Christian Bale is joining Johnny Depp in the upcoming Public Enemies. [Reuters] The movie is scheduled to open sometime in 2009 and is directed by Michael Mann, who wrote the screenplay based on Bryan Burrough’s book about 1930s gangsters John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd.

Bale is the hot actor these days. This year he’ll be appearing in The Dark Knight – one of this year’s hot movies – which is the sequel to Batman Begins. In 2009, he’s also in Killing Pablo and Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. Is there any role he can’t do?

Johnny Depp will be in several other movies in 2009: Shantaram and The Rum Diary. He’s also rumored to be in Sin City 2 and Sin City 3.