The Batman is a superhero film based on the character of the same name. It focuses on a younger version of Bruce Wayne in his mid-30s but is not a part of the larger DC Extended Universe.
Plot[]
On Halloween, Gotham City mayor Don Mitchell, Jr. is murdered by a serial killer calling himself the Riddler. Reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne, who has operated for two years as the vigilante Batman, investigates alongside the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD). Lieutenant James Gordon discovers a message left for Batman by the Riddler, but commissioner Pete Savage berates him for allowing a vigilante to enter the crime scene and forces Batman to leave. Soon after, the Riddler kills Savage and leaves another message for Batman.
Batman and Gordon discover that the Riddler left a thumb drive in Mitchell's car containing images of Mitchell with a woman, Annika Koslov, at the Iceberg Lounge—a nightclub operated by the Penguin, mobster Carmine Falcone's lieutenant. While the Penguin pleads ignorance, Batman notices that Selina Kyle, Annika's roommate, works at the club as a waitress. Batman follows Selina home to question Annika, but the latter soon disappears, so he sends Selina back to the Iceberg Lounge to search for answers. Through Selina, Batman discovers that Savage was on Falcone's payroll, as is district attorney Gil Colson. Selina shuts off communication when Batman presses her about her relationship with Falcone.
The Riddler abducts Colson, straps a timed collar bomb to his neck, and sends him to interrupt Mitchell's funeral. When Batman arrives, the Riddler calls him via Colson's phone and threatens to detonate the bomb if Colson cannot answer three riddles. Batman helps Colson answer the first two, but Colson refuses to answer the third—the name of the informant who gave the GCPD information that led to a historic drug bust ending mobster Salvatore Maroni's operation—and dies. Batman and Gordon deduce that the informant may be the Penguin and track him to a drug deal. They discover that Maroni's operation transferred to Falcone, with many GCPD officers involved. Selina inadvertently exposes them when she arrives to steal money. As the Penguin flees, Selina discovers Annika's corpse in a car trunk. Batman captures the Penguin but learns that he was not the informant.
Batman and Gordon follow the Riddler's trail to the ruins of an orphanage funded by Bruce's murdered parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne, where they learn that the Riddler holds a grudge against the Wayne family. Bruce's butler and caretaker, Alfred Pennyworth, is hospitalized after opening a letter bomb addressed to Bruce. The Riddler then leaks evidence that Thomas, who was running for mayor before he was murdered, hired Falcone to kill a journalist for threatening to reveal embarrassing details about Martha's history of mental illness. Bruce, who grew up believing his father was morally upstanding, confronts Alfred, who confirms the allegations but maintains that Thomas only asked Falcone to threaten the journalist into silence, and planned to turn Falcone over to the police once he found out the journalist was murdered. Alfred believes that Falcone had Thomas and Martha killed to prevent this.
Selina tells Batman that Falcone is her father, though Falcone does not know it. She learns that Falcone strangled Annika because Mitchell told her that Falcone was the informant. Seeking revenge, Selina decides to kill him. Batman and Gordon arrive at the Iceberg Lounge in time to stop her. However, the Riddler kills Falcone as Batman leads Falcone to be arrested. The Riddler is captured and discovered to be Edward Nashton, a forensic accountant. He is incarcerated in Arkham State Hospital, where he laments about failing to kill Bruce. He does not realize that Bruce is Batman, whom he idolizes and took inspiration from when targeting the corrupt. Nashton proposes a partnership, but Batman rejects him and declares Nashton a madman. Searching his apartment, Batman learns that Nashton has stationed car bombs around Gotham and cultivated an online following that plans to assassinate mayor-elect Bella Reál.
The bombs destroy the breakwaters around Gotham and flood the city. A shelter is set up in an indoor arena, where Nashton's followers shoot, but fail to kill, Reál. They are stopped by Batman and Selina. In the aftermath, Nashton befriends another inmate, while Selina deems Gotham beyond saving and leaves. Batman aids recovery efforts and vows to inspire hope in Gotham.
Cast[]
- Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman
- Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon
- Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle / Catwoman
- Paul Dano as Edward Nashton / Riddler
- Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth
- Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot / Penguin
Production[]
Development[]
Ben Affleck[]
In August 2013, Ben Affleck was cast as Bruce Wayne / Batman for multiple films set in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). He made his debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) before appearing in Suicide Squad (2016) and Justice League (2017). In October 2014, Warner Bros. revealed plans for a standalone Batman film starring Affleck, and he was in negotiations to direct and co-write the screenplay with Geoff Johns by July 2015. Production was expected to begin after Affleck finished work on Live by Night (2016).
