• The Hollywood Reporter, Wednesday, July 23, 2008 10:30 AM

When "The Dark Knight" star Christian Bale was arrested Tuesday on allegations he assaulted his mother and sister, Warner Bros. execs scrambled to assess the impact on the movie's marketing efforts.

Bale's arrest coincides with a major ad campaign for the film and for Burger King, which urges consumers to give in to their "dark side." In one ad, a young man refuses to give up his seat to an old lady carrying heavy bags.

Bale canceled a London promotional press session slated for Tuesday, but is expected to be ready for interviews in Barcelona on Wednesday and a swing through Tokyo after that. The actor is charged with assaulting his relatives at his London hotel Sunday evening, but police did not question him until Tuesday so as not to interfere with Monday's European premiere of the movie, which Bale attended.

Read the whole story at The Hollywood Reporter »