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What we know about the upcoming 'Batman' movie, starring Robert Pattinson

What we know about the upcoming 'Batman' movie, starring Robert Pattinson

Olivia Singh

Matt Reeves' upcoming movie "The Batman" stars Robert Pattinson as the titular character.
The film is set to hit theaters on October 1, 2021, and some details have been revealed.
The movie will center on Bruce Wayne's second year as a vigilante.
The cast includes Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman/Selina Kyle, Colin Farrell as Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot, and Paul Dano as the Riddler.

Robert Pattinson is suiting up as Batman in an upcoming film directed by Matt Reeves.

Pattinson, who rose to fame for his role in the "Twilight" franchise," will follow in the footsteps of Ben Affleck, Christian Bale, and more actors when he portrays Bruce Wayne in "The Batman."

Here's everything we know about the latest Batman reboot, so far.

The star-studded cast includes Zoë Kravitz and Colin Farrell

In late May 2019, it was revealed that Pattinson signed on to play the Caped Crusader. Prior to landing the role, he was reportedly a top contender alongside "X-Men" star Nicholas Hoult. It was also reported that the two British actors participated in screen tests for the role.

After officially nabbing the role, Pattinson told Variety that the reaction from fans "was less vitriolic than I was expecting."

In the months since his casting news, it has been revealed that Kravitz will play Catwoman/Selina Kyle, Jeffrey Wright will star as Commissioner Gordon, and Andy Serkis will portray Alfred Pennyworth.

Farrell will play the Batman adversary Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot, Paul Dano will star as the supervillain Riddler, and John Turturro will play Carmine Falcone, another enemy of the Caped Crusader.

"You can't have Batman without a villain," Reeves told The Hollywood Reporter of the foes included in his film. "There will be a rogues gallery."

Additionally, Peter Sarsgaard is set to portray Gotham DA Gil Colson and Jayme Lawson will play a mayoral candidate named Bella Reál.

Reeves described 'The Batman' as 'a point of view-driven, noir Batman tale'

"It's told very squarely on his shoulders, and I hope it's going to be a story that will be thrilling but also emotional," the director told The Hollywood Reporter.

"It's more Batman in his detective mode than we've seen in the films," Reeves said, explaining that he drew inspiration from the comics.

He added: "I'd love this to be one where when we go on that journey of tracking down the criminals and trying to solve a crime, it's going to allow his character to have an arc so that he can go through a transformation."

In an interview with Nerdist, Reeves said that the movie won't necessarily be an origin story, but it'll acknowledge the main character's roots.

"It's that whole idea of the shadow self and what's driving you, and how much of that you can incorporate, and how much of it you're doing that you're unaware of," Reeves said.

He continued: "There's something in there that feels very psychological, very emotional, and it felt like there was a way of exploring that along with the corruption in this place, Gotham. That feels very current. I think it always does. There's almost no time when you can't do a story about corruption. But today, it still seems incredibly resonant."

Farrell also described Reeves' spin on the character as "really beautiful," "dark," and "moving" during an appearance on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in January 2020.

25-30% of the movie was filmed before production was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic

Principal photography started in January 2020 and Reeves shared a photo of the clapperboard on Twitter that month.

During an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in January 2020, Farrell also said that he'd be traveling to England to film the movie.

Meanwhile, Kravitz told Variety that she did a camera test with Pattinson "and now we've been training together and rehearsing together and he's just a delightful person and such a wonderful, thoughtful actor." She also said that he's the perfect person for the lead role.

Filming was shut down in early 2020 due to the spread of the coronavirus. Speaking to Deadline, Reeves said that the cast and crew filmed about 25% of the movie before production was halted.

Reeves shared the first footage of Pattinson suited up as the Caped Crusader in mid-February

The camera test video had black and red hues and showed off the character's iconic logo on his chest, which many fans believe could be made from the gun that killed Bruce Wayne's parents.

In March, the director shared the first official look at the full suit and the iconic Batmobile

Reeves posted three images on Twitter that showed Pattinson dressed in his full Batsuit, which includes a flowing cape and small, pointed ears. The actor was seen standing near the vehicle, which has an exposed engine.

—Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) March 4, 2020

The first teaser trailer for the movie was released in August 2020

Reeves appeared at DC Fandome, a virtual convention for all things DC Comics, to share even more details about "The Batman." The director unveiled a teaser pulled together from the small amount of filming they were able to get done earlier in 2020.

The footage finally gave a proper look at Pattinson as The Batman/Bruce Wayne, Kravitz as Catwoman, and Wright as Commissioner Gordon. Farrell looked unrecognizable as the Penguin. There were also some clever Easter eggs included in the teaser.

Speaking about casting Pattinson as the Caped Crusader, Reeves said that he was impressed by the British actor's ability to completely disappear into his roles over the past few years. He described Pattinson as a "chameleon" and said that being able to move and fight in the Batsuit was the priority when designing it.

Reeves reiterated that this isn't an origin tale, and instead explores the main character during his second year of being a vigilante. He said that fans see Bruce make mistakes, fail, and be heroic as he explores a series of murders. The director also described the movie as a "detective story" thriller, set in the corrupt cop world of Gotham.

'The Batman' is reportedly the first in a trilogy of movies that's in the works

In May 2019, Deadline reported that Warner Bros. greenlit three movies centered on Batman. Further details have yet to be revealed.

The film hits theaters on October 1, 2021

2021 will be a jam-packed year for superhero movies as Marvel and DC have several films scheduled for release. This includes "The Eternals," "The Suicide Squad," and a third "Spider-Man" film starring Tom Holland.