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

[Boom]

If it's filming at the end of the year (huge IF, I know), casting likely won't happen until June or July.

 

[solidsnake86]

I mean, based on how other productions have run and generally following news on movies for almost 20 years now, when we hear nothing, it's because there is a problem.

So for me, if we get to the end of this year and no information comes out, I would be leaning towards this thing getting retooled or cancelled.

 

[emielaen]

stares at arguably wilder production of Part I

 

[WayneMB]

stares at arguably wilder production of Part I

atp this is just not true. besides covid and the early writing stages, that movie had no issues. this one has been in development for 3 years now

 

[emielaen]

besides covid

This is a big besides...

 

[SwordOfMorning]

This is a big besides...

Maybe the biggest besides possible. The world collapsed and I for one wasn’t particularly confident the film would ever be finished or given any sort of normal theatrical release. Let alone any chance of the industry being sufficiently extant to support a sequel.

On top of that, let's not forget that the original movie started as a totally different movie directed by Affleck. Then transformed into a variation of what we got starring Affleck, for however long (my suspicion is longer than they let on). Hell, it's writing process was also a couple of years long with even less of an explicit reason that we know of - no strikes or Reeves personal crisis in sight.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

atp this is just not true. besides covid and the early writing stages, that movie had no issues. this one has been in development for 3 years now

Have people already forgotten what COVID was like?

 

[BobJM]

If this stays on track for 2027 release, it'll be about 5 years development / production for both films.

Reeves was hired in Feb 2017; film was released in March 2022.
Sequel was officially confirmed in April 2022, should release in Oct 2027.

First film dealt with 2 pandemic delays. Development of the script for the sequel already went through a writer's strike that delayed work on the story, plus Reeves' own personal issues.

It's a long wait, but 5 years between films is not the worst. Again, assuming this sticks with a 2027 release window

 

[TheGDBatman]

If this stays on track for 2027 release, it'll be about 5 years development / production for both films.

Reeves was hired in Feb 2017; film was released in March 2022.
Sequel was officially confirmed in April 2022, should release in Oct 2027.

First film dealt with 2 pandemic delays. Development of the script for the sequel already went through a writer's strike that delayed work on the story, plus Reeves' own personal issues.

It's a long wait, but 5 years between films is not the worst. Again, assuming this sticks with a 2027 release window

Eh, 5 years is pretty insane. But given the circumstances it's completely understandable.

 

[OnLeatherWings]

It's a long wait, but 5 years between films is not the worst. Again, assuming this sticks with a 2027 release window

I think the issues of communication have been the bigger problem for people in regards to the wait.

Having the release date delayed several times never helps peoples' perception and patience. And even Pattinson seems a bit miffed at the delays, too.

 

[solidsnake86]

I don't see how you can compare the production of the first one at all. Matt Reeves needed to finish up his Apes movie and was committed to that when he got the job for Batman. He stated that much and probably didn't start writing until late 2017.

I also don't think WB was necessarily pressing for it to be released as Justice League had just done terribly in theatres.

The movie was also also supposed to be released in 2021. It was filming as of January 2020. So when you actually think of it, he had the script done in about 2 years. Pre-production was already in summer 2019 so the script was locked.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

I’m gonna be honest: knowing it’s personal issues makes me care 0% about the delay. Batman movies don’t actually matter in the grand scheme of things. It’s a little sad, but ultimately whatever the problem was seems to be serious and the movie can wait.

 

[BobJM]

Lol I keep rewatching The Batman anyway

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Eh, 5 years is pretty insane. But given the circumstances it's completely understandable.

How is 5 years insane?

 

[TheGDBatman]

How is 5 years insane?

It’s longer than average for a sequel to a popular/commercially successful film?

There’s a reason the wait has gotten as much attention as it has.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

It’s longer than average for a sequel to a popular/commercially successful film?

There’s a reason the wait has gotten as much attention as it has.

This is a more recent trend, tied directly to the conveyor belt approach to blockbuster filmmaking. Where films a rushed into production. Even then, the most successful (at least creatively) are usually adaptations, which already have an existing story.

I would also point out that in the middle of this time period, there was a whole ass TV show.

 

[TheGDBatman]

This is a more recent trend, tied directly to the conveyor belt approach to blockbuster filmmaking. Where films a rushed into production. Even then, the most successful (at least creatively) are usually adaptations, which already have an existing story.

