The Last Samurai, as our hero's arch nemesis Ra's Al Ghul. And Irish hunk Cillian Murphy, from 28 Days Later, will be showing his fearsome side as The Scarecrow. American acting talent hasn't been completely left out, however. Morgan Freeman and Katie Holmes have come on board too.