As ‘The Batman’ continues to do decent numbers at the box office ($134 million domestically, and more than $258 million worldwide) attention is naturally still on this latest live-action incarnation of the Caped Crusader, which stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne.
And that attention includes the planned TV spin-offs that were announced even before the movie itself came out. Now, according to director Matt Reeves, at least one of the shows is evolving into something new.
Originally planned to focus on corruption at the heart of the Gotham Police Department, the show initially had ‘Boardwalk Empire’ boss Terrence Winter as head writer and showrunner. The narrative focus would have been on Batman’s first year as a vigilante (though without really featuring the character in any major fashion) as his presence starts to send waves through the city’s criminal underworld. And the main character was planned as a crooked cop, which made it sound a little like ‘The Shield’.
Yet after some creative differences, Winter left the series, to be replaced by ‘Giri/Haji’ writer Joe Barton in January. Back then it was still described as featuring the police. Now, though there, is a big change afoot, at least according to Reeves.
Talking on the Happy/Sad/Confused podcast, the director/producer explained the change. “One thing that we’re not doing that I was gonna do… So, there’s the Gotham police show, which, that one actually is put on hold. We’re not really doing that,” he told host Josh Horowitz.
So, what form might it take now? Reeves shared that in a separate interview, this one with The Cyber Nerds YouTube channel. “That story has kinda evolved,” explained Reeves. “We’ve actually now [moved] more into the realm of exactly what would happen in the world of Arkham as it relates coming off of our movie, and some of the characters … almost leaning into the idea of … it’s like a horror movie or a haunted house that is Arkham.”
“The idea, again the way that Gotham is a character in the movie, I really want Arkham to exist as a character,” he continues. “You go into this environment and encounter these characters in a way that feels really fresh. And so, in our work on Gotham, that story started to evolve, and it started feeling like, ‘Wait, we should really lean into this.’ And then that’s kinda where that’s gone.”
There has also been talk that Reeves and the HBO Max team were also wanting to shift the focus to a recognizable character instead of a completely original one. Who that might be is anyone’s guess, though Arkham is usually full of Batman’s opponents.
The changing series is just one of the spin-offs in the works – the other is focused on The Penguin’s rise to power. The criminal character played Colin Farrell in ‘The Batman’ will be at the center of a series that has been compared to ‘Scarface’ in tone. If you’ve seen the movie, you know the character isn’t quite in as powerful a position as he is in other versions of the Batman story, so there’s plenty of material to mine here.
Farrell is reportedly attached to reprise the character, and will be an executive producer on the show, which comes from Reeves and producing partner Dylan Clark. ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ veteran Lauren LeFranc is in board to run the show itself assuming it makes it out of development.
The result is a dark and brutal version of the character that perfectly captures many important elements of the mythos that have been missing from previous cinematic outings, but also fails to inject any of the humor and fun usually associated with popcorn superhero movies.
The film begins on Halloween, as Gotham Mayor Don Mitchell Jr. (Rupert Penry-Jones) is brutally murdered by a serial killer known as the Riddler (Dano). Billionaire Bruce Wayne (Pattinson) has been moonlighting as the vigilante Batman for two years, and works closely with lieutenant James Gordon (Wright), much to the dismay of the rest of the GCPD.
Gordon invites Batman to the crime scene as Riddler has left a note addressed directly to him. As the Riddler continues to target and kill Gotham’s wealthy and powerful, Batman and Gordon investigate, which eventually leads them to gangster Carmine Falcone (Turturro) who owns an exclusive club run by the Penguin (Farrell), where Selina Kyle (Kravitz) works.
Through their investigation, Gordon and Batman soon realize that Falcone helped the police takedown his rival Sal Maroni, so he could take over Gotham’s criminal underworld, and Riddler is now targeting anyone involved. In order to stop him, they must find the police informant who helped Falcone. Soon realizing that their agendas align, Batman and Kyle, also known as Catwoman, begin to work together to bring Falcone down and stop the Riddler once and for all.
‘The Batman’ may be the most brutal and violent cinematic appearance in the character’s over 80-year history, which is the correct tone for this source material. However, director Matt Reeves’ approach also loses a lot of the fun of Batman that was certainly captured in the 1966 TV series, the Tim Burton movies, and to a lesser degree the Christopher Nolan films. I’m not saying I want ‘Batman & Robin’ level silliness, but I think the character can still be fun, even if the tone is dark and violent.
