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Draft:The Batman – Part II

The Batman – Part II
Directed byMatt Reeves
Written by
Based onCharacters
from DC
Produced by
Starring
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • October 2, 2026 (2026-10-02)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Batman – Part II is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. Produced by DC Studios, 6th & Idaho, and Dylan Clark Productions, and to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is intended to be the sequel to The Batman (2022) and the second film in a planned Batman shared universe. The film will be directed by Matt Reeves, from a screenplay he is co-writing with Mattson Tomlin, and will star Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman, alongside Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell.

Warner Bros. planned for The Batman to be the first in a new trilogy of Batman films and to form a shared universe during development, with ideas discussed ahead of the first film's release. A sequel to The Batman was officially announced in April 2022, with Reeves and Pattinson returning, while Tomlin joined in August shortly before writing was set to begin. The title was announced in January 2023. Filming is expected to begin in April 2025 at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, in the United Kingdom.

The Batman – Part II is scheduled to be released in the United States on October 2, 2026. A third film is in development for the intended trilogy.

Cast edit

Additionally, Barry Keoghan is expected to reprise his role as the Joker, an enemy of Batman who is incarcerated in Arkham State Hospital.[5]

Production edit

Development edit

The DC Comics-based film The Batman (2022) was intended to be the first in a new trilogy of Batman films by May 2019,[6] and key cast members were reported to have signed on for future films by that November.[7] By September 2021, WarnerMedia was confirmed to be planning for The Batman to establish a Batman-focused shared universe separate from their other DC Comics franchise, the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).[8][9] Director Matt Reeves had suggested to studio executives that a sequel film could explore the character the Penguin further, but they wanted to use the idea for a spin-off series The Penguin (2024) instead.[10] In December, star Robert Pattinson said he had ideas for developing Bruce Wayne / Batman's character in further films, while producer Dylan Clark said The Batman would lay a foundation for future films to build upon.[11] In early 2022, Pattinson and Reeves expressed interest in introducing Robin and featuring the Court of Owls, Calendar Man, Mr. Freeze, or Hush as villains in a sequel.[12]

A sequel was officially announced at Warner Bros. Pictures' CinemaCon panel in April 2022,[1][13] when Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich said that "the entire team" would return for the sequel,[13] including Pattinson as Batman and Reeves as writer and director.[1][13] Reeves' return was not guaranteed and negotiations lasted longer than expected, in part due to the merger between Discovery, Inc. and WarnerMedia to form Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) during that time.[14] In August, Reeves signed an overall first-look film deal with Warner Bros. Pictures Group for his production company 6th & Idaho, when his producing partner Clark was also set to return to produce through his company Dylan Clark Productions.[15] At that time, Mattson Tomlin was revealed to be co-writing the script with Reeves, after previously doing so as an uncredited writer on the first film,[14][15] and the writing process was expected to begin in the following weeks.[14] Reeves also renewed his deal with Warner Bros. Television Studios, where he was developing The Penguin and a series set in Arkham Asylum for the streaming service HBO Max;[15][16] Reeves' film deal was considered a reassurance in WBD committing to returning filmmakers, which came after WBD had already canceled the nearly-complete DCEU film Batgirl that was made for HBO Max.[15][16]

By October 2022, it was unclear if Reeves' future DC projects for a planned The Batman shared universe would be placed under the control of James Gunn and Peter Safran, heads of the then-recently announced DC Studios that was set to lead DC's film and television projects, or under the supervision of Warner Bros. Pictures co-chairmen Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy.[17] The film was not expected to release until as early as 2025 as Reeves was still working on the script.[18] Gunn confirmed in November that DC Studios would oversee all DC productions, and had contacted Reeves about his projects by then,[19] while Sarah Aubrey, the head of originals for HBO Max, said that The Penguin would occur shortly before the events of the sequel to The Batman.[20] Gunn debunked reports the next month that he and Safran were exploring potentially incorporating Reeves' The Batman content with Pattinson in their DC shared universe plans,[21] later explaining that DC Studios was respecting Reeves' decision to keep his shared universe separate from their new franchise the DC Universe (DCU).[22] Reeves said in January 2023 that he would meet with Gunn and Safran later that month to discuss how they could avoid their plans clashing,[23] confirmed that he was writing the script with Tomlin,[24] and that The Penguin would establish a "little fabric" of plans that would lead into the sequel to The Batman.[25]

