Director Matt Reeves took the fear factor to heart when crafting the new Batmobile for his upcoming comic book movie outing, The Batman, revealing that he was inspired by the 1983 horror flick, Christine. The Dark Knight’s modus operandi has always been to intimidate and instill fear in Gotham’s criminal underworld, and Reeves turned to the horror genre to ensure that every element of his iteration of the DC icon did just this.

“It has to make an appearance out of the shadows to intimidate, so I thought of it almost like Stephen King’s Christine. I liked the idea of the car itself as a horror figure, making an animalistic appearance to really scare the hell out of the people Batman’s pursuing.”

Adapted by director John Carpenter from a novel by horror legend Stephen King, Christine tells the haunting tale of a classic red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury named Christine, which seems to have a murderous mind of its own. As far as inspirations for the Batmobile go, it’s a unique one, but Reeves’ explanation while speaking with Empire certainly makes a lot of sense and should enable Batman’s iconic mode of transport to make an impact like never before.

Designing a new Batmobile is not something that Reeves took lightly, with the director and his crew taking a year to finalize what audiences will see on screen. "So they started illustrating and I'd say we spent easily a year to do the Batsuit and then to get into the Batmobile, and that, of course, that part's a dream,” he explained back in August 2020. “The idea of getting to do your own version of the Batmobile, you're just kind of like, 'Uh, what?' That's the incredible candy, right?"

Reeves intends to introduce audiences to not only a very different version of the beloved Batmobile but The Batman behind the wheel as well, with The Batman picking up with the crimefighter a mere two years into his career as a costumed vigilante. Fighting crime as best he can with his fists and limited resources, Batman is thrown into a threat more deadly than ever when a serial killer calling himself The Riddler begins murdering key Gotham elites and leaving tricksy riddles at the scene.

This trail of cryptic clues sends the World's Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such familiar characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman, Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin, and Carmine Falcone. The mission will set Batman on a collision course with his past, as the evidence begins to lead closer to home. Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.

The Batman stars Robert Pattinson the Caped Crusader, with the rest of the cast including the likes of Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as Riddler, Colin Farrell as Penguin, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson and Jeffery Wright as Commissioner Gordon. The Batman is currently scheduled to be released on March 4, 2022.