I'm Reading Your Stuff: General News and Discussion Thread

[SwordOfMorning]

I think the scenario you described is what will end up happening. Which is all dependant on what happens with Superman next year. Money talks and if superman does gangbusters at the box office they will probably move on from Reeves. I could list a million reasons why the batman's box office at close to 770 million is amazing but it won't matter. They wanted to give the DC studios job to Todd Phillips based on the jokers box office so that shows you where the thought process is at.

If superman does average or below expectations, they have an out with the batverse and I think the BATB project goes away.

While not impossible I think it’s highly unlikely a Superman reboot outgrosses a sequel to a successful Batman movie. So this scenario seems pretty unrealistic to me. Even if Superman is a hit it’s still probably going to make less than Part II.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

Doesn't the prove the point? Because all the other Bond stuff always died in the crib. There could only be one.

Box office wise, the people showed up for the movie. People didn't have a problem going to see another Bond at the theater and being interested. The quality of the movie itself wasn't good, and there was also the rights issues (Kevin McClory only had the rights to Thunderball), and the behind the scenes was a ****show, so the reasons we never got a sequel to NSNA isn't because people could only take one James Bond at a time. People showed up for it when it came out.

 

[solidsnake86]

I just saw a rumour that will probably send everyone into a frenzy if the source that is quoted actually did say it. You never know since people attribute rumours to certain online scoopers just to give it validity but aren't actually from them.

That said, I think the source is more miss than hit and just repeats some common knowledge. But it will be interesting nonetheless when news is slow.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

I just saw a rumour that will probably send everyone into a frenzy if the source that is quoted actually did say it. You never know since people attribute rumours to certain online scoopers just to give it validity but aren't actually from them.

That said, I think the source is more miss than hit and just repeats some common knowledge. But it will be interesting nonetheless when news is slow.

Any particular reason why we’re not sharing with the class?

 

[DarthSkywalker]

View attachment 113206

Box office wise, the people showed up for the movie. People didn't have a problem going to see another Bond at the theater and being interested. The quality of the movie itself wasn't good, and there was also the rights issues (Kevin McClory only had the rights to Thunderball), and the behind the scenes was a ****show, so the reasons we never got a sequel to NSNA isn't because people could only take one James Bond at a time. People showed up for it when it came out.

People showed up for Connery, and it still did fail. It made decent money (far less then Moore's film) but did not succeed to the point that it led to a second film. Which was the intent of the project.

So if you were telling me Bale was showing up to be the DCU Batman, sure. Cool. I don't think that's happening. This is before we get into the inter studio issues and that WB has been shaving budgets everywhere. Which is why spending 600 mil to produce and market two separate Batman franchises feels like an extremely bad idea.

 

[solidsnake86]

Any particular reason why we’re not sharing with the class?

Haha. No reason in particular because it could be nothing. Basically it's that Pattinson met with Feige for a role in the MCU. I mean, these meetings probably do happen and could mean nothing. It's the timing of it all that's hilarious.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

Haha. No reason in particular because it could be nothing. Basically it's that Pattinson met with Feige for a role in the MCU. I mean, these meetings probably do happen and could mean nothing. It's the timing of it all that's hilarious.

Imma file that away in the 0% chance of happening category.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

Matt Reeves right now:

 

[Johnny Frost]

Based on Reeves' interviews I really feel like there will be a lot of inspiration from Earth One, specifically Volume 2 for Part II.

 

[Deck Rickard]

(Sigh)

I can’t wait until we get the next announcement of the release date being pushed back again.

 

[The Lazarus Pit]

(Sigh)

I can’t wait until we get the next announcement of the release date being pushed back again.

Yeah I think that’s happening. Slowpoke Reeves. It’s a well known fact he takes too long. I don’t see the trilogy getting finished at this rate. A couple more spinoffs and The Batman II will likely happen but I don’t know if III will ever happen. Dude works wayyy too slowly. The first movie took too long and it’s not like it was TDK level or even BB level. It was really good and enjoyable but we’ve had better Batman movies. The characterization of Batman was the best part of that movie. Tbh Penguin was better. Also it took less time to complete, AND it was longer. Reeves need a ****ing fire lit under his ass. Don’t want them to rush out a bad project but Jesus dude hurry up.

