After years of development, The Batman is finally gearing up for production and filming is set to begin early next year. Ben Affleck, back when he was still wearing the cape and cowl, had been developing the project to direct and star in. He departed, for various reasons, which paved the way for Warner Bros. to hire Matt Reeves (War for the Planet of the Apes) in early 2017. It's been a long road, but now Reeves is finally getting ready to roll cameras, with Robert Pattinson set to star as the iconic hero.
According to a new report, Warner Bros. aims to begin filming The Batman on January 13, with production slated to take place in London, England. This lines up with previous reports that stated Matt Reeves would aim to shoot in early 2020. It also gels with recent reports that the movie entered pre-production last month. So, unless something dramatic and unforeseen happens, we're just a handful of months away from getting the first shots of a brand new Batman movie for the first time in a long time.
For months, and honestly the better part of two years, it seemed like developments on this highly-anticipated project were virtually non-existent. Then things started heating up a few months ago when rumored actors for the lead role started making the rounds. It really got going when we learned that Robert Pattinson had indeed landed the role, which was something of a shock to many DC fans who only really know him as the guy from Twilight. However, beyond Robert Pattinson's Batman casting, not much has been revealed. At least not in an official capacity, anyway. But there are plenty of rumors to go around.
What we know for sure is that Matt Reeves, who also wrote the script, wants to focus more on the character's skills as a detective in a noir-driven take. We also know that several different villains from the Caped Crusader's massive rogues gallery will be involved. The most persistent rumor is that Penguin will be the main villain, with Riddler and Catwoman also heavily rumored. It was reported that Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible - Fallout) was being eyed for the role of Catwoman, but Kirby claims she hasn't heard anything on her end, though she's open to taking on the part. It was also reported that Andy Serkis, who worked with Reeves on his Planet of the Apes movies, is being eyed for an unspecified role.
It's still a little unclear how this is going to fit into the larger DCEU, which has been on the mend ever since the release of Justice League. The hope is that this will kick off a trilogy, but one that will likely take place in its own universe and won't be connected to the Batfleck universe. We'll be sure to keep you posted as any further details are made available. The Batman is set to arrive in theaters on June 25, 2021. This news comes to us via Geeks Worldwide.