I would also point out that in the middle of this time period, there was a whole ass TV show.

Uh, I’m not questioning the reasons for why it has taken so long. I’m on team Matt Reeves. I’m just saying that 5 years between sequels is insane (when compared to the industry average), circumstances aside.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Uh, I’m not questioning the reasons for why it has taken so long. I’m on team Matt Reeves. I’m just saying that 5 years between sequels is insane (when compared to the industry average), circumstances aside.

What about that is insane?

 

[TheGDBatman]

What about that is insane?

The length of time. Again, compared to industry averages (and ignoring the circumstances that have resulted in it taking 5 years to make a sequel).

I’m not sure this needs further explaining.

 

[WayneMB]

pretending that, mind you not a 5 but an almost 6 year gap is not insane, is crazy.

 

[Black Narcissus]

I like BAttinson’s humor. He himself made a joke how he started as a young Batman, but now will be an old Batman.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

I do think/hope they expand the time skip the movie has quite a bit. The whining about the 2026 push was pure baby behaviour but 2027 is far enough away it should probably be acknowledged as a reality - everyone is going to genuinely look a bit older.

 

[J.Drangal]

For the sake of discussion :
While it's true that there was three years between Reeves signing on the franchise and the start of The Batman shooting, I just don't think it's fair to compare these to the three last years about the sequel development.
Throughout 2017, Reeves was busy with his latest Apes film, and there was the whole issue around Affleck's future in the Batman role, as well as a yet-to-be-released film with him behind the mask (Justice League in November 2017). Over the next two years, things finally cleared up in this area, and Reeves movie developed normally with news starting to circulate during 2019. There was indeed a big break due to Covid in 2020, but this happened for a film already in the shooting phase.

Here, like I said, things are a little different in my opinion. Of course, people have become impatient with mass-produced films, but what's been fuelling all the discussions is that for the past three years, despite the writers' strike, there's been a certain feeling of stagnation.
We've heard for many months that the screenwriter was putting the finishing touches to the script, that shooting was coming soon while having a bunch of actors and other collaborators confessing to having no idea what's coming next (until recently). Then there were the very official delays and finally the revelation of Reeves' personal problems. Of course, no one should hold that against him, but this is, de facto, "behind-the-scenes difficulties”, events that get in the way of the film's development.

Knowing now what these difficulties aren't directly tied to the movie itself, there's no need to panic - the film will arrive when it arrives, and things are apparently moving - but it's also, I think, a bit of bad faith to pretend that everything went completely smoothly until then. Simpy put: I don't see all of this as a total black or white situation.

------

Now, to return to pure speculative territory: I can see WB and Gunn leaving any news about The Batman Part II out of Superman schedule, which is fast approaching release. We know that a lot is riding on this film, so I think they're going to put all their communication muscle behind it. I wouldn't expect anything on the Batman sequel until late August, maybe even September...

 

[Elayis]

If we're looking at prior industry standards, 2 years was rushing things, 3 years was the norm and 4 years was just on the edge of acceptable. 5 years and beyond is when you start worrying about staying relevant and in the cultural zeitgeist. And it's not like the first film was some cultural phenomenon. It made decent money, especially given the time, but it also seems like it came and went.

I do think it's a problem that the film has been hit with so many delays, and the box office will almost certainly suffer for it, but I honestly don't see a better alternative. I feel for Reeves and whatever personal problems he's going through, and he's lucky to have someone like Gunn in his corner. It's a rare thing in today's corporate environment to have someone in charge that's willing to wait if it means maintaining creative quality, and it should be celebrated.

It's a bad situation all around, and hiring someone else would not only be incredibly callous but a bad move creatively, as well. I said this back when Reeves was hired, but you aren't going to find a better person for the job. Not only is he passionate about the character, but he's an extremely talented filmmaker that's proven he knows how to handle blockbusters at this scale and the studio politics that come with it. I can probably count on one hand the number of comparable writer-directors that are willing to take on genre films like this and all of the shackles that come with it.

I'm not the biggest fan of the first film (it feels like a first draft), but I like his general vision, and after Cloverfield, Let Me In, and Dawn, I'm willing to give him another shot. Hopefully with the world and characters already established he'll be able to hit the ground running in the sequel.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

This really does need to be pointedly marketed as a Stand Alone Batman Event movie with the gap. The gap is an issue for sure when it comes to box office but there are several ways to counteract it IMO.