Soderbergh steps in to aid THE BATMAN: PART 2 production…
15th October UPDATE:
Though it’s still not clear what has led to Matt Reeves stepping away from day-to-day helming of The Batman: Part 2 (only that it was a ‘family matter’), we are now learning from DC Studios how things will be handled in the short-term.
“As Matt Reeves continues to attend to an ongoing family matter, Steven Soderbergh, as an admirer of Matt’s work, approached Matt and will step in, with the full support of DC Studios, to help the writer-director complete the final weeks of principal photography on The Batman Part 2. Matt and Steven will work closely together with the actors and crew to fulfill Matt’s vision of the film,” the studio statement read.
Soderbergh, a hugely respected veteran film-maker in his own right, also released a parallel statement:
“I thought Matt Reeves’ work on The Batman was stunning; it was intentional, specific, and rigorously coherent. The goal here is to work with Matt and his team to generate footage that will integrate seamlessly with what’s already been shot so Matt can properly finish his film.”
The general understanding is that Soderbergh will handle the on-set needs for the remainder of the film’s shoot, thought to be only a couple of weeks and that he will work in consultation with Reeves during that time and until such moment where the editing process will begin.
While some are equating the situation with Zach Snyder stepping away from the Justice League to deal with the death of his daughter and being replaced by Joss Whedon, it would seem that the current plan is very different. While Whedon’s version was largely at odds with Snyder’s vision and led to reshoots and sidelining of several characters, Reeves and Soderbergh seem to very much be on the same page and helping each other under unfortunate circumstances.
Reeves himself has just released a statement that says:
“Just to be clear, I am not leaving ‘The Batman Part II.’ I am profoundly grateful to Steven [Soderbergh] for coming to my aid during this challenging time to help me finish principal photography. Thank you to all for your concern and well wishes.”
It’s already been four years since Matt Reeves’ initial take on the masked hero of Gotham City took flight. After successful turns from the likes of Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan, the film was another re-imagining of Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego and how they came to be. Robert Pattinson gave us a younger Bruce, early in his vigilante role and still new to the trials and tribulations of the cause.
The praise ensured interest in a sequel and that was originally due to open this week. However, early in the process, it was announced that the date would move from 2nd October 2026 by a whole year, then set to arrive 1st October 2027. This past July, the movie was further pushed to February 2028.
Pattinson – who described the sequel as being ‘ambitious’ and something of a ‘left turn’ from the first outing – is once again back in the lead role and returning faces also include Colin Farrell (as the Penguin), Andy Serkis (as Alfred) and Jeffrey Wright (as Jim Gordon). Joining the cast are Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan.
Now there looks to be a further delay as production is halted on the sequel. The official announcement is short.
“Production on ‘The Batman Part II’ has been temporarily paused while Matt Reeves focuses on a family matter. Matt has the full support of DC Studios and we look forward to continuing the journey soon.”
No further information is given on specifics of the ‘matter’, but even in a cost and profit-driven business, the two sentences underline that Warner Bros. and DC Studios appear to be supporting Reeves. It is also entirely understandable – of not commonly undertaken – that the production of a film should be less of a priority than family and that some details should remain personal and private. However, on a pragmatic level, stopping a film (one already significantly delayed) is akin to applying the brakes to an ocean-going ship – it’s no easy matter to stop and then bring back up to speed again and it’s not an ideal undertaking. Also, the lack of time-frame for the film to recommence shooting might well indicate the issue is not one that can be easily navigated in the short-term but is expected to be resolved, one way or another, in the longer term.
At the time of the first delay, current DC Studios boss James Gunn defended delays by saying: “To be fair, a 5-year gap or more is fairly common in sequels…” He’s not entirely wrong, though it would be far easier to point to a lot of big blockbusters that manage a turnaround within around two to three years. It is not known at this point if the delay will further impact the release date of the film beyond February 2028 – still eighteen months away. There had been speculation of some ongoing production problems from online bulletin boards, but given that the film was still shooting a week ago, the doomsayers seem to be working on nothing but rumours as things stand.
We wish the Reeves family well and look forward to the film, whenever it debuts.