THE BATMAN 2021 – Explained in Lego in 360 degrees!
The Batman is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. Produced by DC Films, 6th & Idaho Motion Picture Company, and Dylan Clark Productions, and set for distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a reboot of the Batman film franchise. The film is directed by Matt Reeves, who wrote the screenplay with Peter Craig, and stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman, alongside Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell. Set in his second year of fighting crime, the film sees Batman uncover corruption in Gotham City while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.
Ben Affleck, who portrayed Batman in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), was set to direct, produce, co-write, and star in The Batman in 2014, but in 2017 he chose not to direct due to his dissatisfaction with his own script. Reeves was hired to take over and reworked Affleck's story to focus on a younger Batman. He sought to explore Batman as a detective more than previous Batman films, inspired by the comic books "Year One" (1987), The Long Halloween (1996–1997), and Ego (2000). Affleck left The Batman entirely in January 2019 and the connections to the DCEU were removed. Pattinson was cast in May 2019, with further casting later that year. Principal photography took place in the UK and Chicago and lasted from January 2020 to February 2021.
The Batman was scheduled for release in June 2021, but production was delayed between March and September 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now scheduled for release in the United States on March 4, 2022. Two sequels are planned and two spin-off television series are in development for HBO Max.
In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.[2][3]
Cast
- Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman:
A billionaire socialite who protects Gotham City as a masked vigilante. Batman is around 30 years old and is not yet an experienced crime fighter,[4][5] as director Matt Reeves wanted to explore the character before he becomes "fully formed".[6] Reeves and Pattinson described Batman as an insomniac who cannot delineate between the Batman persona and his "recluse rockstar" public identity as Wayne,[7][8] and who is "working out this rage. He wants to inflect his kind of justice. He's just compelled to do it. There is no other option."[9] Pattinson said the film "questions the nature of what being a hero is",[10] as Batman is more flawed than traditional superheroes[11] and unable to control himself.[7] - Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle / Catwoman:
A nightclub worker and cat burglar who comes into contact with Batman while searching for her missing friend.[10][12][13] Kravitz described Catwoman as a mysterious character with unclear motivations,[10] and said she and Batman are "partner[s] in crime".[14] She said Catwoman represents femininity in contrast to Batman's masculinity,[15] and added that Batman and Catwoman are drawn together by their desire to "fight for those who don't have someone to fight for them."[16] Kravitz focused more on Kyle and less on her persona as Catwoman, as she considered the character's emotional journey important and did not want to distract from it.[10] She drew inspiration from Michelle Pfeiffer's portrayal of the character in Batman Returns (1992),[15] as well as the Batman story arc "Year One" (1987).[17] - Paul Dano as Edward Nashton / Riddler:
An emerging serial killer who taunts Batman and law enforcement with riddles.[18][3][19] Reeves based The Batman's Riddler on the Zodiac Killer, who he felt was the "real-life" Riddler for his practice of communicating with ciphers and riddles.[10] - Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon:
An ally of Batman in the Gotham City Police Department.[12][20] Wright is the first actor of color to portray Gordon,[21] and felt his casting reflected the "fluid, evolving" nature of Batman's supporting cast by highlighting how much more diverse America has become since Batman's introduction in 1939.[22] In preparation, Wright read the Batman: The Long Halloween (1996–1997) comic book limited series.[23] - John Turturro as Carmine Falcone: A Gotham City crime lord.[24]
- Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson: Gotham's district attorney.[4]
- Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth: Batman's butler and mentor.[25]
- Colin Farrell as Oswald "Oz" Cobblepot / Penguin:
A disfigured crime lord. Cobblepot is not yet the crime kingpin he is depicted as in the comics, and dislikes being referred to as the Penguin.[4][13][19][26] Farrell wore prosthetics and a fat suit created by makeup artist Mike Marino,[27][28] choosing to use the fat suit after having a negative experience gaining weight for the television series The North Water.[28] Farrell was frequently described as "unrecognizable" in costume,[29][30][31] to the point that Wright and Rupert Penry-Jones initially did not recognize him on set.[30][31]
Additionally, Jayme Lawson portrays Bella Reál,[4] a mayoral candidate for Gotham City;[32][33] Barry Keoghan portrays Stanley Merkel, an officer in the Gotham City Police Department;[34] and Alex Ferns portrays Commissioner Pete Savage.[35] Gil Perez-Abraham,[36] twins Charlie and Max Carver,[37] Rupert Penry-Jones,[38] and Con O'Neill have been cast in undisclosed roles.[39]
