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Draft:The Batman – Part II

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The Batman – Part II
Directed byMatt Reeves
Written by
Based onCharacters from DC
Produced by
Starring
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • October 2, 2026 (2026-10-02)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Batman – Part II is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. Directed by Matt Reeves from a screenplay he wrote with Mattson Tomlin, it is the sequel to The Batman (2022) and the second film in a planned Batman-focused shared universe. Robert Pattinson stars as Bruce Wayne / Batman, alongside Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell.

Warner Bros. planned for The Batman to begin a new trilogy of Batman films and start a shared universe during development, and ideas for a sequel were discussed ahead of that film's release. A sequel to The Batman was announced in April 2022, when Reeves and Pattinson were confirmed to return, and Tomlin joined in August. After DC Studios was formed in November 2022, Reeves met with that studio to ensure his Batman films remained separate from its main franchise, the DC Universe. The title was announced in January 2023, before production was halted by the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes and resumed later that year. Filming is scheduled to begin in April 2025 at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, in the United Kingdom.

The Batman – Part II is scheduled to be released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States on October 2, 2026, as part of the "DC Elseworlds" label. A third film in the intended trilogy is in development.

Cast

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Additionally, Barry Keoghan is expected to reprise his role as the Joker, an enemy of Batman who is incarcerated in Arkham State Hospital.[6]

Production

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Background

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Warner Bros. intended for the DC Comics–based film The Batman (2022) to be the first in a new trilogy of Batman films by May 2019,[7] and key cast members were reported to have signed on for future films by that November.[8] Warner Bros.' parent company WarnerMedia was confirmed in September 2021 to be planning for The Batman to establish a Batman-focused shared universe, which would be separate from their other DC Comics franchise, the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).[9][10] The Batman director Matt Reeves had suggested to studio executives that a sequel to that film could further explore the character the Penguin, but they instead wanted to use the idea for a spin-off series, which became The Penguin (2024).[11] In December, star Robert Pattinson said he had ideas for developing his character Bruce Wayne / Batman in further films, while producer Dylan Clark said The Batman would lay a foundation for future films to build upon.[12] Leading up to The Batman's release in March 2022, Pattinson and Reeves expressed interest in introducing the character Robin and featuring the Court of Owls group or the characters Calendar Man, Mr. Freeze, and Hush as villains in a sequel.[13]

Development

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A sequel to The Batman was officially announced by Warner Bros. Pictures at its CinemaCon panel in April 2022.[1][14] Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich said the "entire team" would return from the first film,[14] and that this included Pattinson to once again star as Batman and Reeves returning to write and direct.[1][14] The director's involvement was not guaranteed and negotiations lasted longer than expected, in part due to the merger between Discovery, Inc. and WarnerMedia that was completed that month and formed Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).[15] In August, Reeves signed an overall first-look film deal between his production company 6th & Idaho and Warner Bros., and renewed his deal with Warner Bros. Television Studios, where he was developing The Penguin and additional series for the streaming service HBO Max.[16][17] Reeves's film deal was considered a reassurance in WBD committing to returning filmmakers, which came after that company had shelved the nearly-completed DCEU film Batgirl.[16][17] At that time, Clark was attached to produce the sequel to The Batman through his company Dylan Clark Productions,[16] while Mattson Tomlin, an uncredited writer on the first film, was hired to co-write the script with Reeves.[15][16] The writing process was expected to begin in the following weeks.[15]

After James Gunn and Peter Safran became the co-CEOs of DC Studios in November 2022,[18] future projects for Reeves's The Batman shared universe were set to be overseen by that studio. Gunn had contacted the director about his projects by then,[19] when The Batman's sequel was not expected to release until 2025 at the earliest because Reeves was still working on the script.[20] Gunn debunked reports the next month that he and Safran were exploring potentially incorporating Reeves's The Batman content with Pattinson in their DC shared universe plans,[21] later explaining that they respected Reeves's decision to keep his shared universe separate from their new franchise, the DC Universe (DCU).[22] Reeves met with Gunn and Safran in January 2023 to discuss how they could avoid their plans clashing,[23] while the director confirmed that he and Tomlin were writing the script,[24] and that The Penguin would establish a "little fabric" of plans that would lead into the sequel to The Batman;[25] Sarah Aubrey, the head of originals for HBO Max, said that series would take place shortly before the events of the sequel.[26] At the end of the month, the film was titled The Batman – Part II and was given a release date of October 3, 2025. Gunn said that the film, along with other projects that did not fit into the DCU, would be labeled as "DC Elseworlds" moving forward. This is the same as how DC Comics uses the Elseworlds imprint to mark comic books that are separate from the main continuity.[27] By then, filming was scheduled to begin in November 2023, at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, in the United Kingdom.[28][29] Reeves confirmed Andy Serkis would reprise his role as Alfred Pennyworth,[4] while Barry Keoghan was reported to be reprising his role as the Joker,[6] and Colin Farrell expressed interest in returning as the Penguin.[30] By the end of March, the character Clayface was expected to be part of the film.[31]