Pre-production edit

The film's title was revealed to be The Batman – Part II in late January 2023, when it was given a release date of October 3, 2025. Gunn said that the film, along with other projects that did not fit into the new DC franchise the DCU, would be labeled as "DC Elseworlds" moving forward. This is the same as how DC Comics uses the Elseworlds imprint to mark comic books that are separate from the main continuity.[26] The next month, Penguin actor Colin Farrell expressed interest in reprising his role in the film to follow The Penguin,[27] while Reeves confirmed that Andy Serkis would reprise his role as Alfred Pennyworth.[4] It was also reported that filming would begin in November 2023,[28] which executive producer Michael E. Uslan confirmed in March,[29] when Barry Keoghan was reported to be reprising his role of the Joker.[5] By the end of the month, the character Clayface was expected to be part of the film.[30] By June, filming had been delayed due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike and was reportedly expected to begin in March 2024, though this was not expected to impact the film's release by then.[31] Josh Hartnett and Joel Edgerton were reportedly being eyed for the role of Harvey Dent, with potential for the character to become the villain Two-Face, as in the comics, by the end of the film.[32] Reeves had discussed the film with The Batman cinematographer Greig Fraser, and said he and Tomlin were discussing how they could push it further from the first film.[33]

When the WGA strike ended in September 2023, Warner Bros. was expected to resume pre-production work imminently.[34] By December, Gunn had heard a pitch for the film and said the script was not yet ready.[22] In early 2024, Jeffrey Wright revealed that he was reprising his role as James Gordon and expressed interest in having Gordon move up the ranks in the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) from a lieutenant.[3][35] Paul Dano and Farrell were also reported to be reprising their respective roles as Edward Nashton / Riddler and the Penguin.[2] Filming had then been expected to begin between August and October 2024.[2][36] In March, the film's release was delayed to October 2, 2026, due to the WGA and 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes,[37][36] which journalist Jeff Sneider reported had prevented Reeves from working on the script and caused several major stages that the film would use for production to already be reserved through the end of 2024. Filming was now expected to begin at the start of 2025, with the release date chosen to allow Reeves more time to work on the film,[36] shortly before Sneider reported that filming was set to begin in April 2025.[38]

Filming edit

Principal photography is scheduled to begin in April 2025,[38] at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, in the United Kingdom.[28] Filming was originally scheduled to begin on November 23, 2023,[29] before it was expected to begin in March 2024,[31] and then expected to start between August and October 2024.[2][36]