Affleck and Johns finished the first draft in March 2016. Set after the events of Batman v Superman and Justice League, the script told an original story inspired by comic book elements, an approach that Affleck compared to director Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman story, with specific influence from Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth (1989) and "Knightfall" (1992–1994) as well as the video game Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009). Cinematographer Robert Richardson, who was attached early in development, confirmed that the script was primarily set in Arkham Asylum. It featured Slade Wilson / Deathstroke orchestrating a breakout at Arkham to tire Batman and make him vulnerable, before fighting him in the streets of Gotham during the climax. Batgirl was planned to appear and help Batman. Johns said the film would also explore the death of Robin, which was hinted at in Batman v Superman.
Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara confirmed at CinemaCon in April 2016 that Affleck was directing. Jeremy Irons said he would reprise his Batman v Superman role of Alfred Pennyworth in May, and Joe Manganiello was cast as Deathstroke in August. Additionally, Jared Leto expressed interest in reprising his role as the Joker from Suicide Squad. Manganiello explained that Deathstroke believed Batman was responsible for his son's death and was depicted as systematically dismantling Batman's life and killing those close to him like a "horror movie villain". He compared the story to David Fincher's The Game (1997). Snyder enjoyed the story and filmed a post-credits scene for Justice League—featuring Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) revealing Batman's secret identity to Deathstroke—to help set up the film. Affleck revealed the title was The Batman in October, and in December he said filming was on track to begin in mid-2017 for a 2018 release. That month, a planned Justice League sequel was delayed to accommodate The Batman. Chris Terrio turned in a rewrite of the script in January 2017.
Affleck began to have reservations about directing the film and announced in January 2017 that he was stepping down as director but still planned to star and produce. He initially said he had stepped down to focus more on starring as Batman but soon stated that he had been unable to get the script where he needed it and felt it was time for someone else to "have a shot at it". Affleck later added that he did not think he would have enjoyed directing the film and felt it should be directed by someone who would love working on it. At the time, Warner Bros. was re-evaluating its approach to superhero films following the release of Batman v Superman, which led to Affleck's film being "sidelined" according to Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter. The Justice League post-credits scene was altered in post-production to tease the Injustice League in a Justice League sequel instead of Deathstroke's role in The Batman, though the original scene was restored in the 2021 director's cut, Zack Snyder's Justice League.
Matt Reeves[]
Matt Reeves, Matt Ross, Ridley Scott, Gavin O'Connor, George Miller, Denis Villeneuve, and Fede Álvarez were all considered as replacements for Affleck. Reeves, a longtime Batman fan, quickly moved to the top of the shortlist and entered negotiations to direct after meeting with Warner Bros. on February 10, 2017. Warner Bros. sent Reeves a copy of the script, but Reeves felt that Affleck's take, while "totally valid", was not the film he wanted to make. Reeves only wanted to join if he was guaranteed creative control, and Warner Bros. Pictures Group chair Toby Emmerich—who wanted an "auteur" to make the next Batman film—was impressed by his initial ideas. An issue with his salary soon arose, but it was quickly overcome, and Reeves was hired to direct The Batman on February 23. He was also set to produce the film with Dylan Clark. Reeves was not willing to share his full vision with the studio while he was working on War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), and Warner Bros. agreed to delay production until he was available.
Reeves began working on the script in March 2017. He initially planned to keep The Batman's connections to the DCEU, and spoke with Affleck during the writing process, but soon reworked the story to focus on Batman earlier in his vigilante career, with plans to cast a younger actor to play Batman; Warner Bros. was planning to replace Affleck by July 2017. In August 2018, Affleck went to rehabilitation for alcohol abuse, and it was considered unlikely that he would reprise his role in the film after that. On a Television Critics Association panel in August 2018, Reeves said the script was nearing completion. He hoped to finish it within a couple of weeks and was aiming to begin production in early-to-mid-2019. Reeves submitted his first draft to Warner Bros. the following month. Mattson Tomlin and Peter Craig also contributed to the script, though only Reeves and Craig received credit. Tomlin used some of the ideas he developed for The Batman in a comic book limited series, Batman: The Imposter (2021).
In January 2019, Warner Bros. set a June 25, 2021, release date for The Batman, and Affleck confirmed that he was no longer starring. Affleck explained that he stepped down due to a combination of factors, including his divorce from Jennifer Garner, the tumultuous production of Justice League, his lack of enjoyment in the role at that point, and his alcohol problems. Elaborating on his Justice League experience, Affleck said it had particularly soured his interest in the role since it involved his divorce, frequent traveling, and competing agendas, as well as the death of Snyder's daughter Autumn (which led to the director's exit from the project) and the subsequent extensive reshoots for the film. Affleck recalled that he had shown a version of The Batman's script to a friend who said, "I think the script is good. I also think you'll drink yourself to death if you go through what you just went through [on Justice League] again."
