Christian Bale Eyes Shaun Ryder Role in Dream Biopic

Christian Bale has a knack for making every character he plays feel like a real person. Whether he’s transforming into a gaunt insomniac, a slick investment whiz, or even a notorious serial killer, he brings a level of authenticity that’s hard to match. If you didn’t know better, you’d almost believe Bruce Wayne was just another bloke from down the road, thanks to Bale’s take on the caped crusader. He’s tackled all sorts of roles, from troubled boxers to political heavyweights, and always manages to pull it off with style.

Despite his impressive track record, there’s one real-life figure Bale has always been keen to portray, but he admits it’s probably not on the cards. Back in 2022, the Oscar winner shared his long-standing interest in playing Shaun Ryder, the frontman of Happy Mondays.

“He was always such an interesting figure,”

Bale said.

“I grew up loving the Happy Mondays, so yeah, it’d be a lot of fun to play.”

The catch? Bale reckons he’s a bit too old now to convincingly play Ryder during his heyday.

Shaun Ryder’s Wild Ride

Ryder’s story is tailor-made for the big screen. He started out as a working-class lad, picking up odd jobs on building sites before finding fame as the outspoken leader of one of the UK’s most talked-about bands in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. His journey wasn’t all smooth sailing—he battled heroin addiction before turning things around in the early 2000s. Along the way, he developed a fascination with UFOs and cycling, adding even more colour to his already eventful life.

What’s more, if you look at photos of Ryder from the early ‘90s, there’s a striking resemblance to Bale at a similar age. It’s a bit of a missed opportunity that a biopic set in that era is now out of reach for the actor. Still, the idea of Bale stepping into Ryder’s shoes is one that’s hard to shake.

A New Angle: UFOs and Reality TV

There might be another way for Bale to take on the role, though. In 2013, Ryder fronted a reality series called Shaun Ryder on UFOs, where he travelled the globe in search of proof that we’re not alone in the universe. This wasn’t just a bit of promo—Ryder’s been convinced about aliens ever since he reckons he saw a spaceship over Salford back in the ‘70s.

The show didn’t exactly set the world on fire. It never picked up any major awards and wasn’t renewed for another season. But more than a decade later, the idea of a fictionalised, behind-the-scenes film about Ryder’s UFO adventures, with Bale in the lead, feels ripe for the picking. It’s a fresh spin that could bring together music, pop culture, and a bit of the unexplained—all with Bale’s trademark commitment.