Filming was delayed by June 2023 due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike that began the prior month, and was reportedly planned to start in March 2024. This was not expected to impact the film's release date.[32] At that time, Reeves and Tomlin were exploring how they could push the sequel farther from the first film, while the director had discussed the film with The Batman cinematographer Greig Fraser.[33] Josh Hartnett and Joel Edgerton were reportedly being eyed for the role of Harvey Dent, with potential for the character to become his comic book alter-ego Two-Face by the end of the film.[34] When the WGA strike ended in September 2023, Warner Bros. was expected to imminently resume pre-production work on the film.[35] Gunn heard a pitch for the film by December, although the script was not ready then.[22] By January 2024, filming was expected to begin between August and October 2024.[36][37] while Jeffrey Wright said he would reprise his role as Jim Gordon.[3] He had expressed interest in the character moving up from a lieutenant in the ranks of the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD).[38] In March, the film's release was delayed to October 2, 2026, due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes,[39][37] which had prevented further work on the script and reportedly caused several major stages intended for the production to be reserved through the end of 2024. Filming was then expected to begin in April 2025, with the release date chosen to allow Reeves more time to work on the film.[40][37] In June 2024, Gunn said the script would be completed when Reeves believed it was ready,[41] while Serkis confirmed that filming would begin in early 2025.[42] The following month, Reeves confirmed that Farrell would reprise his role of the Penguin in the film.[5] In September, Reeves reiterated that production would begin the following year and confirmed that he had finished writing the script.[43]

Filming

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Principal photography is scheduled to begin in April 2025[40][42] at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, in the United Kingdom.[28] Filming was originally scheduled to begin on November 23, 2023,[29] before it was delayed to an expected start in March 2024 because of the WGA strike,[32] and was then expected to begin between August and October 2024.[36][37]

