Christian Bale has had to set the record straight after a scene in his new film The Bride! prompted an unexpected comparison to his 1992 musical Newsies, and his reaction was as shocking as you might expect.
During an interview with BuzzFeed ahead of the film’s release, a journalist pointed out that a particular moment in The Bride! reminded them of Bale’s early performance in the beloved Disney musical.
The 52-year-old was amused but quick to clarify.
“I would never have thought anybody would relate Newsies to The Bride! that’s hysterical,” he said.
“But wait, big difference. Newsies is a musical. This is not a musical.”
The scene in question involves movement, but Bale was keen to explain what is actually driving it.
“This is something where it’s just a ridiculously energetic expression, with possession,” he said.
“Which you’ll understand, when you watch the whole movie, but it ain’t no musical at all, you know?”
He described the sequence as “spontaneous” and noted it involved heavy footwear rather than anything resembling dance attire, a “spontaneous dance of protest that leads into serious protest as serious consequences,” as he put it.
As for any future musical ambitions, Bale was pretty definitive.
“I don’t think I’ll ever step foot in a musical again in my life,” he admitted, before hedging just slightly, “Of course, never say never, but almost never say never on this one.”