Writing[]
When Reeves decided to focus on Batman earlier in his vigilante career, he began writing a new script from scratch. Affleck's script had taken an action-driven, "James Bond-ian" approach, but Reeves wanted a more personal narrative that "rock[ed Batman] to his core". He wanted to explore how the Batman mythos could exist in the real world, and chose to set the film during the second year of Batman's career rather than retell the character's origin story, as he wanted his take to be different from previous Batman films. Reeves originally intended for his version of The Batman to be set in the DCEU. In August 2017, Reeves said the film would connect to the broader universe but would be a standalone story that did not service others, a sentiment he reiterated in August 2018. However, he eventually decided that connecting the film to the DCEU would distract from Batman's character arc, and asked Warner Bros. for the creative freedom to move outside of the shared universe. Reeves explained that he wanted to be able to create a version of Batman with a "personal aspect to it", and felt he should not be obligated to connect it to other aspects of the DCEU. Warner Bros.' incorporation of the multiverse in its DC productions allowed Reeves to take the project in his own direction; as a consequence, the film takes place in a separate world known as "Earth-2".
Reeves knew early on that the film would draw from Batman: The Long Halloween (1996–97) and its sequel Dark Victory (1999–2000) by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, featuring Batman hunting a serial killer who "would reveal this cooperation between the people who are legitimate pillars in the city and the criminal element in the city". He decided to use the Riddler after noting parallels between the character and the Zodiac Killer, a costumed serial killer who operated in California in the 1960s, while reading Mindhunter (1995). Reeves imagined that Batman's investigation would have him encounter other figures from the comic book mythos, leading to the introduction of characters like Catwoman, the Penguin, and Carmine Falcone. However, Reeves sought to ensure that Batman remained the story's focus, and tried to include him in every scene.
Reeves re-read his favorite Batman comics, but did not base the film on a specific storyline. Particular influence came from "Year One" (1987) by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, Ego (2000) by Darwyn Cooke, and "Zero Year" (2013–14) by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, as well as Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Neal Adams' runs on the character. Reeves drew from the depiction of a young, inexperienced Batman in "Year One"; Catwoman's relationship to Falcone in The Long Halloween and Dark Victory; the exploration of Batman's psychology and his transition from exacting vengeance to inspiring hope in Ego; and the Riddler's plot to flood Gotham in "Zero Year". Other elements, such as Alfred's characterization, Thomas Wayne's mayoral campaign, and Martha Wayne being part of the Arkham family, came from Batman: Earth One (2012) by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, while the theme of vengeance was inspired by Kevin Conroy's "I am vengeance, I am the night" speech from Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1999). The film also features references to other comic storylines, including "No Man's Land" (1999) and "Hush" (2002–03).
In portraying Bruce Wayne, Reeves wanted to depart from the traditional playboy and socialite; because he listened to the Nirvana song "Something in the Way" (1991) as he wrote the first act, he decided to base Bruce on reclusive Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. He took inspiration from the film Last Days (2005), which features a fictionalized version of Cobain living in a "decaying manor". The Godfather (1972) character Michael Corleone also influenced Reeves' take on Bruce. Reeves sought to make Batman relatable while honoring what people love about him, and described his Batman as "still trying to figure out how to do this, how to be effective, and he's not necessarily succeeding. He's broken and driven." Although it does not depict Batman's origin—in which he witnesses the murder of his parents—The Batman still explores the emotional cost that it has on the character, with Reeves stating Batman is "emotionally stunted at being 10 years old, because that's a trauma you don't get past".
Unlike previous Batman films, The Batman focuses on Batman's detective skills, with Reeves describing it as an "almost-noir driven, detective version of Batman" emphasizing the character's heart and mind. He said the film blended the detective, action, horror, and psychological thriller genres, which he felt hewed closer to the comics than previous adaptations had. He also felt this approach made it the most frightening Batman film. Reeves looked to films and filmmakers from the New Hollywood era for inspiration, including The French Connection (1971), Klute (1971), Chinatown (1974), All the President's Men (1976), and Taxi Driver (1976), as well as the works of Alfred Hitchcock. Chinatown and All the President's Men influenced The Batman's depiction of a corrupt, decaying Gotham, while the relationship between Donald Sutherland and Jane Fonda's characters in Klute inspired the dynamic between Batman and Catwoman. Two characters—Mayor Don Mitchell Jr. and District Attorney Gil Colson—share surnames with Watergate scandal figures John N. Mitchell and Charles Colson, since Reeves felt historical allusions would make the film more believable. To convey Batman's insecurity, Reeves added a scene, inspired by Manhunter (1986), featuring him visiting the Joker to profile the Riddler. Reeves also intended for the Joker's appearance to signify that Gotham's troubles would not end after the Riddler is captured.
