A little over a week ago, it was announced thatBen Affleckwas officially stepping down as the director ofThe Batman. He and the studio reportedly felt that it was best for the movie if he focused on putting everything he could into the role and getting a director who could really help them get the movie where it needed to be. Well, it looks like Warner Bros. has found that director and that director isMatt Reeves.
Varietyis reporting thatMatt Reeveshas already committed to directingThe Batman, but the deal is still being worked out. It was reported by Variety when the news broke thatBen Affleck would not be directingthe movie thatReeves, who most recently directedWar for the Planet of the Apesfor Fox, was the studio’s top choice for the job. It looks like they didn’t have to settle, because assuming they can get the contract done, and it seems very likely they will,The Batmanis now going to be his next movie.
Ben Affleckis still going to star in and produce thenew Batman moviefor Warner Bros., but he felt he needed to find a “partner in a director,” as he put it, to helm the project.Affleckhelped co-write the script for the movie, along withGeoff Johns. The script recently got a rewrite fromArgoandJustice LeaguescribeChris Terrio. Apparently, that was just what it needed, because a recent report claimed that everyone, includingBen Affleckand the heads at Warner Bros., were very happy with that draft of the script and were ready to move ahead. Now, withMatt Reeveson board, things really seem to be moving in the right direction.
While many DC fans were excited to see what aBen AffleckdirectedBatmanmovie would look like,Matt Reevesdefinitely seems like he is very qualified for the job. He directedDawn of the Planet of the Apes, the second in the rebooted franchise. He took over forRupert Wyatt, who directedRise of the Planet of the Apes. The third in the series,War for the Planet of the Apes, is set to come out in July, which will leave him free to get to work onThe Batman. Aside from his work on thePlanet of the Apesmovies,Matt Reevesalso directed the 2008 monster flickCloverfieldand the 2010 horror movieLet Me In, which was a remake of the Spanish vampire movieLet the Right One In. So his track record is really solid at this point.
There is no word on when production will start, butThe Batmanwas expected to shoot sometime this year. With a script and a director in place, they should still be able to make that happen. Aside fromBen Affleckplaying theCaped Crusader,Joe Manganiellohas been cast to play the villainDeathstroke, withJ.K. Simmonsplaying Commissioner Gordon andJeremy Ironsreturning to play Alfred. There is no word yet on a release date forThe Batman, but things are looking good after a bit of a bumpy start, so hopefully the studio won’t make us wait too long. We will be sure to keep you posted as more details on the movie become available.