Production
Development
Ben Affleck
In August 2013, Ben Affleck was cast as Bruce Wayne / Batman for multiple films set in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).[42] He made his debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016),[43] before appearing in Suicide Squad (2016)[44] and Justice League (2017).[45] In October 2014, Warner Bros. revealed plans for a standalone Batman film starring Affleck,[46] and he was in negotiations to direct and co-write the screenplay with Geoff Johns by July 2015. Production was expected to begin after Affleck finished work on Live by Night (2016).[47][48]
Affleck and Johns finished the first draft in March 2016. Johns hinted that the film would explore the death of Robin, which was suggested in Batman v Superman.[49] Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara confirmed at CinemaCon in April that Affleck was directing.[50][51] In the following months, Jeremy Irons was set to reprise his Batman v Superman role of Alfred Pennyworth, and Affleck revealed that Joe Manganiello would portray Deathstroke.[49] Jared Leto expressed interest in reprising his role as the Joker from Suicide Squad.[52] Affleck revealed the title of the film was The Batman in October, and in December he said filming was on track to begin in mid-2017 for release in 2018.[53] That month, a Justice League sequel was delayed to accommodate The Batman.[54] However, in January 2017, Affleck said the film had no script and that he might not direct it.[55] While Affleck reaffirmed his commitment to direct in an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!,[56] by the end of the month he decided to step down. He still planned to star and produce.[57] By this point, Chris Terrio had turned in a rewrite of the script.[58]
Affleck's script, set after the events of Batman v Superman and Justice League,[47] featured an original story inspired by elements of the comics, which Affleck compared to director Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman story.[59] Cinematographer Robert Richardson was attached early in development, and said Affleck's script was primarily set in Arkham Asylum and dealt with insanity.[60] The script reportedly featured Deathstroke orchestrating a breakout at Arkham to tire Batman and make him vulnerable, drawing inspiration from the comic books Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth (1989) and "Knightfall" (1992–1994), as well as the video game Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009).[61] Manganiello explained that Deathstroke believed Batman was responsible for the death of his son, and the script featured Deathstroke systematically dismantling Batman's life and killing those close to him like a "horror movie villain". Manganiello noted that the story bore resemblance to David Fincher's The Game (1997).[62][63] Batgirl was planned to appear and help Batman during the climax, in which he fought Deathstroke through the streets of Gotham.[64] Snyder enjoyed Affleck's story and included a post-credits scene at the end of Justice League—featuring Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) revealing Batman's secret identity to Deathstroke—to help set up The Batman. The scene was altered in post-production to be about the Injustice League instead, but the original scene was restored in the 2021 director's cut, Zack Snyder's Justice League.[62][65]
Matt Reeves
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Affleck initially stated that he had stepped down as director to focus more on starring as Batman, but later acknowledged that he had been unable to get the script where he needed it after various attempts and simply felt that it was time for someone else to "have a shot at it".[67] Warner Bros. was also re-evaluating its approach to superhero films at the time, which Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter stated had led to Affleck's film being "sidelined".[5] Matt Reeves, Matt Ross, Ridley Scott, Gavin O'Connor, George Miller, Denis Villeneuve, and Fede Álvarez were all considered as replacements for Affleck,[58][68][69] with Reeves, a longtime Batman fan,[10] quickly moving to the top of the shortlist. He entered negotiations to direct after meeting with Warner Bros. on February 10,[68] but talks broke down a week later over salary. This issue was soon overcome, and Reeves was officially hired to direct the film on February 23.[70][71] Reeves was also set to produce the film with Dylan Clark.[72] Reeves began working on a completely new script by March, and would not meet potential actors until at least July.[73]
Reeves initially planned to keep The Batman in the DCEU, and spoke with Affleck during the writing process.[74] However, he reworked the story to focus on Batman earlier in his vigilante career,[66] and reports indicated that Reeves wanted a younger actor to play Batman.[75] Affleck's involvement was cast further in doubt in July 2017, when reports emerged that Warner Bros. was looking for a new star.[76] Manganiello was also unsure if Deathstroke would still appear following Reeves' re-writes.[77] In August, Reeves said the film would connect to the broader DC universe, but it would be a standalone story that was not "filled with cameos servicing other stories",[77] a sentiment he reiterated the following year.[74] Reeves wanted to explore the question of how the Batman mythos could exist in the real world, and chose to use the Riddler as the main antagonist after noting parallels between the character and the Zodiac Killer.[10]