‘The Batman’ is like ‘The Dark Knight’ on steroids, with elements of ‘Se7en,’ ‘Zodiac,’ ‘Chinatown’ and even ‘The Godfather’ thrown in for good measure. Much of the basic tone and aesthetic of the movie is taken from ‘Dark Knight’ and then just made bigger with more violence, a bit of a darker tone, and the noir aspect.
What Reeves does capture correctly is that Batman is the world’s greatest detective, an element not really included in any previous on-screen incarnation. The film is narrated by Batman, giving it a noir detective feel, not unlike ‘The Third Man’ or an episode of ‘Magnum, P.I.’ The relationship between Gordon and Batman is also perfectly displayed, as the two work together to stop the Riddler.
The look of Batman’s iconic costume, his utility belt, the Batmobile, the Batcave, and even Wayne Manor have been stripped down to more realistic versions, but again, it’s a little too similar to Nolan’s approach. And I am sick of seeing Batman on screen in black rubber outfits! Just once, I would like to see Batman in live action wearing his classic grey and blue outfit with the yellow bat symbol. That being said, I loved the new Batmobile, as I was never that excited about Nolan’s Tumbler or the tank used in Zack Snyder’s films. This Batmobile is more of a muscle car and looks like something Dom Toretto might drive in a ‘Fast & Furious’ movie.
I also have a bit of an issue as to how they depicted the Riddler. He’s relegated to be a demented serial killer, which doesn’t really match the source material. He was always more of a common criminal in the comics. In fact, the character in some ways is closer to what we expect from the Joker, a madman who just wants to see the world burn. Again, it would have been nice to see Paul Dano have a little more fun with the character.
It’s also worth mentioning that Barry Keoghan (‘Eternals’) has a cameo at the end of the movie. Many fans are going to read a lot into his appearance and instantly think he is playing an iconic Batman character. I think the filmmakers definitely want you to think that, and it may even be proved correct in future installments. But I say slow your roll fans, because if you really look at the scene, there is nothing truly concrete to confirm who the actor is or is not playing.
Robert Pattinson gives a very strong performance as Batman, and surprisingly, Batman is in much more of the film than Bruce Wayne is. In fact, in many ways, Bruce Wayne is not that important of a character in this movie. I really liked that approach, however, playing Bruce Wayne is the weakest part of Pattinson’s performance. You really leave the theater feeling that you know who Batman is, but Wayne is much more of a mystery, which perhaps was intended by the filmmakers. I hate to keep saying this, but I just wish Pattinson injected a little more fun into his role.
But it’s the supporting cast that really makes the movie pop, thanks to great performances from Wright, Kravitz, and Farrell. Jeffrey Wright was perfectly cast as James Gordon and brings a gravitas to his performance. The character’s trust in Batman never waivers and the two make a dynamic detective duo. Farrell is absolutely unrecognizable as Penguin and actually does bring some humor to his menacing role. Unfortunately, the actor is not in a lot of the movie, but his performance is so good that I really look forward to seeing more from him in future movies and possibly an HBO Max spinoff series.
For her part, Zoe Kravitz steals every scene she is in and is absolutely captivating when she appears. She has great chemistry with Pattinson, and in many ways is really the heart of the film.
In the end, Matt Reeves has taken a big swing with ‘The Batman’ and while he didn’t exactly hit it out of the park, he did deliver something new, even if it copied some of ‘The Dark Knight’s DNA. The director has assembled some amazing sequences, including a car chase that rivals the classic movie ‘Bullitt,’ as well as a very strong cast. And adding the detective noir element was a stroke of genius! However, the lack of at least a little humor, not fleshing out the Bruce Wayne or Riddler characters, and the over-the-top violence, stops the movie short from surpassing, in my opinion, ‘The Dark Knight’ or 1989’s ‘Batman’ for the title of greatest Batman movie ever made!
There have been a lot of Batman movies at this point, but ‘The Batman’, co-written and directed by Matt Reeves, promises to be even moodier and more exciting than some recent efforts.
If you were wanting to get a taste of what we’re in for (beyond the trailers, which naturally include plenty of choice material), then the first clip has arrived online via an ad that ran in front of some YouTube videos. Warner Bros. has yet to officially release the clip, but it’s been doing the rounds on social media.