Casting[]
By May 2019, Robert Pattinson, Nicholas Hoult, Armie Hammer, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson were on a shortlist to replace Affleck as Batman, with Pattinson the frontrunner. Reeves considered Pattinson after seeing his performance in Good Time (2017) and wrote the script with him in mind, but was unsure if he would be interested. Pattinson had eschewed large franchise films since his work on the Twilight series, as he found those roles dull and wanted to avoid paparazzi attention. This meant he had not appeared in Marvel Studios' Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which made him desirable to Warner Bros. The other major contender, Hoult, appeared in the Marvel Comics-based X-Men films, but those are separate from the MCU and Hoult was unrecognizable for much of them due to prosthetics and makeup.
Pattinson became interested in the role a year in advance and "kept obsessively checking up on it". A longtime Batman fan, he had ideas about how to bring a unique portrayal of the relationship between Batman's superhero activities and his identity as Wayne compared to previous film adaptations, and he was interested in the character's lack of superpowers. Reeves spent hours reviewing Pattinson's and Hoult's previous work before meeting with them in April. They were the only contenders for the role by May 20, and both flew to Burbank, California, for a screen test. Pattinson wore Val Kilmer's Batsuit from Batman Forever (1995) during his test since it was the only existing costume that fit him. The audition was challenging because the suit was small and difficult to move in, but Pattinson and Reeves found it a "transformative" experience. Pattinson was cast on May 31, with a salary of $3 million.
Pattinson's casting was met with backlash from some Batman fans, with a Change.org petition calling to reverse the decision. Pattinson said he found the response less vitriolic than he had expected and felt that being an underdog meant he did not have expectations to meet in his performance. Christian Bale, who played Batman in The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012), supported Pattinson, encouraging him to "make [the role] his own" and ignore critics. Bale likened the fan revolt to the backlash Heath Ledger faced when he was cast as the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008). To prepare, Pattinson studied Batman's history, reading comics spanning from the Golden Age of Comic Books to Tom King's 2016–2019 run on Batman. He trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with instructor Rigan Machado, wanting to undergo physical change in a similar way to superhero actors like Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Evans. He received advice from the Dark Knight Trilogy director Christopher Nolan while working with him on Tenet (2020).
Jeffrey Wright entered negotiations to play James Gordon in September, and Jonah Hill entered negotiations to play either the Riddler or the Penguin. Wright was cast in October, and is the first actor of color to portray Gordon; he felt his casting reflected how diverse America has become since Batman's introduction in 1939, and said none of Gordon's qualities "require that he be white". In preparation, Wright read Batman comics, such as The Long Halloween, and based his performance on police officer-turned-Mayor of New York City Eric Adams. Later in the month, Hill exited negotiations for the film. According to Variety's Justin Kroll, Hill wanted $10 million—more than double the amount that Pattinson would earn—while Kit reported that Warner Bros. and Hill could not decide which role he would take. Paul Dano was cast as the Riddler after Hill exited talks. To prepare, Dano researched serial killers and chose to read this material in public places since he found it disturbing and did not want to read it alone. He used the Beach Boys' founder Brian Wilson, whom he had portrayed in the 2014 biopic Love & Mercy, as the basis of his performance, and was also influenced by Nirvana's songs. Reeves himself wrote the Riddler's character with Dano's portrayal of Wilson in mind.
Also in October, Zoë Kravitz was cast as Catwoman following a screen test with Pattinson; she had previously voiced the character in The Lego Batman Movie (2017). Casting director Cindy Tolan suggested Kravitz, and Reeves chose her over actresses such as Ana de Armas, Ella Balinska, and Eiza González, who also auditioned for the role, as well as Zazie Beetz and Alicia Vikander. Kravitz was reluctant to join another superhero film after working on X-Men: First Class (2011), but was a fan of the Catwoman character and felt "connected to her emotionally and also aesthetically"; Kravitz felt that her honesty with Reeves played a large role in her selection, and explained that she wanted Reeves to know what working with her would be like. Kravitz provided advice on how to develop Catwoman's character, and began training with instructor David Higgins two months before shooting. She also studied footage of cats and lions fighting to develop her movements while practicing with stunt coordinator Rob Alonzo. Kravitz drew inspiration from "Year One" and Michelle Pfeiffer's portrayal of Catwoman in Batman Returns (1992).
In November, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, and John Turturro were respectively cast as Alfred Pennyworth, the Penguin, and Carmine Falcone. Reeves approached Serkis regarding the role of Alfred during post-production on War for the Planet of the Apes, and the actor was eager to work with Reeves again. Farrell looked to the Godfather character Fredo Corleone for inspiration and worked with dialect coach Jessica Drake to develop the Penguin's voice. Jayme Lawson also joined the cast as a politician, while Peter Sarsgaard was cast in December. During filming, Gil Perez-Abraham, twins Charlie and Max Carver, Rupert Penry-Jones, and Jay Lycurgo were revealed to be cast in undisclosed roles; Lycurgo, who portrays a criminal in the film, shot his scenes a year before he joined the DC series Titans as Tim Drake. Con O'Neill was revealed to be appearing after filming concluded.
