As you saw in the underwhelming teaser trailer for The Dark Knight Rises, it wasn't Christian Bale, Tom Hardy or Anne Hathaway who got a majority of the 90-second screen time -- it was Gary Oldman. (And the disembodied voice of Liam Neeson.) Oldman's wheezing and battered-looking Commissioner Gordon told an off-screen Batman about "evil" and all the other mumbo-jumbo that old wheezing men in hospital beds go on about, and basically stole the show. The renowned character actor is also front-and-center on the U.K. poster for Tinker Tailor Solider Spy, with a headshot usually reserved for A-listers like Will Smith or Russell Crowe. Which raises the question: Is Gary Oldman having a moment?
Hopefully! Earlier this year -- when the forgettable Red Riding Hood with Oldman in a supporting role was released -- Movieline bemoaned the fact that the chameleonic actor hasn't really had the chance to be a leading man since Romeo Is Bleeding in 1993. While Oldman's certainly not the lead in The Dark Knight Rises, he is the marketing centerpiece at the moment -- despite some pockets of confusion -- just as he is for the Tomas Alfredson-directed Cold War thriller. After all, Oldman not only gets the poster for Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy to himself, he's listed above both the title and heavy-hitters Colin Firth and Tom Hardy.
Check out the poster below, and cross your fingers that the next calendar year belongs to Gary Oldman, sans Mickey Mouse bullshit.
[via Empire Online]