Batman is in such a weird place right now, I feel like plans are somewhat in limbo depending on how things progress with Part II and the reception of Superman. We’ll see what happens. A big delay wouldn’t surprise me at all. Big bummer if so. But I do need some more Batman onscreen soon. Been waiting for a decent depiction of Batman and Robin onscreen for too damn long.

Count me as another person that thinks two concurrent Batman franchises is one of the worst ideas and approaches WB could take rn. We’re in a bad place with the genre, oversaturation is such a real problem now.

Maybe the market could’ve sustained two Batman series 5-10 years ago but we’re in a different place now. Snyder did irreparable damage to DC, and many fans have checked out with the Marvel stuff once their quality started to diminish. Fans are only going to show up for truly exceptional projects now.

 

[Rick190293]

Not being a hater at all, but imo this is taking too long. It's been almost 3 years after the first movie, so it1's not like it came out last year. We should get something by now, and I think to keep the hype Part II should be released next year. The delay is getting more and more real, unfortunately, let's hope we are all wrong.

 

[BobJM]

I rewatch The Batman all the time--the mood, the aesthetic, the casting, the costuming. It's all so good to me.

But, it's definitely not without its faults, and that mostly comes down IMO to the script and to the film's pacing. Whether the film should have been longer or shorter, I can't really say, but I wouldn't say that the script & plot of the story was the crowning achievement of Reeves' first go at the character. So, I do get concerned when the sequel script takes this long b/c I don't think we got brilliance in the first film, so why is it taking forever here? Maybe bring in some of the writers from The Penguin to help with the heavy-lifting if Reeves is more the idea man.

 

[The Lazarus Pit]

I think all three Nolan movies (even TDKR) are better written than The Batman. But I prefer the Gotham depiction and Batman characterization in The Batman. I agree that the crowning achievement of The Batman was the world building and certainly not the script. So yes, it is concerning that his scripts take so long only for them to not even be on the same level as the Nolan films. I will say The Batman script is leagues better than Snyder’s DC films, but that’s not saying much.

 

[J.Drangal]

I rewatch The Batman all the time--the mood, the aesthetic, the casting, the costuming. It's all so good to me.

But, it's definitely not without its faults, and that mostly comes down IMO to the script and to the film's pacing. Whether the film should have been longer or shorter, I can't really say, but I wouldn't say that the script & plot of the story was the crowning achievement of Reeves' first go at the character. So, I do get concerned when the sequel script takes this long b/c I don't think we got brilliance in the first film, so why is it taking forever here? Maybe bring in some of the writers from The Penguin to help with the heavy-lifting if Reeves is more the idea man.

Yep.
For a while, I hesitated to talk about it, not wanting to get jumped down the throat, but lately, it seems that the online consensus is in line with what I was seeing “IRL”: people generally liked The Batman, its atmosphere, its general direction, but many had problems with the script. Again, not with the story, the themes, but the layout.

Taking this into account, as well as Reeves' remarks about the difficulty of writing the first film and the subsequent involvement of two other screenwriters at the time, I think it's fair to wonder whether the long development of this sequel is due not so much to the guy's slowness (nothing wrong with that) as to some genuine difficulties.

Of course, this is all speculation. But didn't Tomsin say he'd finished his part in the writing months ago? Even if there's still a final pass to be made, I imagine that this sort of thing can be done at the same time as the film's pre-production. Once the broad outlines, characters and settings have been defined, I guess a schedule can be set in place...
What makes me raise my eyebrows here is that there doesn't seem to be ANY movement: actors, cinematographer, etc, nobody is hearing anything. The few leaks/rumors/declarations we get suggest that, indeed, the film exists for the moment only in terms of a (already-postponed once) release date and a script currently being written but not ready yet to move forward.

I'm not going to say that the film is in “development hell” because there's a reasonable timeline where the script could still be submitted at the end of the year to begin pre-production in early 2025... but if nothing moves between now and then, then yes, I think we can legitimately see this as... let's say an orange flag.

 

[J.Drangal]

I also wanted to say: we can say what we want, that it's good that Reeves is taking the time to do it right, that two films spaced 4 years apart with a successful show in the middle isn't so bad, etc. But there's also the reality of the studio behind it.
If the gaps between Reeves' films remain similar, then WB should be “content” with a couple of Batman appearances on the big screen for the next 6-7 years, while a cinematic universe is being built up in parallel which, if successful, could involve the characters much more often, and in the cross-over format that Hollywood fetishizes today...