Reeves was unsure if the Joker's appearance would be kept in the theatrical release, or if the actor playing him would be able to reprise the role in the future. Consequently, he felt the actor who played the Joker needed to be "fearless". Reeves met with Barry Keoghan, who was eager to take up the offer. The production team attempted to keep Keoghan's role a secret by announcing that he was portraying the "Year One" character Stanley Merkel when he was cast in July 2020, but Keoghan's brother revealed the truth on social media ahead of the film's release.
Design[]
Sets and props[]
The design team began working on the Batcave and Batmobile designs before the script was finished, as Reeves had a clear vision of what The Batman's world would look like and wanted the three to reflect each other. The Batcave was based on private underground railways in New York City that wealthy families used around the early 1900s, which Reeves described as a "way of saying, 'How can we root all these things in things that feel real, but also extraordinary?'" The Batcave also serves as the foundation of the film's depiction of Wayne Manor, which Reeves described as decaying, representing Batman's uninterest in his family's wealth.
Reeves envisioned a grounded, handmade design for the Batmobile, with production designer James Chinlund and concept artist Ash Thorp creating the vehicle design to have an engine that resembles a bat. Reeves wanted the Batmobile to feel like a "wild beast" and to move away from the tank-like design popularized by Nolan's Dark Knight films in favor of one that looked like a muscle car. He looked to Stephen King's novel Christine (1983), about a car possessed by supernatural forces, for inspiration: "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." Four Batmobile units were built, with the primary driving unit powered by a V8 engine that generated 650 horsepower. Another unit was built on a Tesla chassis for indoor and night shots.
Costumes[]
Costume design was led by Jacqueline Durran, and Pattinson's Batsuit was designed by supervisor Dave Crossman and concept artist Glyn Dillon over the course of a year. Reeves wanted the Batsuit to be practical and feel as if Batman used spare parts to create it on his own, and the design team looked to tactical gear from the Vietnam War for inspiration. Pattinson played a large role in designing the costume; he wanted to be able to move and fight in it, and was inspired by the depiction of Batman in the Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight storyline "Shaman" (1989) by O'Neil and Edward Hannigan. The final suit is more flexible than previous Batsuits, to the point that Pattinson "immediately started doing somersaults in it just because you could" when he put on the first prototype. Pattinson asked Bale for advice during the design process, and he jokingly advised to "make sure you're gonna be able to relieve yourself" while wearing the suit. Commentators noted that Pattinson's Batsuit seemed to take inspiration from the one drawn by artist Lee Bermejo in comics like Noël (2011) and Damned (2018–2019). Bermejo was not consulted regarding the design, but was proud to see a Batsuit similar to his in a film. Makeup artist Maria Donne modeled Bruce Wayne's hairstyle after Cobain, while his eyeliner when suiting up as Batman featured a mix of pigments and products that would sustain rain and sweating.
To portray the Penguin, Farrell wore prosthetics and a fat suit created by makeup artist Mike Marino. Reeves described it as "almost like a throwback Warner Bros. gangster" similar to actors John Cazale, Sydney Greenstreet, and Bob Hoskins. Farrell chose to wear a fat suit over gaining weight because he had suffered health problems when he gained weight for the television series The North Water (2021). Farrell's costume does not feature the Penguin's traditional monocle and top hat, and Warner Bros. disallowed him from smoking tobacco as he does in the comics. Farrell fought to allow him to carry a cigar instead of cigarettes, but Warner Bros. would not relent. Farrell was frequently described as "unrecognizable" in costume, to the point that Wright and Penry-Jones initially did not recognize him on set. Reeves was hesitant to make Farrell unrecognizable, as he wanted the Penguin's design to reflect the realistic tone, but accepted the design after seeing makeup tests. It took between two and four hours to apply the prosthetics, and Farrell tested the costume at a Burbank Starbucks, where he "got a couple of stares" ordering a latte in-character. He described wearing the costume as "absolute liberation", adding: "When the piece moves as well as the piece that was designed for the Penguin moved, my eyebrows moved to my cheeks and my smile, it was fucking insane. I didn't have any fear that Colin could be seen through."
The Riddler's costume was based on sketches of the Zodiac Killer; it retains the character's traditional green coat while adding a combat mask, which Dano wanted to show that the Riddler "probably felt a lot of shame or self-hatred or pain". Dano also covered himself in plastic wrap since he felt the Riddler would take extreme precautions to avoid leaving DNA at crime scenes. He became concerned about the effect this costume was having on him during filming since his head was "throbbing with heat... It was like compressed from the sweat and the heat and the lack of oxygen." Catwoman's costume was designed to lay a foundation for what would become her comic book outfit while feeling "as practical as possible". Marino also designed the facial prosthetics that Keoghan used to portray the Joker; although the Joker only appears in silhouette in the final cut, Reeves still had Marino develop a full design. Reeves wanted him to resemble Conrad Veidt's The Man Who Laughs (1928) character Gwynplaine that inspired the Joker's portrayal in the original comics. Reeves made the Joker's perpetual grin the result of a biological condition, rather than a facial scar as in previous films, to distinguish the new incarnation.
