It may have been to the dismay of Batman fans everywhere when it was announced a couple of months ago that Christopher Nolan's next project won't be Batman 3, but rather a sci-fi "mind thriller" called Inception. Not much is known about the plot of the movie other than the description that it's "a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind," but the casting sure has geared up over the last while.

Leonardo DiCaprio was first to be cast in the film, playing the lead, and Cillian Murphy (who worked with Nolan previously on Batman Begins and briefly in The Dark Knight), Ellen Page and Marion Cotillard were also announced to star. On top of that, there was also word that Sir Michael Caine (*bow*) might be coming on-board, too. And today we have another talented actor joining the cast in the form of Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

James Franco (Spider-Man,Pineapple Express) reportedly was supposed to play the role in the film, but due to scheduling conflicts he dropped out. Levitt will now play the role which is described as a CEO type who is an associate of DiCaprio's character. The film will start shooting this summer but that doesn't mean we won't be seeing Levitt during that time - he will grace our movie screens in a couple movies this summer: the aptly titled 500 Days of Summer, a Sundance indie comedy hit, and of course he will be seen as Cobra Commander in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

It's hard to know just what to make of Inception, not least because its story has been shrouded in almost complete secrecy ever since it was announced. Apart from a one-sentence description of it being some sort of "mind thriller," we really don't know how it's going to turn out, what it's going to be about or if it's reminiscent of any of Nolan's other work. That may be a good thing: keeping its plot an almost complete secret may be a genius marketing move - a lot of people may just go to see it just to see what the hell it's all about (and because of who's in it).

I very much look forward to whatever Mr Nolan, one of the most talented filmmakers of our time, has in store for us with Inception. He has yet to let me down - I can honestly and wholeheartedly say I really like every single one of his movies. If I had to pick a handful of director's who are going to be around for a very long time, solidifying themselves into movie history as the likes of Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick have, Nolan would certainly be amongst that small group.

That cast doesn't exactly hurt either. DiCaprio, Page, Murphy, possibly Caine, and now Levitt?... It seems that Nolan really believes in this piece of original work he has both written and directing, and he wants genuine talent to portray characters he has envisioned from scratch.

I just wonder if this secrecy that shrouds this project will be kept up, or if we'll get flooded with details when it gets nearer the time of release. I really hope for the former...

What do you think of the casting so far for this movie? Do you think they should keep the plot as secret as possible or give out as much details about it as they can?

Inception is hoped to start shooting this summer and is scheduled for a release sometime in 2010.

Source: THR