There’s a lot of hoopla surrounding the first Batman movie in the new DC Extended Universe continuity. After losing director, writer, and star Ben Affleck on both directing and writing duties, it seemed like there was chaos at Warner Bros. until a tweet from Variety reporter Justin Kroll put fan tensions at ease.
On February 9, Kroll was asked if there was “truth to the rumors” that the script for The Batman was being “done from scratch,” Kroll replied on his Twitter page: “No, several sources already saying new script came in this month and everyone including [Warner Bros. President and Chief Content Officer Toby] Emmerich and Ben [Affleck] very happy with it.”
The script Kroll mentioned may be the rewrite of Affleck and DC Comics writer and figurehead Geoff Johns’s script from Chris Terrio, who wrote the screenplay for the 2012 movie Argo which Affleck directed. Or it may be an entirely new one, as Forbes reported on sources that indicate a total overhaul of the project. That same Forbes article says Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) is a frontrunner to direct The Batman.
Despite the commercial success of the new DC movies, films like Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad have taken a beating by critics and even hardcore fans. While Warner Bros. might have enjoyed a decent payday, eventually the franchise’s negative reputation could catch up with them. So it’s in the best interest for the studio to take serious care of their next productions, even if they’re a guaranteed winner like a new Batman movie.
Check out Kroll’s Twitter exchange below.
There is no release date for The Batman. However, Zack Snyder’s Justice League will be released November 17.