Filming[]
Principal photography began in January 2020 in London, under the working title Vengeance. Greig Fraser served as cinematographer; he previously worked with Reeves on Let Me In (2010). Cemetery scenes were filmed at the Glasgow Necropolis in Scotland in mid-February, before the production relocated to Liverpool in March. Filming in Liverpool took place at St George's Hall in Liverpool, doubling for Gotham City Hall, Anfield Cemetery, and the Royal Liver Building. At Reeves' suggestion, Fraser attempted to convey the film from Batman's point of view. He described shooting the film as "one of the most challenging lighting jobs I've ever done"; filming Pattinson in the Batsuit was particularly difficult since he did not want shadows to obscure the costume's details.
Reeves was a meticulous director and described The Batman as "the most intricate narrative I have ever, ever tried to tackle". Pattinson said Reeves asked for many retakes and adjusting to such an approach took some time. Kravitz described Reeves as "the most specific person and director I've ever worked with", citing a particular instance in which he told her not to close her mouth since he thought it needed to be open to convey a certain emotion. Reeves showed the different takes to the actors after filming to illustrate the "make-or-break nuances" he had seen. One scene, in which Batman and the Riddler communicate via videotelephony, took over 200 takes. Pattinson guessed that Reeves was "editing the entire movie, every single take", which Reeves said was correct and not something that other actors he had worked with had observed. Reeves developed this style of filming, in which he spent more time on fewer angles, while directing the television series Felicity.
For fight scenes, Reeves wanted to depart from the "kinetic, quick-cutting" sequences that previous Batman directors like Tim Burton and Nolan had shot. He wanted viewers to "actually see what's happening... in a way that is utterly convincing". Reeves originally planned to film the Batmobile chase sequence on a Liverpool freeway, but instead filmed it at the Dunsfold Aerodrome after determining that a race track would allow for more control. To convey the chase from Batman's perspective, Fraser "strapped cameras to cars and motorbikes, even though it was technically really hard to do... We fought against logistics. We fought against time. We fought against everything that told us to not do it that way." Fraser used different camera lenses and covered them in silicone to simulate rain and dirt and immerse the viewer.
Reeves filmed fake scenes with Keoghan portraying Merkel to prevent his actual role from leaking, and during the actual Joker scenes, Reeves kept Keoghan's face out of focus to signify that the Joker was still in his formative stages. Industrial Light & Magic provided the StageCraft virtual production technology that Fraser helped develop on the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian, with a wall of LED panels allowing visual effects backgrounds to be rendered in real-time. The wall was built around existing practical sets, and used for scenes involving the abandoned skyscraper where the Bat-Signal is so Reeves and Fraser could film with consistent sunset lighting which is very difficult on real locations. Using virtual production for this also meant the lighting impacted on the actors and set in a way that green screen technology cannot. The idea of putting the Bat-Signal on an abandoned building rather than on top of the GCPD building came from Chinlund, who was also able to design the wider Gotham cityscape so it could be created digitally by ILM and displayed in the background of scenes using the StageCraft technology. The production team briefly discussed removing the subplot in which the Riddler's online followers attempt to assassinate Bella Reál due to its similarities to the 2021 United States Capitol attack, which occurred during the final months of filming, but Reeves decided it was too integral to the story and different enough from the attack.
Covid-19 Pandemic[]
Production was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning two months after filming started. When the pandemic began, Warner Bros. did not plan to suspend shooting, unlike other major studios. However, it eventually did so on March 14, 2020. Warner Bros. stated that the hiatus would just be for two weeks, but Reeves announced on March 25 that filming had been suspended indefinitely. Production was unlikely to restart until at least mid-May, and Warner Bros. pushed the release date back to October 1, 2021, in April. On April 1, the production's dialect coach, Andrew Jack, died from COVID-19.
Around a quarter of filming was completed before the suspension, and Reeves began looking over that footage to help plan for the rest of filming. Reeves did not rewrite the script, but used the time to explore the film's tone. On May 12, the UK government said high-end film productions could resume shooting as soon as employers put COVID-19 safety measures in place. A month later, The Batman was given permission to restart production in July at the earliest. Clark said Jack's death haunted the crew as they prepared to resume production. By September 3, filming had resumed for three days at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, only to be put on pause again after Pattinson tested positive for COVID-19. The filming crew then entered a two-week quarantine, after which filming was set to resume, while construction on the sets and props at Leavesden Studios continued. Following this, Reeves became concerned that he would be unable to finish the film if he contracted COVID-19, so he wore a mask, scuba goggles, and a head covering on set.
