CinemaCon is the place to be for the latest developments and announcements on some of the biggest titles to make the news rounds. As of a short while ago, that finally includes confirmation of a sequel to Matt Reeves’ hit adaptation of The Batman, with Reeves returning to direct leading man Robert Pattinson back in the cape and cowl.
Set to resume production in the U.K. next month following a six-month hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Matt Reeves’s efforts to reawaken the fandom in The Batman look nothing short of pleasing in the first teaser.
HBO Max is readying yet another addition to the collection of spin-off shows in the Batman franchise. It doesn’t have a title yet, but Friday’s announcement from the streamer describes it as “an original DC drama set in the Gotham City police department”, set in the same universe as the upcoming film, The Batman, from director Matt Reeves.
Production on The Batman has so far seen director Matt Reeves flick little crumbs of goodies from the set of his new DC Comics-inspired flick. We have a camera test teasing the costume, as well as shots of actor Robert Pattinson on the snowy set with what looks to be the Batcycle, and now Reeves is touting his own presentation of the Batmobile, which looks like a steady and slick hybrid between the Lincoln-Futura and the other darker, grittier all-black models.
Matt Reeves took to social media to unveil a peek at the new logo for The Batman, now filming in London with actor Robert Pattinson staking his claim in DC Comics territory.
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.
Production on The Batman lands its start date for January 2020 from Warner Bros. for a June 2021 deadline, and the trades are all confirming the finalized deal for the role of Catwoman for actress Zoe Kravitz (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Divergent Series, Kin). Matt Reeves is directing the hotly-anticipated DC adaptation which will star Robert Pattinson in the title role from a script by Reeves, and Mattson Tomlin. Reeves produces with Dylan Clark, and with Michael Uslan executive producing. (DEADLINE)
(l) Gage Skidmore, (r) Harald Krichel
Wikimedia Commons
UPDATE (May 31, 2019): Variety officially confirms Robert Pattinson will star in The Batman in 2021.
Ben Affleck is still, albeit tentatively, set to star in War For The Planet Of The Apes helmer Matt Reeves’s currently developing trilogy starter, The Batman, as Warner Bros. continues plotting ahead with its expected production slate, including the forthcoming production of New Line Cinema’s Shazam. That being said, the future of Warner Bros. and its DC adaptations regarding all things Batman after this November’s release of Justice League is reportedly an unclear one.
As THR writes, Reeves and the studio both hope to keep the 45 year-old actor in the cape and cowl for as long as they can. However, it appears the studio is also working out its endgame for Affleck as production on The Batman approaches considering factors such as his age and physical upkeep. Warner Bros. is minding the issue from several angles like the importance for having younger stars much like the transition of Tom Holland this Summer in Spider-Man: Homecoming, for which its director is also in talks to return to helm.
The studio is now researching the source material to try and apply a respectable departure of Affleck from the role, sifting through several story arcs, one of which includes “Batman Beyond” for which its 1999 animated series centers on troubled teen Terry McGinnis and his transition to a futuristic iteration of the crimefighter with an aged Bruce Wayne guiding him. The report suggests fans won’t go for a Bruce Wayne-less Batman movie but I’m on social media a lot and anyone who has ever seen the Beyond costume in some conceptualized fashion has always ever expressed approval of seeing it in a film of some kind, so, I call BS.
With last year’s performance in the double-billed Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice, Affleck is the seventh actor to don the costume in some capacity since the 1966 debut of Adam West who passed away on June 9 this year at the age of 88. Reeves is currently working on a new script replacing Affleck’s own draft entirely.
The studio previously announced development of projects such as a Suicide Squad sequel in addition to Gotham City Sirens, Nightwing and Batgirl movies.
— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) February 24, 2017
I hate rumors. Rumors are bullshit and don’t offer anything productive if I’m being frank.
What’s even more annoying is when rumors gain traction for weeks and specifically with regard to actor Ben Affleck’s casting for the lead role in the forthcoming DCU follow-up, The Batman. I’m not going to go into detail about how this whole talk of him leaving the role altogether came to fruition, but it is a thing that has existed for sometime now, and what sucks the most about this is that Affleck redeemed himself as a viable superhero screen presence donning the iconic cape and cowl in Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice and Suicide Squad.
That being said, what gets under my skin is the fact that people bitched, moaned and complained, and even sent death threats to the actor in the wake of his casting for Snyder’s film due to all the wailing and brouhaha over his performance in Mark Steven Johnson’s Daredevil. People are assholes and some were still cracking jokes at Affleck despite the fact he literally impressed the hell out of most fans who saw his key potrayal last Spring alongside Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman and Henry Cavill as Superman.
The Playlist does present a good point about the prospect of Affleck leaving: It would be a franchise killer. Personally I get frustrated when a face gets changed for a character and I’m still not over the the Holmes/Gyllenhaal switcheroo for the Rachel role as seen in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, respectively. That being said, it also bares wondering how many more people are being considered for the role if Affleck does leave?
(…Cue the ticking clock before the internet choir of Boyka fans begins its next chapter in helping Scott Adkins get the part)
This is why I don’t follow comic book news to the T. It’s a headache, and with War For The Planet Of The Apes helmer Matt Reeves being eyed to direct after Affleck’s leave from the chair, I really hope this nonsense gets settled before I completely lose my wits. And I need my wits! I’m 34 and I have a bald spot!
Hey WB, Ben, solve this!
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