10 Movies You Won't Believe Were Released 1 Year Apart
One year can make all the difference in Hollywood.
A lot can happen in a year when it comes to filmmaking. Productions come and go and there's no rest in between as writers and producers start pitching for their next project and actors/actresses move on to the next acting job which can be entirely different to the one they've just finished.
With each new production comes a new demand for the crew. For example, actors go through a lot of effort to change not only the way they look, but also the way they behave for each new role. Take into account the fact that many actors work on multiple roles at once, and it's impressive to see the changes that they undergo when they believe a role is worth it, yet those changes can leave lasting effects on their body and on their psyche.
Directors and writers can also vastly improve in a year, taking their careers from independent nobodies to celebrated creators with high demand. Some of them even change their entire brand to accomodate their new found fame.
Looking back, these annual transformations are shocking to behold when placed side by side, and they can completely change the way you see certain beloved actors or productions.
10. The Machinist And Batman Begins
The height of actor Christian Bale’s career came when he starred in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy as the titular caped crusader. Despite starring in many celebrated films before then, such as American Psycho, Little Women and Equilibrium, Bale had finally become a household name with his role as DC’s most popular superhero.
The most iconic elements of Bale’s portrayal of Batman is the gruff voice, which quickly became a meme, and Bale’s very impressive physique. However, the strange truth is that this physique was achieved despite looking skeletal the year before.
In 2004, Bale starred as the lead role in psychological thriller The Machinist where he played a man with fatal insomnia who hadn’t slept for over a year. In order to physically show the exhaustion of his character, Bale followed a dangerously low diet and lost 60 pounds for the role, leaving him horrifically emaciated. It's reported that Bale wanted to lose more weight but was stopped by the producers.
In order to bulk up for Batman Begins, Bale watched movies and ate pizza to pack on the pounds so that Batman can have a good physique. The fact that this was achieved in a year is nothing short of amazing.