Films that inspired Reeves included The French Connection (1971), Chinatown (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), and the works of Alfred Hitchcock.[13][78] He also reread his favorite Batman comics, but did not base the film on a specific comic book storyline.[74] Reeves chose to set The Batman during the second year of Batman's career rather than retell the character's origin story,[34][79] as he wanted his take to be different from previous Batman films.[7] This included exploring more of Batman's detective side,[74] saying his take was "an almost-noir driven, detective version of Batman" emphasizing the character's heart and mind.[80] Reeves described the film as a blend of the detective, action, and psychological thriller genres, which he felt hewed closer to the comics more than previous adaptations.[10] Comics that inspired the film include "Year One" (1987) by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, The Long Halloween (1996–1997) by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, and Ego (2000) by Darwyn Cooke and Jon Babcock.[81] Reeves took especial influence from the exploration of Batman's psychology in Ego,[79] and sought to make Batman relatable while honoring what people love about him.[10]
On a Television Critics Association panel in August 2018, Reeves said that the script was nearing completion.[74] He added that he hoped to finish it within a couple of weeks, and was aiming to begin production in early-to-mid 2019.[74][82] Reeves submitted his first draft to Warner Bros. the following month.[83] At that time, Affleck went to rehabilitation for alcohol abuse, making it unlikely that he would reprise his role.[75] In January 2019, Warner Bros. set a June 25, 2021, release date for The Batman, and Affleck confirmed that he was no longer starring.[84] Affleck later explained that he stepped down due to a combination of factors, including his divorce from Jennifer Garner, the tumultuous production of Justice League, his lack of enjoyment in the role at that point, and his alcohol problems.[40][41] He recalled that he had shown a version of the script to a friend who said, "I think the script is good. I also think you'll drink yourself to death if you go through what you just went through [on Justice League] again."[40]
Pre-production
By May 2019, Robert Pattinson, Nicholas Hoult, Armie Hammer, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson were on a shortlist to replace Affleck as Batman, with Pattinson the frontrunner.[72][86][87] Reeves considered Pattinson early in development, but was unsure if he would be interested and did not contact him.[5] Pattinson had avoided large franchise films since his work on the Twilight series, as he wanted to avoid paparazzi and found those roles dull.[5][88] This meant he had not appeared in any of Marvel Studios' rival superhero projects, which made him desirable to Warner Bros. Hoult, the other major contender for the role, appeared in the Marvel Comics-based X-Men films, but those did not take place in Marvel Studios' Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and Hoult was unrecognizable for large amounts of the films due to prosthetics and make-up.[5]
Reeves spent hours reviewing Pattinson's and Hoult's previous work before meeting with them in April. They were the only contenders for the role by May 20, and both flew to Burbank, California, for a screen test.[5] Pattinson wore Val Kilmer's Batsuit from Batman Forever (1995) during his test, which made the audition challenging because he found the suit difficult to move in.[8] Reeves, who had specific requirements for the role, chose Pattinson to star,[5] and he was officially cast on May 31.[5][85][89] Batman had captivated Pattinson for a long time,[90] and he signed on because he was interested in the character's lack of superpowers.[88] Pattinson also had ideas about how to portray the relationship between Batman's superhero activities and his public identity, Bruce Wayne.[90]
News of Pattinson's casting leaked shortly before he screen-tested, with Pattinson recalling: "I was fucking furious. Everyone was so upset. Everyone was panicking from my team. I sort of thought that had blown up the whole thing." The casting met with backlash from some fans, with a Change.org petition calling to reverse the decision. Pattinson said he found the response "less vitriolic" than he had expected, and he felt that being an underdog meant he did not have expectations to meet in his performance.[88] Christian Bale, who played Batman in The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012), supported Pattinson,[91] encouraging him to "make [the role] his own" and ignore critics. Bale compared the fan revolt to the backlash Heath Ledger experienced when he was cast as the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008).[92] To prepare, Pattinson studied Batman's history, reading comics spanning from the Golden Age of Comic Books to Tom King's 2016–2019 run on Batman.[10] He trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with instructor Rigan Machado,[93] wanting to undergo physical change in a similar way to superhero actors like Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Evans.[94] He received advice from the Dark Knight Trilogy director Christopher Nolan while working with him on Tenet (2020).[95]
