Robert Pattinson doesn’t oppose superhero movies morally. He wasn’t looking for them before “The Batman”, however.
The 35-year old star who appeared to be a superstar in mega-famous franchises like “Harry Potter,” “Twilight,” and “Twilight,” has spent the past decade chasing smaller roles with interesting directors and more challenging fare.
It was “Good Time,” a $2,000,000 movie, that convinced Matt Reeves that Pattinson should be his Batman. Reeves was the man who brought newness and grit the previous two “Planet of the Apes” films. Ben Affleck was about to hang up his cape. Reeves began writing the movie for Pattinson without knowing if it would be of any interest.
Pattinson believes that Batman existed before the superhero craze. He grew up in England and remembers growing up admiring his costume and Happy Meal toys. There were also the movies.
Pattinson stated that “No other movie has been as thoroughly reinvented in such many different ways.” Tonally, it’s almost like they aren’t part of the same series. It is a different kind legacy.
Reeves’ idea was to return to Batman’s detective roots and create a 1970s noir like “Chinatown” or the “The French Connection”. Batman and Gordon will be hunting for a Zodiac-like killer, who leaves riddles at Gotham’s crime scenes.
Jeffrey Wright, who plays Gordon, said that he wanted to “not reinvent the franchise” but, in some ways, to take it back to where it began, which was in mystery and detective work. He wanted to celebrate Batman’s status as the greatest detective in the world.
Reeves was aware he could not tell a straight origin story because the public has seen Martha Wayne’s scattered pearls many times. So he decided to take the audience to a place where Bruce had only been Batman for just over a year.
Reeves stated, “You have to satisfy what people love about Batman.” You’re going have a Batmobile chase. There will be fights. He’ll come out of darkness in his suit. All of this is crucial. You have to do something new, too.
He is more of a recluse than a playboy, and he doesn’t spend his time bodybuilding. Reeves described him as “a bit out of control” and “strung out”, like an addict who searches for street fights every night and sleeps throughout the day.
Reeves stated, “We find him in a place where his self-improvement is not yet complete,” and declared himself an agent for vengeance.
Zoe Kravitz, a femme fatale from a traumatized past, was cast to play the role of Selina Kyle. Reeves stated that the chemistry between Kravitz and Pattinson, long-time friends, was immediately evident.
Kravitz stated that “I believe they are very attracted to one another, and they push each other’s buttons.” “Both of them have been living alone for a long time… It’s frightening for them to feel vulnerable and to care about someone.”
They also enlisted a slew of veteran actors to round out the corrupt world of Gotham, including John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Paul Dano as Edward Nashton/The Riddler, Andy Serkis as Alfred and a prosthetics-disguised Colin Farrell as Oz/The Penguin.
Farrell said, “I just had carte blanche” to experiment and play. He was a long-time Batman fan and was even a bit astonished to see Pattinson wearing “the suit” for first time.
Production started in the UK in January 2020. Things were going well until March 2020 when the world was shut down. Reeves wondered if they would ever finish “The Batman”, as only 25% had been shot. The team resumed five more months later with several pauses due to COVID-19 cases. They finally wrapped up in March 2021.
Pattinson stated that he didn’t realize the extent of the work involved. “It looked like I was living under a rock… In 18 months, I hadn’t seen the sun. It’s almost as if I’m slowly returning to normal.
After several delays, the film will finally be released in theaters around the world on March 4. The anticipation for Batman films is high, but “The Batman,” despite the huge box office pressures and how Pattinson will be received by the audience, and the new direction of the franchise that includes more movies and a spinoff, is finally coming to theaters worldwide on March 4.
Pattinson believes the pressure is “great.”
Pattinson smiled and said, “Sometimes it’s possible to put so much effort into something that no one cares.”
He said, “People will have opinions on whether you did it right or not.” “That’s exciting.”
