Christian Bale will star in "Harsh Times," a dark comedy that will mark David Ayer's directorial debut, Variety http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=upsell_article&articleID=VR1117914354&categoryID=13&cs=1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">reports. The film is about a man who returns home from Iraq and falls in with a sketchy old friend, despite his efforts to return to normal. The film will co-star Freddy Rodriguez and Eva Longoria, and will be shot in Los Angeles and Mexico starting at the end of January. Bale recently starred in "The Machinist," and has completed work on "Batman Begins" and "The New World."