Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that director Matt Reeves has begun scripting a The Batman sequel, which he and Dylan Clark would also return to produce. The news comes on the heels of the current film passing the $750 million mark at the global box office.
The Batman sequel announcement was made today by Toby Emmerich, Chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, and Reeves himself, who joined Emmerich onstage during his opening remarks at the Warner Bros. Pictures presentation at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
HBO Max recently announced a series centered around Colin Farrell as The Penguin, derived directly from the universe launched by the The Batman. Reeves is currently reteaming with J.J. Abrams and DC universe veteran Bruce Timm on the streamer’s upcoming animated series Batman: Caped Crusader.
The filmmaker’s prior films include the hugely successful Planet of the Apes franchise, the acclaimed fantasy horror film Let Me In, and the sci-fi horror hit Cloverfield, among others.
Reeves’ additional credits include the popular TV series Felicity, which he co-created with Abrams, as well as the series Ordinary Joe, Lift, Mother/Android, Away, Tales from the Loop, and The Passage, among others.
In addition to playing in theaters, The Batman has been available to stream on HBO Max since April 18. The Batman sequel does not have a release date yet.
From Warner Bros. Pictures comes Matt Reeves‘ The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson in the dual role of Gotham City’s vigilante detective and his alter ego, reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne. Dylan Clark (the Planet of the Apes films) and Reeves produced the film.
Starring alongside Pattinson (Tenet, The Lighthouse) as Gotham’s famous and infamous cast of characters are Zoë Kravitz (Big Little Lies, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) as Selina Kyle; and Paul Dano (Love & Mercy, 12 Years a Slave) as Edward Nashton, aka The Riddler.
Also starring are Jeffrey Wright (No Time to Die, Westworld) as the GCPD’s James Gordon; John Turturro (the Transformers films, The Plot Against America) as Carmine Falcone; and Peter Sarsgaard (The Magnificent Seven, Interrogation) as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson.
The cast is rounded out by Jayme Lawson (Farewell Amor) as mayoral candidate Bella Reál; Andy Serkis (the Planet of the Apes films, Black Panther) as Alfred; Colin Farrell (The Gentlemen, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) as Oz, aka The Penguin; and Barry Keoghan (Eternals) as The Joker.
Reeves (the Planet of the Apes franchise) directed from a screenplay by Reeves & Peter Craig, based on characters from DC. Michael E. Uslan, Walter Hamada, Chantal Nong Vo, and Simon Emanuel served as executive producers.
In the movie, Batman has been stalking the streets for more than a year and striking fear into the hearts of criminals. With only a few trusted allies — Alfred (Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Wright) — amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.
When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle (Kravitz), Oz, aka The Penguin (Farrell), Carmine Falcone (Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka The Riddler (Dano).
As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, 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 movie’s behind-the-scenes creative team included Oscar-nominated director of photography Greig Fraser (Dune, Lion); Reeves’ Planet of the Apes production designer, James Chinlund, and editor, William Hoy; editor Tyler Nelson (Rememory); and Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran (1917, Little Women, Anna Karenina).
The Batman is rated PG-13 by the MPA for strong, violent, and disturbing content, drug content, strong language, and some suggestive material.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.