Filming resumed on September 17, after Pattinson was cleared to return to set. At this point, the film had approximately three more months of filming and was expected to finish by the end of 2020. Filming was limited to England, and crew members were required to live close to the production area and not leave the surrounding community until production ended. Pattinson compared filming during the pandemic to a "military operation. We had earpieces in to have direction a lot of the time to kind of limit the amount of interactions." Some scenes were filmed using a remote control camera, which Pattinson found strange since he could not tell if there were any crew members around. Kravitz added that production became "impersonal" since mask mandates and other precautions meant the crew could not interact much. In early October, the film's release was pushed to March 4, 2022, due to the production delays. Exterior shots and stunt scenes for Gotham City were filmed in Chicago in October 2020, and production wrapped on March 13, 2021.
Editing[]
The Batmobile chase was the first scene that sound editor Will Files worked on, and used a bottle rocket sound effect as the basis for how the car sounded. Files worked with Douglas Murray and Andy Nelson to complete the sequence. The Batmobile's main engine noise came from a Ford big block engine, while the supercharger sound effect was a reversed World War II Jeep recording.
Warner Bros. held test screenings in late 2021; some early screenings showed a four-hour-long cut. Test audiences were not told they were seeing The Batman until entering the theater. The first cut was longer than Reeves intended, and he described it as rough, saying, "I was not all the way through the cut of the movie. There was so much of the movie yet to be touched". Reeves was "terrified" going into the first test screening, but was relieved when test audiences enjoyed the complex narrative. He felt it "kind of validated that this was a direction that an audience would be excited about", and future test screenings were met with improving reception. Reeves "made [his] way, bit by bit through the cut and [made] tiny adjustments to make sure that little things that maybe [were] not clear enough [were] clearer". Later test screenings showed two cuts, with an unknown actor, possibly Keoghan, included in only one. The final screening took place during the week beginning November 29, after which Warner Bros. executives decided which cut they preferred. Reeves kept the penultimate scene—in which the Joker befriends the Riddler in Arkham—because he felt it heightened the stakes of Batman and Catwoman's final conversation while completing the Riddler's story arc, but he cut the Manhunter-inspired scene for being unnecessary and disrupting the pacing. The final cut runs at 176 minutes including credits, making The Batman the longest Batman film and the third-longest superhero film after Zack Snyder's Justice League and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
In January 2022, The Batman received a PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association, despite wide speculation and internal discussions at Warner Bros. that its somber tone and violent content would lead to it being the first theatrical Batman film with an R-rating. The film was able to receive a PG-13 rating because it does not include excessive profanity or nudity. Rebecca Rubin of Variety opined that an R-rating could have hurt the film's box office potential by preventing many young males from seeing it, noting that the two previous R-rated DC films, Birds of Prey (2020) and The Suicide Squad (2021), both underperformed commercially. Reeves said that he always intended to make The Batman PG-13 and that there was not an alternate R-rated cut. He added that a PG-13 rating was one of the only studio mandates he faced.
Visual effects[]
Dan Lemmon served as the visual effects supervisor, after previously collaborating with Reeves on the Planet of the Apes films. Visual effects vendors included Weta Digital, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), and Scanline VFX.
Music[]
In October 2019, Reeves announced that his frequent collaborator Michael Giacchino would be composing the film's score. Later that month, Giacchino said he had already finished writing the main theme for the film because he was so excited to do so; because this music was written much earlier in the production than is usual for a film, Giacchino and Reeves were able to use it in promotional materials. Giacchino said he felt total freedom to write the music that he wanted for the film, agreeing with Reeves that this was their vision of Batman similar to how different comic book and graphic novel authors and artists over the years had been able to create different takes on the character. Giacchino completed the score in October 2021, and his main theme was released as a single on January 21, 2022. Giacchino's theme for the Riddler was released as a single on February 4, and his Catwoman theme was released as the third and final single on February 17. The full soundtrack album was released on February 25. "Something in the Way" also features throughout the film, and was noted to have a similar baseline to Giacchino's score. He acknowledged this, but said it was a lucky coincidence.
Marketing[]
Reeves released "moody, red-saturated" test footage of Pattinson in his Batman costume on February 13, 2020. The footage included early music written by Giacchino, and generated discussion about the film's approach to Batman. Chris Evangelista of /Film thought Pattinson's Batman looked much different from previous film depictions, while Richard Newby of The Hollywood Reporter identified the costume's various references to past incarnations. Newby also noted that the bat emblem on the costume's chest resembled a pistol, and wondered if it was the pistol used to kill Batman's parents in his origin story. The footage's use of the color red also led to discussion of how The Batman would differ tonally from previous adaptations. On March 4, Reeves released an image of the film's Batmobile. Dino-Ray Ramos of Deadline Hollywood opined that it seemed "sexier and more streamlined than Batmobiles from the past", giving off "James Bond-meets-Fast and Furious energy" that seemed appropriate for Pattinson's version of the character.