Release edit

The Batman – Part II is scheduled to be released theatrically in the United States on October 2, 2026.[37] It was previously scheduled to release on October 3, 2025.[26]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Rubin, Rebecca (April 26, 2022). "Robert Pattinson Returning for The Batman Sequel". Variety. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Production Weekly – Issue 1386 – Thursday, January 25, 2024 / 189 Listings – 42 Pages". Production Weekly. No. 1386. January 24, 2024. p. 3. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Behbakht, Andy (February 21, 2024). "The Batman – Part II Update Sparks Movie Delay Fears For Fans". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Franklin-Wallis, Oliver (February 27, 2023). "Andy Serkis in the flesh". GQ. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  5. ^ a b McPherson, Christopher (March 16, 2023). "Barry Keoghan Set to Join Ridley Scott's Gladiator Sequel". Collider. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  6. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 31, 2019). "Warner Bros Approves Robert Pattinson For The Batman". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  7. ^ Lang, Brent; Kroll, Justin (November 26, 2019). "DC Films Plots Future With Superman, Green Lantern and R-Rated Movies (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 26, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  8. ^ Agard, Chancellor (February 16, 2022). "Knight Moves: Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz take flight in The Batman". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  9. ^ Otterson, Joe (September 13, 2021). "The Batman Spinoff Series About Penguin in Early Development at HBO Max". Variety. Archived from the original on September 13, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  10. ^ Vary, Adam B. (March 2, 2022). "How The Batman Director Matt Reeves Made a $200 Million Bet on Robert Pattinson's Darker Knight". Variety. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  11. ^ Edel, Victoria (December 22, 2021). "Robert Pattinson says he 'would love' to do his own Batman trilogy". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  12. ^ Multiple sources:
  13. ^ a b c Parker, Ryan; McClintock, Pamela (April 26, 2022). "The Batman Sequel Set With Robert Pattinson and Director Matt Reeves". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  14. ^ a b c Kit, Borys (August 23, 2022). "The Batman 2: Mattson Tomlin to Co-Write Script with Matt Reeves". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  15. ^ a b c d Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 23, 2022). "The Batman Director Matt Reeves Sets Multi-Year First Look Film Deal At Warner Bros. & Re-Ups With Warner Bros Television". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  16. ^ a b Couch, Aaron (August 23, 2022). "The Batman Filmmaker Matt Reeves Inks Overall Film, TV Deal With Warner Bros". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  17. ^ Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (October 25, 2022). "DC Shocker: James Gunn, Peter Safran to Lead Film, TV and Animation Division (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  18. ^ Donnelly, Matt; Lang, Brent (October 25, 2022). "James Gunn and Peter Safran Give DC Studios and David Zaslav Bold, Brash and Slightly Risky New Guardians". Variety. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  19. ^ Biordi, Jordan (November 10, 2022). "James Gunn Confirms The Batman's Status in Relation to His DC Universe". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  20. ^ Maas, Jennifer (November 10, 2022). "HBO Max's Sarah Aubrey Teases The Penguin, Dune: The Sisterhood, And Just Like That Season 2 and Likelihood of a Harry Potter Series". Variety. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  21. ^ Vary, Adam B. (December 14, 2022). "Robert Pattinson's Batman on Deck, Aquaman 2's $205 Million Budget: The Tricky Road Ahead for DC". Variety. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  22. ^ a b Freitag, Lee (December 15, 2023). "James Gunn Explains Why Matt Reeves' Batman Universe Wasn't Made Part of the DCU". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  23. ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (January 12, 2023). "Matt Reeves to Meet With James Gunn & Peter Safran for "BatVerse"". Collider. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  24. ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (January 11, 2023). "Matt Reeves Confirms That He Is Working on The Batman Sequel [Exclusive]". Collider. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  25. ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (January 11, 2023). "The Penguin Series to Tie Into The Batman Sequel, Matt Reeves Says [Exclusive]". Collider. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  26. ^ a b Sharf, Zack (January 31, 2023). "The Batman Part II Sets 2025 Release Date as Part of Newly Branded 'DC Elseworlds' Projects". Variety. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  27. ^ Davis, Clayton (February 2, 2023). "Colin Farrell Talks Banshees Oscar Nom, How Many Episodes To Expect From The Penguin Spinoff". Variety. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  28. ^ a b Behbakht, Andy (February 23, 2023). "When The Batman 2 Starts Filming Reportedly Revealed". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  29. ^ a b Brown, Jodee (March 7, 2023). "The Batman 2 Scores a Late-2023 Filming Start Date". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  30. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Grobar, Matt (March 29, 2023). "Mike Flanagan Pitches Pic On Clayface To Warner Bros DC – The Dish". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  31. ^ a b Dawe, Luke (June 1, 2023). "The Batman Part II Filming Delayed as Writer's Strike Continues". Collider. Archived from the original on June 1, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  32. ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (June 8, 2023). "The Batman 2: Rumored Two-Face Frontrunners Revealed". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  33. ^ Perry, Spencer (June 30, 2023). "The Batman Part II: Director Matt Reeves Teases Return of Cinematographer Greig Fraser". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  34. ^ Lang, Brent; Maas, Jennifer; Otterson, Joe (September 27, 2023). "Back to Work! Studios Eye Post-Strike Plans to Prioritize Production on Stranger Things, Euphoria, House of the Dragon and More". Variety. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  35. ^ Gawley, Paige (January 16, 2024). "Jeffrey Wright Gives Update on The Batman – Part II (Exclusive)". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  36. ^ a b c d Sneider, Jeff (March 12, 2024). "Spyglass Half Full: Why Is Kevin Williamson Directing Scream 7 and Why Is Neve Campbell Back?". TheInSneider. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  37. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 12, 2024). "The Batman 2 From Matt Reeves Heads To Fall 2026; Paul Thomas Anderson-Leonardo DiCaprio Movie Gets Summer 2025 Date". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  38. ^ a b Brown, Jodee (March 26, 2024). "The Batman Sequel Gets Production Update After Major Delay". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024. – via Sneider, Jeff (March 25, 2024). "Euphoria Season 3 Delay: Zendaya's Spider-Man 4 Shoot to Blame Along With HBO Show's Time Jump". TheInSneider. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024.

External links edit


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