CHRISTIAN Bale will only make another Batman movie if his pal Chris Nolan directs it, it has been claimed.

According to reports, the British actor is poised to make a third Batman movie — but has told film bosses that without Nolan — who directed 2008’s Dark Knight – he won’t be putting on his cape and cowl again.

“A new Batman movie is set to go into production in 2010 but Chris is not on board yet,” reveals a Hollywood insider.

“Christian is due to return as the lead but he has made a point of saying without Chris they have no movie.

“Christian sees him as vital in projecting Batman in a way that’s something more than your average comic book movie. Christian may not even be Batman without Chris.”

Christian Bale has gotten super-skinny for his role in new movie The Fighter — and his friend and costar Mark Wahlberg is worried about the British actor’s health.

The 35-year-old has continued to starve himself after dropping more than 40 pounds.

“Christian IS a method actor,” a Hollywood insider told the National Enquirer.

“If a role calls for him to look like a drug dealer, or he has to play someone who hasn’t slept in a year, he’ll go without food to look the part.

“But the danger comes after he takes off all that weight, and then eats everything in sight to put it back on for the next role. That kind of yo-yo dieting can be deadly. Mark and Christian are friends, and Mark is concerned about him.”

“It’s crazy. Christian has been living on fruit and water. He’s emaciated,” the insider added.

“Besides eating practically nothing, he exercises a lot to keep the weight off.

“Mark feels Christian is taking the whole ‘in character’ thing too far. He’s afraid Christian is getting Karen Carpenter-thin, and he’s worried about his heart.

“He wants Christian to realize that acting is a job, and it’s not worth risking your health.”

Christian Bale thinks Hollywood’s action men have gone soft.

The tough-talking actor went through special firearms training in order to shoot like Thirties FBI agent Melvin Purvis in new movie Public Enemies, and was shocked at what he discovered.

“The stances, the handling of the weapons they had back then were all different,” explains Bale, who stars opposite Johnny Depp in the upcoming flick. “They still had this notion that a man does not require two hands to fire a handgun. It’s not manly.

“You did this sort of very old, almost fencing-style of hand on hip and pointing sideways with your gun, which you’re far less likely to hit your target than the modern-day styles of this.

“But at that time that was felt to be how a woman might fire a gun. No man was going to be seen to fire it in that fashion, despite it being way more accurate.”

Johnny Depp has heaped praise on his Public Enemies costar Christian Bale — because the actor is such a great dad.

The Pirates of The Caribbean star says he recognizes that Christian is a brilliant father and he hopes he matches up to his example.

“Every time we see one another, neither one of us is the most talkative guy in the world, so you always get to the sort of, ‘How’s the kiddies?’ line asking about the family and so on.

“He appears to me to be a great daddy which is anything and everything a man could want to be. I admire him a lot as a man, as a father and as an actor. He’s a good guy.”

Christian Bale is reportedly set to hang up his cape as Batman.

The actor s said to be “unlikely” to star in a third movie as the Caped Crusader after learning that close friend and director Chris Nolan may not be at the helm to complete the trilogy.

“Chris is in the mindset that he is unlikely to be able to top what was achieved with Dark Knight,” reveals a Hollywood insider. “He has a number of new projects he’s working on and Batman is not a priority for him right now.

“Christian is unlikely to want to do another one without Chris. He feels only he understands the dynamic of the character and so it could well be that there will have to be a new Batman and director if there is to be a third movie.”

Bale, 35, recently revealed that he doesn’t read tabloid tales about his life.

“The gossip doesn’t affect me, because I don’t know what things are being said, or what gossipy stuff is going on,” he said. “My life is much happier when I ignore that. As for other people, that’s their choice. If they want to embrace that, then they’re going to sacrifice enjoyment in the movies. I really believe that. But it’s their choice, if that’s what they love looking at. I don’t get it.”

Christian Bale didn’t have to get “too pumped” for his role in new movie Terminator Salvation.

The foul-mouthed actor felt that training to play John Conner in the action flick was a walk in the park compared to beefing up for his part in Batman.

“Working out for Terminator was not so intense,” says Bale. “Not nearly as intense as it was on Batman. As a human being you’re not having any fisticuff sessions with a Terminator so I didn’t have to get too pumped.

“So for me, it was mainly just weapons-handling and preparation for that but the physical challenge was not nearly as tough as I thought it was going to be.”

Bale, 35, recently revealed that he doesn’t read tabloid tales about his life.

“The gossip doesn’t affect me, because I don’t know what things are being said, or what gossipy stuff is going on,” he said. “My life is much happier when I ignore that. As for other people, that’s their choice. If they want to embrace that, then they’re going to sacrifice enjoyment in the movies. I really believe that. But it’s their choice, if that’s what they love looking at. I don’t get it.”

Christian Bale ignores tabloid speculation about his life — because it makes him much happier.

The Terminator Salvation star says he refuses to read anything that’s written about him — in case it makes him angry.

“The gossip doesn’t affect me, because I don’t know what things are being said, or what gossipy stuff is going on,” says Bale. “My life is much happier when I ignore that. As for other people, that’s their choice. If they want to embrace that, then they’re going to sacrifice enjoyment in the movies. I really believe that. But it’s their choice, if that’s what they love looking at. I don’t get it.”

Bale, 35, recently insisted that he doesn’t care about his reputation as a grumpy A-lister.

“People can label me whatever they want to label me,” he said. “That’s their prerogative.

“I’m like ‘Whatever. I don’t care. Call me an a-hole. I’m alright. That’s fine. If that’s what you think of me, then that’s your right to think that of me’.”

Christian Bale isn’t scared of doing his stunts.

The British star insists he has no problem leaping off buildings or putting himself in harms way for action-packed movie sequences because he has no fear.

“I don’t worry about stunts,” says Bale. “I’m sure there are things I have a fear of, but just not things like stunts and jumping off buildings. My fears are very different.”

Bale, 35, recently insisted that he doesn’t care about his reputation as a grumpy A-lister.

“People can label me whatever they want to label me,” he said. “That’s their prerogative.

“I’m like ‘Whatever. I don’t care. Call me an a-hole. I’m alright. That’s fine. If that’s what you think of me, then that’s your right to think that of me’.”

Christian Bale doesn’t care that he’s getting a reputation as a grumpy A-lister.

The actor — who recently hit the headlines over his foul-mouthed onset rant — insists people can call him whatever they want.

“People can label me whatever they want to label me,” he says. “That’s their prerogative.

“I’m like ‘Whatever. I don’t care. Call me an a-hole. I’m alright. That’s fine. If that’s what you think of me, then that’s your right to think that of me’.”

Bale, 35, recently revealed that he feels uneasy about photographic software which records exactly when and where each snap was taken.

“It feels very Big Brother,” he said. “Then there’s the whole security system thing where people have all the cameras set up in their homes.

“I’m convinced that there’s somebody watching and listening the entire time. You can press a button and speak with somebody and they can hear you. Oh yeah, like they’re not listening in an awful lot!”

Christian Bale is uncomfortable with technology.

The British actor — who plays freedom fighter John Connor in new movie Terminator Salvation — says he feels uneasy about photographic software which records exactly when and where each snap was taken.

“It feels very Big Brother,” Bale says. “Then there’s the whole security system thing where people have all the cameras set up in their homes.

“I’m convinced that there’s somebody watching and listening the entire time. You can press a button and speak with somebody and they can hear you. Oh yeah, like they’re not listening in an awful lot!”