Reeves Says THE BATMAN Will Film Around Year’s End, Confirms CHINATOWN Inspiration

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When it comes to Matt Reeves’ The Batman, there has been tons of back-and-forth about when the film may enter production. There were times last year when people wondered, “Will we ever see this movie?” And then that sentiment was cast aside when Reeves revealed in August of 2018 that they were hopeful to start filming The Batman in spring or summer of 2019.

But then Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter told folks a few months back that it may not actually film until November, and it turns out he may have been right.

Last night on twitter, Reeves did an impromptu Q&A with fans and when asked about when The Batman would start filming, he replied “Looking like sometime around year’s end.”

Looking like sometime around year’s end.
— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) March 15, 2019

As for why things have shifted from “possibly spring” to “year’s end,” it’s likely to do with some fine-tuning of the script. We’ve all heard murmurs that the script hasn’t been finalized, and that a final draft is still on the way.

Even Armie Hammer, who continues to deny he’s had any talks for the role of Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, acknowledged that Reeves’ script is still being worked on. “I don’t even know if they are done – I think they are still working on a script,” he said last month when asked about whether or not he was involved with The Batman.

But that clarification about the film’s production timeline wasn’t the only insight Reeves offered last night…

It’s been said by many, including myself, that Reeves is really leaning heavily into the detective noir genre; More so than in any other Batman film we’ve seen. And when folks mention the kinds of films Reeves has drawn inspiration from while writing the film, Roman Polanski’s Chinatown comes up frequently.

Last night, a fan asked him if it’s true that he drew inspiration from Chinatown, to which Reeves responded, “I watched it at WB before writing… (For the one millionth time; what a great movie.)“

I watched it at WB before writing… (For the one millionth time; what a great movie.) https://t.co/CxYMAYy53O
— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) March 15, 2019

And then, in a moment I’m quite proud of, our own Jonathan Brady shared his mutual admiration for the book, Batman: Ego (which we’ve heard is one of the books he’s drawn from), and Reeves responded, “It’s a great one, no?“

It’s a great one, no? https://t.co/iWsW6Kpxro
— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) March 15, 2019

Reeves taking to twitter like this seems to be part of a subtle strategy that DC Entertainment has been employing for the last year or so. It’s a strategy I’ve been pointing out for months on The Fanboy Podcast, and it’s working. Essentially, folks working on DC projects have been encouraged to really engage with fans on social media in order to be brand ambassadors for the Worlds of DC.

Cause who can hype you up better for a movie? A WB PR person sending a press release to THR, or the actual stars and creators of the films we’re dying to see? It’s why you’ve seen so much of Jason Momoa, Zachary Levi, David F. Sandberg, and Patty Jenkins on platforms like Instagram and Twitter lately.

And now it looks like we can add Reeves into the mix. Pretty cool.

What do we think of The Batman not filming until the end of the year? Why do we think it’s shifted from what he said last August? Are you excited about the Chinatown inspiration? Have you read Batman: Ego? Feel free to discuss in the comments below!

And yes, of course there’s a part of me that’s taken a mental note of the fact that there were recently rumors that Hammer is up for the lead role in The Invisible Man- which shoots in May. Many saw that as the fatal conflict that would prevent him from doing The Batman. And, well, it’s not a conflict if Reeves isn’t filming until the winter, is it? This is why I choose to remain tight-lipped on this subject, while others spin themselves in circles. Sit tight.

SOURCE: Twitter