Reeves debuted a teaser trailer during the virtual DC FanDome event on August 22. It features a remix of the Nirvana song "Something in the Way" (1991) combined with Giacchino's score. The trailer received 34 million views within 24 hours, and according to c|net's Bonnie Burton and Jennifer Bisset it "set the internet on fire". They noted its somber, grim tone. Katrina Nattress of Spin and John Saavedra at The Ringer respectively described its depiction of Gotham City as "dystopic" and "nightmarish". Adam Chitwood of Collider praised what he saw as a "genuinely refreshing" approach to depicting the world of Batman, and Saavedra wrote that it made The Batman look more like a detective story than a superhero film. Alex Abad-Santos of Vox felt the film had more in common with the R-rated Batman spin-off Joker (2019) than other contemporary DC films. Abad-Santos also noted that some critics disliked the trailer's dark tone, as previous Batman films were similarly dark and "some aren't in the mood to watch all that darkness over again", but felt The Batman could show that "carte-blanche reactionary violence, retribution rewarded with material wealth, and a soulless existence driven by bloody, bone-snapping ambition isn't actually something regular people want to emulate".
Reeves and Pattinson discussed the film at the Warner Bros. CinemaCon panel on August 24, 2021, where a sizzle reel of new footage was shown. Reeves, Pattinson, and Kravitz debuted a second trailer as the finale of DC FanDome on October 16. Daniel Chin at The Ringer said the trailer had been a highly anticipated part of the virtual event, and felt it did not disappoint. He and other commentators highlighted the trailer's dark, violent, and brutal approach to the character, which Chin felt was consistent with the teaser trailer. Adam B. Vary of Variety specifically compared the tone to Christoper Nolan's "gritty" Dark Knight films, believing The Batman would be darker and more violent than even those films. Vary, Chin, and Entertainment Weekly's Chancellor Agard all highlighted the trailer's footage of Farrell and his physical transformation for the role of Penguin. A Japanese trailer released on December 12 quickly led to discussion and speculation that the Joker would appear after fans spotted a figure resembling the character on a newspaper prop in the footage.
Warner Bros. launched a viral marketing campaign in December 2021 with the website www.rataalada.com (Rata alada is Spanish for "winged rat"). The website allows users to engage in simulated conversations with the Riddler, and solving his riddles unlocks promotional artwork. A third trailer, titled "The Bat and the Cat", was released on December 27 and focuses on the relationship between Batman and Catwoman. /Film's Jeremy Mathai already felt the film's marketing had been great and was impressed that this was "yet another incredible trailer". Asha Barbaschow and Rob Bricken of Gizmodo opined that Pattinson looked like a better Batman than his predecessors, Bale and Affleck. They were intrigued by the trailer's implication that the Riddler would position himself as an "agent of justice", and were excited at the prospect of Reeves altering Batman's origin story. In February 2022, more footage from the film was released as part of a teaser for Warner Bros.' 2022 slate of DC films, which at that time included Black Adam, The Flash, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
WarnerMedia spent over $28 million on television advertisements and licensed a significant amount of merchandise to promote the film; it described the promotion as the largest Batman merchandise collection in a decade. Promotion included Hot Wheels toys from Mattel, Lego sets, action figures from McFarlane Toys and Funko, clothing, cosmetics, and Oreo cookies. Warner Bros. partnered with Universal Pictures and the Supercars Championship to adorn a livery inspired by The Batman on the Ford Mustang GT Course Car, while Google, independently from Warner Bros., updated Google Search to display a Bat-Signal Easter egg for Batman-related search queries to coincide with the film's premiere in February 2022. DC Comics published The Batman Box Set, a trade paperback collection featuring a slipcase with art by Jim Lee and the "Year One", The Long Halloween, and Ego comics, in March 2022. Additionally, most of DC's March 2022 Batman-related comics feature variant covers based on the film.
Release[]
Theatrical[]
Special screenings were held in Paris on February 21, 2022, and London on February 23, 2022. The Batman's world premiere was held at Lincoln Center in New York City on March 1, 2022, alongside 350 advance IMAX screenings across the United States, ahead of its wide release by Warner Bros. Pictures on March 4. It was originally set for release on June 25, 2021, before it was pushed back to October 1, 2021, and then to March 2022, both times after Warner Bros. adjusted its release schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Batman will be the first superhero film to be released in China since Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), after multiple Marvel films were denied releases in 2021. Warner Bros. canceled the Russian release in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Home media[]
The Batman will become available to stream on HBO Max on April 19, 2022, 45 days after its theatrical release. It was the first Warner Bros. film in over a year that did not stream on HBO Max simultaneously with the theatrical release.
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