When Gunn says he's moving forward with BATB, I think he's really encouraged to do so.
If, beyond Reeves' slowness, there are indeed difficulties with the development of his sequels, I can imagine WB throwing two horses into the same race... just in case.

No?

 

[solidsnake86]

Realistically right now, there is no need to panic based on the facts we have in front of us. We know that Reeves indicated that they are looking to film mid year and we know that pre-production is about 6 months. So he has until the end of the year to get the script completed for a July/August start. You also have to figure Gunn may want a few weeks to review and provide notes.

That said, I also don't think EW was wrong when it said the script was completed, but it is likely not finalized.

It's far more concerning to me that Gunn is going out of his way to say the script isn't done or that they don't have a draft along with shooting down rumours of spin offs related to the batverse. You start adding to the fact that rumours keep popping up and sometimes, where there is smoke, there is fire.

From a business perspective, it would be crazy to cancel anything related to this given it's the only proven success for DC right now. But crazier things have happened. If we get to January or Feb next year with no word on what's going on, then I'd be worried.

 

[Boom]

I will say my enthusiasm will crater if this gets pushed again. I'll probably just have to put this movie out of my mind.

By the time this comes out, it'll have been 4.5 years. They're pushing it.

 

[J.Drangal]

I will say my enthusiasm will crater if this gets pushed again. I'll probably just have to put this movie out of my mind.

By the time this comes out, it'll have been 4.5 years. They're pushing it.

When Reeves was announced at the helm of franchise, I was slowly exiting my twenties. If it get pushed again, by the time the sequel may arrive, I'll be leaving my thirties...

Also, if I'm not mistaken, in 2026 Reeves will be the longest-serving director of live-action Batman.

 

[solidsnake86]

I will say my enthusiasm will crater if this gets pushed again. I'll probably just have to put this movie out of my mind.

By the time this comes out, it'll have been 4.5 years. They're pushing it.

This is probably a sentiment that a lot of people feel.

Also, with the riddler year one and the penguin we've been lucky to have the added content. But pushing it beyond 2026 will surely have an effect on the box office as well. Also, this puts more pressure on delivering something spectacular.

 

[emielaen]

These doomsday posts are so fun.

 

[J.Drangal]

This is probably a sentiment that a lot of people feel.

Also, with the riddler year one and the penguin we've been lucky to have the added content. But pushing it beyond 2026 will surely have an effect on the box office as well. Also, this puts more pressure on delivering something spectacular.

Yeah, I think The Penguin has made a really good job to revitalized interest in this version. It's a bummer that the sequel won't be able to capitalize on this immediately.
It's all very well to talk about a loss of momentum, fome people will move on for sure, but who knows what a few good trailers can do!

These doomsday posts are so fun.

Boarf, I think that's a bit of a caricature of what's being said (at least today ahah).

No one's talking about cancellation or anything. But I believe it's fair to say that there's a certain climate around that sequel, with both the evocation of a script in its final stages and planned shooting for nearly a year, and on the other the main actors, both in front of and behind the camera, seeming kind of clueless (and booking other jobs). Then there's Gunn, who never seems to miss an opportunity to point out that "no script has been submitted"... Not that he would be against the film, but this particular insight only reinforces the impression that things aren't evolving much despite a first delay.

I mean, if we can't talk and speculate with the few crumbles we get in a place like this, then... what was the point!?

 

[SwordOfMorning]

These doomsday posts are so fun.

I have had phases of being incredibly cynical about this topic but we’ve been through so many doom cycles with this franchise already that at this point I just don’t see reason to panic anymore unless something insanely obviously bad goes wrong. I, genuinely, don’t even think the sequel gap is that insane - 4 years is pretty normal! It’s only a step or two longer.

There is also no world where The Penguin is better written than The Batman. The latter has plenty of flaws but the former barely ever rises above the level of the other eight million gritty faux prestige crime shows that we’re all the rage in the 2000s/2010s - I like it a lot and it has major peaks but it’s not on the same wavelength at all.

 

[Eddie Dean]

 

[AndrewGilkison]

Outside of being a creative producer on Cape Crusader and The Penguin, what else does Reeves have on his plate?