Off to the East

Christian Bale is going on a little cinematic trip before The Dark Knight Rises.

The actor, who’s currently at the center of Best Supporting Actor Oscar chatter for his buzzed-about turn in The Fighter, is set to star in Zhang Yimou’s upcoming Nanjing Heroes.

Bale will play a sympathetic American priest during the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, when invading Japanese troops slaughtered thousands of Chinese citizens.

The Chinese director is looking to start shooting next month. The project will be 40 percent English, and the rest in Mandarin.

Photo: GQ.com.