The Batman is one step closer to finally becoming a reality, as the movie has entered pre-production. This is a project that has been in the works, in some form or another, for the last several years. It's changed creative hands, currently in those of Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, War for the Planet of the Apes), and the development process has seemed painstakingly slow. But things are finally moving right along, with Robert Pattinson recently landing the highly-coveted title role. Now, we have word that the movie is actively getting ready to begin filming early next year.

According to several reports, and a listing on IMDB Pro, The Batman is now in the pre-production phase. On a big-budget superhero movie such as this, a lot of prep time behind the scenes is needed. Costumes need to be made. Budgets need to be approved. Filming needs to be mapped out. Storyboards need to be cooked up. It's a lot of work and that's all underway as we speak. Someone at this very moment could be putting together a new Batmobile for all we know. The thrill of limitless possibilities should undoubtedly excite DC fans at this moment in time. Unfortunately, for the time being, we can't do too much to narrow down those possibilities, as details are being kept under tight lock and key for the time being.

What we know for sure is that Warner Bros. is taking this very seriously. They put both Nicholas Hoult and Robert Pattinson through a rigorous casting process before making their final decision. In an age where comic book movies regularly gross $1 billion at the box office, a Batman movie has the potential to become one of the biggest movies of all time, if executed correctly. The studio knows that and they're not going to get themselves into another divisive situation like the one they wound up with when it came to Ben Affleck's tenure.

Matt Reeves has been busy polishing up the screenplay. While plot details are largely unknown, the filmmaker has said this will be a noir-driven tale that will focus on Bruce Wayne's skills as a detective, as opposed to a beat-em-up action flick. It's also said that there will be multiple villains from the character's rogues gallery included. Penguin has been rumored for some time, with other names including Catwoman, The Riddler and Two-Face also being thrown in the mix. Though, none of them have been confirmed just yet.

Further casting hasn't been revealed, but Andy Serkis is said to be up for an unspecified role. Composer Michael Giacchino also hinted that he may be composing the movie's soundtrack. With pre-production now underway, and with filming set for early 2020, we should be learning more concrete details sooner rather than later. The Batman is currently set to hit theaters on June 25, 2021. Feel free to check out the IMDB Pro listing, as shared to Thomas Polito's Twitter account, below.