Christian Bale developing fur and hooves for live-action Bambi remake

Meticulous method actor Christian Bale is said to be developing a downy fur and hooves in order to give a truly authentic performance in the newly announced Bambi live-action remake.

He has been cast in the titular role and will eschew any CGI to enhance his performance, believing that the only way to truly interpret the character of Bambi is to literally become a deer for the duration of filming.

“The fur is reasonably easy,” explained the Oscar winner.

“I simply don’t shave and comb my hair in a deer like fashion. By straining quite hard I can force the hair on my body to grow a little longer and a little thicker.”

Developing hooves, however, was proving more problematic.

“Hooves are a bugger, to be honest,” laughed Bale.

“I’ve started with just my feet. I’ve glued the toes together and encased them in a sort of resin, which is giving the effect I want, but making it very difficult to find shoes that fit.

“I’m not looking forward to replacing my hands with hooves though – opening jam jars is going to be a nightmare, and I don’t even want to think about going to the toilet.”

Following his transformation into a deer, Bale will spend several weeks living in the forest with a rabbit in preparation for the role.

He is also hoping to have his mum shot by hunters, so he can truly understand the nature of Bambi’s character, but that is understood to still be under discussion.