‘The Batman’ stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, the billionaire who moonlights as the Caped Crusader, AKA the masked vigilante Batman. Reeves’ movie tracks his early days of fighting crime in Gotham City.
Batman is a character that filmmakers just can’t stop bringing to cinema screens – the most recent example was 2017’s ‘Justice League’, which featured Ben Affleck playing the character (and that’s without mentioning Zack Snyder’s cut of the movie, which debuted on HBO Max last year). There’s a reason for that: he’s a compelling crime fighter with lots of emotional issues ripe for writers and directors to exploit, and scope for impressive action on screen.
One big part of Bruce’s backstory that we’re unlikely to experience this time is his parents’ murder, the deaths in a Gotham alleyway that spur him into action once he grows up. That’s something which has popped up in countless Batman movies and shows, but Reeves appears to be going his own way.
We also don’t see Pattinson in Bat-costume in this clip, as it kicks off with Bruce Wayne attending the lavish funeral of Mayor Don Mitchell Jr (Rupert Penry-Jones). He’s confronted by political candidate Bella Réal (Jayme Lawson), who remarks on how he’s not doing anything to help Gotham (as the wealthy Wayne family historically has) and tells Bruce about her plans to change the city by running for mayor. Which seems to us a bad case of not reading the room, since they’re attending the previous incumbent’s funeral, and the fact that Bruce is putting his life on the line every night!
Meanwhile, police lieutenant James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) is consulting with some of his fellow officers as to why the District Attorney, Gil Colson (Peter Sarsgaard) is missing. Little do they know he’s about to crash the event. Literally.
A car careens into the church, running into pews and mowing down attendees. Bruce saves a young boy and is almost hit by the car itself. When the vehicle finally comes to rest, Bruce can glimpse up into one of the viewing galleries, where he sees a costumed individual surveying the chaos before stalking off. This is Paul Dano’s The Riddler, who is one of the main villains of the film and has arranged the attack.
As Gordon and the police drawn their weapons and demand the driver step out of the car (which is covered in words scrawled in white writing), we see the door open and Colson stumbles out, clearly dazed and, as someone shouts, with a bomb around his neck. A ringing phone sends everyone diving for cover, but instead of setting off the explosive, it has a message. And, taped to Colson’s chest is a note addressed “To The Batman”. Gordon orders the church cleared as Bruce stares at Colson. It’s thrilling and visceral, and while it doesn’t offer Pattinson a lot to do, he gives good stare.
This first glimpse of the film certainly points to Reeves making a dark (so, Batman, then), realistic crime thriller more in the mold of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy than the more bombastic superhero style of Zack Snyder. The movie also features Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle (AKA Catwoman), Andy Serkis playing Wayne family butler Alfred Pennyworth, Colin Farrell (who will be almost unrecognizable as classic Batman villain The Penguin) and John Turturro, as crime lord Carmine Falcone.
Giacchino has become a sought-after composer, working on movies such as the more recent ‘Star Trek’ entries, the current ‘Spider-Man’ trilogy and ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.’ It’s fair to say audiences were looking forward to see what the Oscar-winning Giacchino would come with for ‘The Batman‘ and indeed his theme doesn’t disappoint, managing to be both grounded and soaring. It’ll be fascinating to see how it works on the big screen and how it develops as the story unfolds.
Finally, we now know the official running time for the movie, and it sounds like you’ll want to make sure not to load up on soda. Reeves’ movie runs to two hours and 55 minutes including eight minutes of end credits. That makes it the longest solo film for Batman and one of the longest superhero adventures to come along for a while. It’s close to the likes of ‘Avengers: Endgame’, which ended up at a minute over three hours, but that was a gigantic story capper for the Infinity saga and a whole load of heroes and villains.
The news comes via the ratings board the MPA, which has handed down a PG-13 rating for (and we quote) “strong violent and disturbing content, drug content, strong language, and some suggestive material.” Take from that what you will, but it certainly points to some flirting between Pattinson and Kravitz’s characters.
(L to R) Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz in ‘The Batman’
Director Matt Reeves and the team from ‘The Batman’ certainly seem to be tapping into what we all want from the movie, which is moody, stylish shots of stars such as Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz. Hence the new posters for the upcoming superhero movie.
