Just three days after filming resumed at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in Hertfordshire, England, production on “The Batman” has once again been halted, as a crew member (later revealed to be star Robert Pattinson himself) has tested positive for COVID-19. Warner Bros. confirmed the news to IndieWire, and a spokesperson from the studio said the crew member, who wasn’t identified, is now “isolating in accordance with established protocols. Filming is temporarily paused.” Filming on director/co-writer Matt Reeves’ DC tentpole starring Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight began in January 2020 in London, before moving to Liverpool in March due to the pandemic. In mid-March, filming, as was the case on virtually ever film production, was temporarily suspended entirely.
“The Batman” is scheduled to be released on October 1, 2021. Reeves reportedly has another three months left to shoot on the movie, as he had about a quarter of it finished by the time the shutdown took place. He recently unveiled a teaser of the movie at the virtual DC FanDome event, revealing that the film is set during the “Batman Year Two” cycle of the DC Comics series. Pattinson plays a version of Batman in his early days, opposite Colin Farrell as The Penguin, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and John Turturro as Carmine Falcone. The cast also includes Peter Sarsgaard and Barry Keoghan. “The thing I related to in the Batman story is that he isn’t a superhero in the traditional sense,” Reeves said. “If he has a superpower, it’s the ability to endure,” Reeves said at DC FanDome. “He’s a very alive character, and to tell a version of Batman that wasn’t about how he became Batman, but the early days of being Batman…to see it in new ways, that was a way to do something that hasn’t been done.” This is Matt Reeves’ first directorial project since he helmed “War for the Planet of the Apes,” which released in 2017. With a script from Reeves and Mattson Tomlin, “The Batman” features cinematography from Oscar-nominated DP Greig Fraser, who also shot Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming “Dune,” plus “Lion” and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” Reeves also directed “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “Let Me In,” and “Cloverfield.” Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