Jeffrey Wright entered negotiations to play James Gordon in September,[20] and Jonah Hill entered negotiations to play either the Riddler or the Penguin.[96] In October, Wright was cast,[12] but Hill exited negotiations.[97] According to Variety's Justin Kroll, Hill wanted $10 million—more than double the amount that Pattinson would make—while Kit reported that Warner Bros. and Hill could not decide which role he would take.[96][98] Also in October, Zoë Kravitz was cast as Selina Kyle / Catwoman, after previously voicing the character in The Lego Batman Movie (2017), following a screen test with Pattinson;[12][99] Like he had with Pattinson, Reeves considered Kravitz early in development.[10] She was chosen over a number of actresses, including Ana de Armas, Ella Balinska, and Eiza González, who also auditioned for the role, as well as Zazie Beetz and Alicia Vikander.[12][99] Paul Dano was cast as the Riddler shortly afterward,[18] while Mattson Tomlin joined the project to co-write the screenplay with Reeves.[99] In November, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell and John Turturro were cast as Alfred Pennyworth, the Penguin and Carmine Falcone.[24][25][100] Jayme Lawson also joined the cast as a politician,[32] while Peter Sarsgaard was cast in an unknown role in December.[101]
Filming
Principal photography began in January 2020 in London,[102][103][104] under the working title Vengeance,[105] with Greig Fraser serving as cinematographer after previously working with Reeves on Let Me In (2010).[106] Gil Perez-Abraham and the twins Charlie and Max Carver were revealed to also have roles shortly afterwards.[36][37] Cemetery scenes were filmed at the Glasgow Necropolis in Scotland in mid-February.[107] In March, Warner Bros. decided to move production to Liverpool.[108][109] Unlike other studios with films in production, Warner Bros. did not plan to suspend shooting on The Batman due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[110][111] but eventually did so for two weeks starting on March 14.[109]
On March 25, Reeves announced that filming had been suspended indefinitely.[112] Shortly afterward, the production's dialect coach, Andrew Jack, died from COVID-19.[113][114] Variety reported that production was unlikely to restart until at least mid-May, and that the film's release date was expected to be delayed as a result.[115] In April, Warner Bros. pushed the release date back to October 1, 2021.[116] Reeves stated that around a quarter of the film had been shot prior to the filming suspension, and he had been taking time to look over what had already been shot to help plan for the rest of filming. Reeves did not intend to perform script rewrites in the meantime, but was using the opportunity to explore the film's tone.[117] On May 12, the British government gave the green light for high-end television and film productions to resume shooting, as soon as employers put COVID-19 safety measures in place.[118] A month later, The Batman was given permission to restart production around July at the earliest.[119] Clark said Jack's death "haunted" the crew as they prepared to resume production.[10]
By August, production was expected to resume in early September at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire, England.[120] At the virtual DC FanDome event that month, Peter Craig was revealed to have contributed to the script, and Barry Keoghan was announced as portraying Stanley Merkel in the film.[34][121] DC Films president Walter Hamada also confirmed that the film was no longer part of the DCEU, and would take place in a different universe within the DC Films multiverse known as "Earth-2".[122][123] By September 3, filming had resumed for three days at Leavesden Studios, only to be put on pause again after Pattinson tested positive for COVID-19.[124][125] The filming crew then entered a two-week quarantine, after which filming was set to resume, while construction on the sets and props at Leavesden Studios continued.[126] Filming resumed on September 17, after Pattinson was cleared to return to set.[127] At this point, the film had approximately three more months of filming and was expected to finish by the end of 2020.[128] Filming was limited to England, and crew members were required to live close to the production area and not leave the surrounding community until production ended.[129]
In early October, the film's release was pushed to March 4, 2022, due to the production delays.[130] Filming resumed with Pattinson for a funeral scene at St George's Hall in Liverpool, with the location doubling for Gotham City Hall. Set photos of the shoot revealed that Rupert Penry-Jones had a role in the film.[38] Lawson resumed filming her scenes during this time.[33] Filming also took place in Liverpool at Anfield Cemetery and the Royal Liver Building.[131][132] Industrial Light & Magic began providing the StageCraft virtual production technology that Fraser developed on the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian, with a wall of LED panels allowing visual effects backgrounds to be rendered in real time during shooting for certain scenes. The wall was built around existing practical sets for the film.[133] Exterior shots and stunt scenes for Gotham City were filmed in Chicago in the middle of October.[134][135] Later that month, Farrell said he would film the remainder of his scenes "on and off" until February 2021.[136] Filming wrapped on March 13, 2021.[137]