The first image is of Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne/Batman and Kravitz’ Selina Kyle/Catwoman standing on a Gotham City rooftop staring out towards a sunset. It’s classic Batman stuff – he spends so much time posing on rooftops that you sometimes wonder how he gets any crimefighting done.
(L to R) Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz in ‘The Batman’
We already know from ‘The Batman’s various teasers and trailers that Pattinson’s Wayne and Kravitz’ Kyle will have a connection that is by turns flirty and confrontational. Bruce is a guarded loner wrestling with a complicated Wayne family legacy, while Kyle is eager to kick some butt. Can they work together? The history of Batman and Catwoman team-ups suggest it’s risky at best.
Following that image, we have a close-up of Batman’s cowl, his eye peering from beneath. The slightly battered look of the cowl suggests he’s seen some serious clashes, while the tagline “Unmask the truth” points to Bruce’s journey as well as that of Edward Nashton, AKA The Riddler (Paul Dano). The cryptic villain’s aim – at least according to him – is cleaning up the “cesspool” that is Gotham. And he’s even got his eye on Bruce Wayne.
Robert Pattinson in ‘The Batman’
Also in the cast are Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, a crime lord looking to secure his grip on power. This is a very different look for Farrell, here buried under prosthetics to bring his character to life. The Penguin’s story will continue to be told outside of cinema screens, as HBO Max is developing a TV series to follow the character in what has been described as a ‘Scarface’-style narrative. Reeves is an executive producer on the show, with Lauren LeFranc writing the initial script.
Jeffrey Wright is this movie’s Commissioner Jim Gordon, trying to combat the rising tide of crime and wondering whether he can trust the masked vigilantes. Andy Serkis, a veteran of working with director Reeves on the last couple of Planet Of The Apes movies is Alfred, the loyal Wayne family butler who here is not on the best of terms with his headstrong young charge.
(L to R) director Matt Reeves and actor Robert Pattinson on the set of ‘The Batman’
Reeves’ style looks to hew more closely to Nolan’s realistic Batman than the more art deco, operatic days of Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher, or even the brute force aesthetic of Zack Snyder’s time in the DC Universe. His movie won’t be an origin story for Batman but is instead set in his early days as the crime-fighting hero.
“I thought I was going to be broken forever,” a teary Nicole Kidman says in a new trailer for “The Goldfinch,” the highly anticipated adaptation of Donna Tartt’s bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
Grief, loss, and putting the pieces of one’s life back together are at the heart of the story, which centers on Theo Decker (Oakes Fegley as a child, Angel Elgort as an adult), who was 13 when his beloved mother was killed in a terrorist bombing at an art museum. In the aftermath, he takes a Dutch painting called “The Goldfinch” that was his mother’s favorite.
As he struggles with grief, he’s taken in by the wealthy socialite Mrs. Barbour (Nicole Kidman) and finds a friend and mentor in an antique shop owner (Jeffrey Wright).
The tragedy changes the course of his life, with Theo descending into a life of misadventures, failed romances, addiction, and crime.
Director John Crowley (“Brooklyn”) weaves two time periods together — Theo’s childhood and adulthood — rather than tell the story in a linear way, as the novel does.
With such high-profile, award-winning source material, as well as a star-studded cast, “The Goldfinch” should be a major player this awards season. It will premiere at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.
The movie also stars Luke Wilson, Sarah Paulson, Denis O’Hare, and Finn Wolfhard.
Let the awards season games begin — kicking off with the trailer for “The Goldfinch,” the highly anticipated adaptation of Donna Tartt’s bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
Angel Elgort stars as Theo Decker, who was 13 when his beloved mother was killed in a terrorist bombing at an art museum. In the aftermath, he takes a Dutch painting called “The Goldfinch” that was his mother’s favorite.
As he struggles with grief, he’s taken in by the wealthy socialite Mrs. Barbour (Nicole Kidman) and finds a friend and mentor in an antique shop owner (Jeffrey Wright).
The tragedy changes the course of his life, with Theo descending into a life of misadventures, failed romances, addiction, and crime.
Director John Crowley (“Brooklyn”) weaves two time periods together — Theo’s childhood and adulthood — rather than tell the story in a linear way, as the novel does.
The movie also stars Luke Wilson, Sarah Paulson, Denis O’Hare, and Finn Wolfhard.
