After weeks of speculation and negotiation, the deal is done. Matt Reeves (Let Me In, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) will both produce and direct The Batman for Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Entertainment. Ever since Ben Affleck vacated the director’s chair, the studio has been scrambling to choose a new director for the DCEU solo film. Almost immediately after Affleck stepped down, Reeves name was announced as being at the top of the list.
Not long ago, it was announced that negotiations had fallen apart with the director and that others (namely Ridley Scott and Fede Alvarez) were now competing for the job. It seems that Warner Bros. and Reeves managed to come to some sort of agreement after all, as the studio made it official today.
Reeves is currently in post-production on Fox’s War for the Planet of the Apes, which is undoubtedly his core focus at this time. While he continues to fine tune that franchise film, work continues on the script for this one. With a previous draft by Geoff Johns and Affleck himself in the bag, the latest work on the screenplay continues by the hands of Chris Terrio (Argo, Justice League).
There’s no production timeline in place for The Batman just yet, but we keep hearing rumblings that Warner Bros. would like to get it rolling as soon as possible. This year, even, if all goes to plan. Could the studio be racing to get it into theaters in 2018? Or is an early 2019 date more likely? It’s hard to tell these days when it comes to these DCEU films.
Also of interest is that the press release issued by the studio makes no mention of Affleck himself, be it as an actor, writer, or producer. That seems a strange omission, given that he has been the face of this project from Day One. Might the actor be on the verge of leaving the production entirely? Affleck supposedly has two more films left on his contract as Batman, but it wouldn’t be the first time that an actor vacated a role early. If he’s unhappy and Warner Bros. would rather let him go than risk an under par performance (or disastrous press tour), then we could see a new face in the cowl after this year’s Justice League.