Post-production
Con O'Neill was revealed to be appearing in the film in June 2021,[39] by which time the production was planning to return for a week of reshoots in mid-July. These were expected to occur in Glasgow, at the Necropolis and Merchant City district, before moving to York, England, for another two weeks of reshoots until the end of July. Pattinson and Farrell were expected to be involved with the reshoots.[138]
Music
In October 2019, Reeves announced that his frequent collaborator Michael Giacchino would be composing the film's score.[139] Later that month, Giacchino said he had already finished writing the main theme for the film because he was so excited to do so;[140] because this music was written much earlier in the production than is usual for a film, Giacchino and Reeves were able to use it in promotional materials. Giacchino said he felt total freedom to write the music that he wanted for the film, agreeing with Reeves that this was their vision of Batman similar to how different comic book and graphic novel authors and artists over the years had been able to create slightly different versions of the character.[141]
Marketing
Reeves released "moody, red-saturated" test footage of Pattinson in his Batman costume on February 13, 2020. The footage included early music written by Giacchino,[142][143] and generated discussion about the film's approach to Batman.[144] Chris Evangelista of /Film thought Pattinson's Batman looked much different from previous film depictions,[145] while Richard Newby of The Hollywood Reporter identified the costume's various references to past incarnations. Newby also noted that the bat emblem on the costume's chest resembled a pistol, and wondered if it was the pistol used to kill Batman's parents in his origin story.[144] The footage's use of the color red also led to discussion of how The Batman would differ tonally from previous adaptations.[143][144] On March 4, Reeves released an image of the film's Batmobile. Dino-Ray Ramos of Deadline Hollywood opined that it seemed "sexier and more streamlined than Batmobiles from the past", giving off "James Bond-meets-Fast and Furious energy" that seemed appropriate for Pattinson's version of the character.[146]
Reeves debuted a teaser trailer during the virtual DC FanDome event on August 22.[147] It features a remix of the Nirvana song "Something in the Way" (1991) combined with Giacchino's score.[148] The trailer, according to CNET's Bonnie Burton and Jennifer Bisset, "set the internet on fire" and was noted for its somber, grim tone.[149] Katrina Nattress of Spin and John Saavedra at The Ringer respectively described its depiction of Gotham City as "dystopic" and "nightmarish".[148][150] Adam Chitwood of Collider praised the trailer for showing off the "genuinely refreshing" approach that the film seemed to be taking in depicting the world of Batman,[151] and Saavedra wrote that it made The Batman look more like a detective film than a standard action-oriented superhero film.[150] Alex Abad-Santos of Vox opined that the film seemed to have more in common with the R-rated Batman spin-off Joker (2019) than other contemporary DC films. Abad-Santos noted that some critics disliked the trailer's dark tone, as previous Batman films were similarly dark and "some aren't in the mood to watch all that darkness over again", but felt The Batman could show that "carte-blanche reactionary violence, retribution rewarded with material wealth, and a soulless existence driven by bloody, bone-snapping ambition isn't actually something regular people want to emulate."[152]
Reeves and Pattinson discussed the film at the Warner Bros. CinemaCon panel on August 24, 2021, where a sizzle reel of new footage was shown.[153] Reeves, Pattinson, and Kravitz debuted a second trailer as the finale of DC FanDome on October 16.[8] Daniel Chin at The Ringer said the trailer had been a highly anticipated part of the virtual event, and felt it did not disappoint. He and other commentators highlighted the trailer's dark, violent, and brutal approach to the character, which Chin felt was consistent with the teaser trailer.[154][155][156][157] Adam B. Vary of Variety specifically compared the tone to Christoper Nolan's "gritty" Dark Knight films, believing The Batman would be darker and more violent than even those films.[155] Vary, Chin, and Entertainment Weekly's Chancellor Agard all highlighted the trailer's footage of Farrell and his physical transformation for the role of Penguin.[154][155][157] Merchandise promoting the film includes Batman-themed Hot Wheels toys from Mattel,[158] several Lego sets,[159] and a The Batman Box Set trade paperback collection from DC Comics which features a slipcase with art by Jim Lee and includes the "Year One", The Long Halloween, and Ego comics.[81]
