Before stepping back into Alfred’s shiny shoes, Michael Caine will play a couple more mentor figures.

Comingsoon.net reports that Caine will reunite with his Batman Begins director and co-star Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale in The Prestige. In addition, he has also signed on to Alfonso Cuaron’s The Children of Men.

In Nolan’s The Prestige, Bale and Hugh Jackman are rival magicians in early 20th century London who resort to murder in their bitter battle for trade secrets. Caine will play a former magician who teaches Jackman the tricks of the trade, because apparently Wolverine needs the help and Batman doesn’t.

The movie will begin shooting in January with a budget in the $40 million range. Before going to work on The Prestige, Caine will shoot The Children of Men in London. Cuaron’s sci-fi thriller stars Clive Owen as the protector of the only pregnant woman on the planet (Julianne Moore). Caine plays an old hippie. Yes, apparently in the same movie. I was just guessing about the mentor-figure thing. Oh well.

The 72-year-old Caine, the proud owner of a pair of Oscars, is currently onscreen in The Weather Man opposite Nicolas Cage.

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