The Batman (2021)

[Michael*]

 

The Batman
Release Date: 25 June 2021 (US)
Director: Matt Reeves
 
Synopsis
The Batman is an American superhero movie directed by Matt Reeves which is scheduled for release in 2021. Tenth movie in the DC film universe, this is the eighth movie centered on Batman, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.
 
Cast

Robert Pattinson - Bruce Wayne / Batman

Zoë Kravitz - Selina Kyle / Catwoman

Paul Dano - The Riddler

Jeffrey Wright - Commissioner Gordon

Colin Farrell - Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin (rumored)

Andy Serkis - Alfred Pennyworth (rumored)

[jkjk]

It's still funny to me that if they do a Justice League 2 then they will have Ben as Batman in that and Robert as Batman in this. Feels odd to me.

 

I particularly like the choices of Zoe and Andy.

 

Not as sure about some of the others, but I am open to waiting to see how it works. Mainly because I get frustrated with people who decide they know a movie or show will be good or bad before seeing it and I try to avoid doing that.

[Michael*]

28 minutes ago, jkjk said:

It's still funny to me that if they do a Justice League 2 then they will have Ben as Batman in that and Robert as Batman in this. Feels odd to me.

 

I particularly like the choices of Zoe and Andy.

 

Not as sure about some of the others, but I am open to waiting to see how it works. Mainly because I get frustrated with people who decide they know a movie or show will be good or bad before seeing it and I try to avoid doing that.

 

I think Pattinson has proved his worth as an actor post-Twilight, although he's seemingly negotiated the path from teen idol to serious actor and then to Hollywood A-lister in remarkably quick time. Someone give his agent a medal.

 

With all that said, while he should be fine as Wayne, it's a tricky business getting the dichotomy right and I do wonder if he'll struggle to convey the menace of Batman's dark side.

 

That DC are starting to disconnect their universe is probably a good thing, since Marvel have them beat on the whole shared universe concept. Not that they couldn't still do another crossover, just probably not without some kind of major retcon having to happen.

[Michael*]

John Turturro has been added to an already impressive-looking cast as Carmine Falcone. Casting him alongside all those other names would seem to indicate that this film, while perhaps not doing so as a straightforward origin movie, will probably examine the theme of mobsters being superceded by supervillains.

[Michael*]

It appears Peter Sarsgaard is next in line to join the cast. Reeves hasn't divulged his character yet but some of the fans have a guess based on various hints posted online.

 

 

[Cult Icon]

The trailer for the film.  Besides the film, the highly successful Batman game franchise has been revived (after a 5 year hiatus?) with new trailers. :

 

 

[Cult Icon]

The trailer looks terrific but I really don't like Robert Patty as a pretty boy/Emo Batman.  Batman is not emo in the comics.  Looks like Inspector Gordon is the black guy from Westworld now? 

[Michael*]

11 hours ago, Cult Icon said:

The trailer looks terrific but I really don't like Robert Patty as a pretty boy/Emo Batman.  Batman is not emo in the comics.  Looks like Inspector Gordon is the black guy from Westworld now? 

 

So far, the presentation of Gotham as a sort of purgatorial concrete jungle is probably what interests me the most. It looks like a DIY deconstruction of Frank Miller's Year One.

 

The first publicity shot of Pattinson in the suit gave me pause, but the takedown of the clown thug in the trailer mostly sold him to me as having the physical presence necessary.

[Cult Icon]

7 hours ago, Michael* said:

 

So far, the presentation of Gotham as a sort of purgatorial concrete jungle is probably what interests me the most. It looks like a DIY deconstruction of Frank Miller's Year One.

 

The first publicity shot of Pattinson in the suit gave me pause, but the takedown of the clown thug in the trailer mostly sold him to me as having the physical presence necessary.

 

I'd like to see more scenes with him as the actual batman and as bruce wayne.  Do you recall any comics where Batman is portrayed in an emo like manner?  

 

+ the batmobile is a muscle car and the trailer reminds me of David Fincher's Se7en

 

The games is finally tackling the "court of owls" storyline.

[Michael*]

2 hours ago, Cult Icon said:

I'd like to see more scenes with him as the actual batman and as bruce wayne.  Do you recall any comics where Batman is portrayed in an emo like manner? 

 

I can only think of one really, the recent series written by Tom King depicted a very introspective version of Wayne who was a bit of a mess and often flew into blind rages.

 

Maybe at a push the Grant Morrison run too, although the characterisation in that was accompanied by that particularly nineties style of comic book "mayhem", which I dare say is probably what people remember about it first and foremost.

[Cult Icon]

Hmmph, never read the Tom King one.   I am sad that the Batman & Superman franchise declined after Nolan.

