During a Television Critics Association appearance this week, Matt Reeves (War for the Planet of the Apes) provided a much-needed update on the status of The Batman.
Unfortunately, whether or not Ben Affleck will be donning the cape and cowl is still to be determined, but the filmmaker did delve into detail apropos of his hotly anticipated superhero picture, and we just might be inching closer to a production start date. Or at least, we hope we are.
Although he isn’t expected to be in possession of a first draft until later this month, Reeves did disclose that, sadly, The Batman will not be an adaptation of Frank Miller’s Year One, despite a report to the contrary. Nonetheless, the comic book aficionado in your life need not fret, as the pride of Rockville Centre, New York did reveal that his standalone pic will take place within Worlds of DC, leaving plenty of room for a crossover or two.
Now, Reeves has divulged the time frame in which he anticipates The Batman will begin principal photography. According to /Film, the “noir-driven” feature – which will find the Dark Knight “investigating a particular case…out into the world of Gotham” – could be headed in front of cameras as early as spring next year.
Here’s what Reeves had to say about it when asked:
“What we’ve talked about is hopefully in the spring or early summer, something like that.”
One of many DC and WB projects currently in the works, The Batman is presently eyeing a 2020 launch window, and should the early 2019 production start date hold true, Bruce Wayne could very well kick off the new decade. That said, with a script and lead actor still to be determined, Reeves certainly has his work cut out for him.