The last 12 hours as of this post saw new developments push forward with Matt Reeves slated to direct The Batman for its June 25, 2021 release from Warner Bros. Pictures.
The Wrap confirmed Andy Serkis’ likely addition as the newest Alfred Pennyworth to the fray along with Colin Farrell who now circles that of The Penguin, according to Deadline. The two join Robert Pattinson who is currently training for the title role with Jeffrey Wright (Hold The Dark, 007 franchise) staking his claim as Comissioner Gordon, Zoë Kravitz (Mad Max: Fury Road) lacing up as Catwoman, and Paul Dano (Okja) testing our hero’s intellectual dexterity as The Riddler.
Serkis, who is expected to helm a sequel to last year’s Venom, will be one of nearly a dozen actors to play the character in live-action form – the most recent protrayals being seen from actor Jack Bannon in EPIX series, Pennyworth, Sean Pertwee in Fox series, Gotham, Michael Caine in the fondly-named Nolan/Batman trilogy, Jeremy Irons under Zack Snyder’s stewardship, and Douglas Hodge in Todd Phillips’ own non-sequitur DC adaptation, Joker.
Farrell’s casting would succeed the likes of late actor Burgess Meredith who played the role in the 1960s televized Batman series, as well as Gotham’s own Robin Lord Taylor, and actor Danny DeVito from Tim Burton’s Batman Returns. Cameras are expected to roll in January in the U.K..
Reeves, who will produce, and is penning the script with Mattson Tomlin, bills the film as a defining story about the legendary caped crusader rather than an origin film. This basically falls in line with the studio’s aim to give director’s more room in telling authentic, broader stories without the necessity of coagulating a string of superhero films to form a cinematic universe – something the studio all but fell entirely short of succeeding at in the wake of Marvel’s Infinity Saga from Disney; It’s a strategy that seems to be working as well, signaled by a mix of praise from critics and minutes-long standing ovations at festivals for the pot-stirring vision seen in Phillips’ Joker, which grossed upwards of $804.4 million and counting, beating Deadpool as the highest grossing R-rated film of all time worldwide.
Dylan Clark is also producing The Batman with Michael E. Uslan exec producing.