 

 

[Michael*]

On 8/25/2020 at 8:02 PM, Cult Icon said:

Hmmph, never read the Tom King one.   I am sad that the Batman & Superman franchise declined after Nolan.

 

King's run had some fantastic, out-of-the-box concepts, but dipping into it randomly always felt like a bit of a lottery. You might get something fun and twisty with a lot of bombastic action or something confusing and drearily paced. The ongoing arc with Bane was an absolute wonder, though.

 

I'm with you on that. The various attempts at competing with the Marvel continuity succeeded only in creating a mess, when I dare say most people just want a good Batman detective story.

[Cult Icon]

On 8/26/2020 at 7:44 PM, Michael* said:

 

I'm with you on that. The various attempts at competing with the Marvel continuity succeeded only in creating a mess, when I dare say most people just want a good Batman detective story.

 

What I hoped for was a full arced Epic like Batman Begins, TDK, TDKR but with Superman.  Man of Steel was an origins film like Batman Begins but nowhere as good but sadly the subsequent films try to compete in Marvel's space as you say and failed.

 

I would have loved to see films with the best Superman stories like  Red Son (which has an animated film)

 

It seems like  Nolan/Bale were done with Batman so Batman had to be rebooted anyway.  Making subsequent films TDK-like detective stories would have been good enough and much desired.

[Michael*]

23 hours ago, Cult Icon said:

What I hoped for was a full arced Epic like Batman Begins, TDK, TDKR but with Superman.  Man of Steel was an origins film like Batman Begins but nowhere as good but sadly the subsequent films try to compete in Marvel's space as you say and failed.

 

I would have loved to see films with the best Superman stories like  Red Son (which has an animated film)

 

It seems like Nolan/Bale were done with Batman so Batman had to be rebooted anyway.  Making subsequent films TDK-like detective stories would have been good enough and much desired.

 

It's a shame, it seemed like by the end of Man of Steel they'd established a decent launching point for the continuity, with DC openly stating that the emergence of Superman would lead to other characters gradually revealing themselves. Instead they took a left turn and started trying to achieve in two films what Marvel did in twenty.

I suppose you'd have to say Snyder was a pretty big hindrance as well. He seems to have trouble getting the most out of a script, even when it's a script of his own creation.

[Cult Icon]

@Michael*  I've never seen a great Snyder film.  300 was his best film imho.  Watchmen had some good moments and imagery but had big problems.  Man of Steel and Dawn of the Dead were OK.  

 

Basically these films have problems telling a coherent and intelligent story, so the beats often don't hit the mark and come across as inauthentic.  

 

It seems like common sense that a Batman vs. Superman film like that was premature, I guess the executive suite had other priorities.  I guess there aren't better comic book directors available.

[Michael*]

Snyder's Watchmen reminded me of Baz Luhrmann's Great Gatsby, where despite the painstaking detail that went into the making of the film, the director entirely failed to grasp the point of the material. BVS of course had even fewer redeeming features, they shouldn't have let Snyder anywhere near another comic book flick afterwards.

 

The buzz about Matt Reeves being attached to a Batman film seemed conspicuous by its absence, but he's a capable director and I hope he's given the chance to tell the story in his own way. Going forward, I think studios would do well to be less fussy about tone and just let talented people give us a vision.

[Cult Icon]

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/09/09/robert-pattinson-the-batman-coronavirus

 

Source: Robert Pattinson Has COVID-19, Halting The Batman Production

[Michael*]

Take it with a sizeable grain of salt given the source, but some of the British tabloids are running with the story that production is still ongoing, with Pattinson's stunt double seemingly in heavy demand.

 

But overall, yeah, it's almost as if a country yet to see a significant downturn in cases opening itself back up for the filming of major movie productions wasn't a good idea.

[jkjk]

28 minutes ago, Michael* said:

Take it with a sizeable grain of salt given the source, but some of the British tabloids are running with the story that production is still ongoing, with Pattinson's stunt double seemingly in heavy demand.

 

That would be a good use of time. They could shoot a lot of 2nd unit stuff and scenes that may have already been planned for the stunt double in the suit.

 

It really is bad luck to get a positive test that quickly. Shang-Chi, among others, has had better luck so far.

[Michael*]

21 minutes ago, jkjk said:

That would be a good use of time. They could shoot a lot of 2nd unit stuff and scenes that may have already been planned for the stunt double in the suit.

 

It wouldn't surprise me if Pattinson's contract states that it has to be him wearing the suit most of the time, but for sure, I see no reason why they couldn't forge ahead with stunt work and whatnot while still scaling down the production.