Release

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The Batman – Part II is scheduled to be theatrically released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States on October 2, 2026,[39] as part of the "DC Elseworlds" label.[27] It was originally scheduled for release on October 3, 2025,[27] before it was delayed due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.[39]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Rubin, Rebecca (April 26, 2022). "Robert Pattinson Returning for The Batman Sequel". Variety. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  2. ^ Tinson, Emma; Mozafari, Laurence (November 11, 2024). "Batman's absence during The Penguin explained by Matt Reeves". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on November 14, 2024. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Behbakht, Andy (February 21, 2024). "The Batman – Part II Update Sparks Movie Delay Fears For Fans". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Franklin-Wallis, Oliver (February 27, 2023). "Andy Serkis in the flesh". GQ. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Chitwood, Adam (July 27, 2024). "Colin Farrell to Return as The Penguin in The Batman 2". TheWrap. Archived from the original on July 28, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  6. ^ a b McPherson, Christopher (March 16, 2023). "Barry Keoghan Set to Join Ridley Scott's Gladiator Sequel". Collider. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  7. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 31, 2019). "Warner Bros Approves Robert Pattinson For The Batman". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  8. ^ Lang, Brent; Kroll, Justin (November 26, 2019). "DC Films Plots Future With Superman, Green Lantern and R-Rated Movies (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 26, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  9. ^ Agard, Chancellor (February 16, 2022). "Knight Moves: Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz take flight in The Batman". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  10. ^ Otterson, Joe (September 13, 2021). "The Batman Spinoff Series About Penguin in Early Development at HBO Max". Variety. Archived from the original on September 13, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  11. ^ Vary, Adam B. (March 2, 2022). "How The Batman Director Matt Reeves Made a $200 Million Bet on Robert Pattinson's Darker Knight". Variety. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  12. ^ Edel, Victoria (December 22, 2021). "Robert Pattinson says he 'would love' to do his own Batman trilogy". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  13. ^ Multiple sources:
  14. ^ a b c Parker, Ryan; McClintock, Pamela (April 26, 2022). "The Batman Sequel Set With Robert Pattinson and Director Matt Reeves". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  15. ^ a b c Kit, Borys (August 23, 2022). "The Batman 2: Mattson Tomlin to Co-Write Script with Matt Reeves". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  16. ^ a b c d Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 23, 2022). "The Batman Director Matt Reeves Sets Multi-Year First Look Film Deal At Warner Bros. & Re-Ups With Warner Bros Television". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  17. ^ a b Couch, Aaron (August 23, 2022). "The Batman Filmmaker Matt Reeves Inks Overall Film, TV Deal With Warner Bros". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  18. ^ Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (October 25, 2022). "DC Shocker: James Gunn, Peter Safran to Lead Film, TV and Animation Division (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  19. ^ Biordi, Jordan (November 10, 2022). "James Gunn Confirms The Batman's Status in Relation to His DC Universe". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  20. ^ Donnelly, Matt; Lang, Brent (October 25, 2022). "James Gunn and Peter Safran Give DC Studios and David Zaslav Bold, Brash and Slightly Risky New Guardians". Variety. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  21. ^ Vary, Adam B. (December 14, 2022). "Robert Pattinson's Batman on Deck, Aquaman 2's $205 Million Budget: The Tricky Road Ahead for DC". Variety. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  22. ^ a b Freitag, Lee (December 15, 2023). "James Gunn Explains Why Matt Reeves' Batman Universe Wasn't Made Part of the DCU". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  23. ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (January 12, 2023). "Matt Reeves to Meet With James Gunn & Peter Safran for "BatVerse"". Collider. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  24. ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (January 11, 2023). "Matt Reeves Confirms That He Is Working on The Batman Sequel [Exclusive]". Collider. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  25. ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (January 11, 2023). "The Penguin Series to Tie Into The Batman Sequel, Matt Reeves Says [Exclusive]". Collider. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  26. ^ Maas, Jennifer (November 10, 2022). "HBO Max's Sarah Aubrey Teases The Penguin, Dune: The Sisterhood, And Just Like That Season 2 and Likelihood of a Harry Potter Series". Variety. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  27. ^ a b c Sharf, Zack (January 31, 2023). "The Batman Part II Sets 2025 Release Date as Part of Newly Branded 'DC Elseworlds' Projects". Variety. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  28. ^ a b Behbakht, Andy (February 23, 2023). "When The Batman 2 Starts Filming Reportedly Revealed". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  29. ^ a b Brown, Jodee (March 7, 2023). "The Batman 2 Scores a Late-2023 Filming Start Date". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  30. ^ Davis, Clayton (February 2, 2023). "Colin Farrell Talks Banshees Oscar Nom, How Many Episodes To Expect From The Penguin Spinoff". Variety. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  31. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Grobar, Matt (March 29, 2023). "Mike Flanagan Pitches Pic On Clayface To Warner Bros DC – The Dish". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  32. ^ a b Dawe, Luke (June 1, 2023). "The Batman Part II Filming Delayed as Writer's Strike Continues". Collider. Archived from the original on June 1, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  33. ^ Perry, Spencer (June 30, 2023). "The Batman Part II: Director Matt Reeves Teases Return of Cinematographer Greig Fraser". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  34. ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (June 8, 2023). "The Batman 2: Rumored Two-Face Frontrunners Revealed". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  35. ^ Lang, Brent; Maas, Jennifer; Otterson, Joe (September 27, 2023). "Back to Work! Studios Eye Post-Strike Plans to Prioritize Production on Stranger Things, Euphoria, House of the Dragon and More". Variety. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  36. ^ a b "Production Weekly – Issue 1386 – Thursday, January 25, 2024 / 189 Listings – 42 Pages". Production Weekly. No. 1386. January 24, 2024. p. 3. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  37. ^ a b c d Sneider, Jeff (March 12, 2024). "Spyglass Half Full: Why Is Kevin Williamson Directing Scream 7 and Why Is Neve Campbell Back?". The InSneider. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  38. ^ Gawley, Paige (January 16, 2024). "Jeffrey Wright Gives Update on The Batman – Part II (Exclusive)". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  39. ^ a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 12, 2024). "The Batman 2 From Matt Reeves Heads To Fall 2026; Paul Thomas Anderson-Leonardo DiCaprio Movie Gets Summer 2025 Date". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  40. ^ a b Brown, Jodee (March 26, 2024). "The Batman Sequel Gets Production Update After Major Delay". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024. – via Sneider, Jeff (March 25, 2024). "Euphoria Season 3 Delay: Zendaya's Spider-Man 4 Shoot to Blame Along With HBO Show's Time Jump". The InSneider. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  41. ^ Hibberd, James (June 20, 2024). "The Penguin Second Trailer: Colin Farrell in New Look at The Batman Spinoff". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 20, 2024. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  42. ^ a b Lapin-Bertone, Joshua (June 24, 2024). "The Batman's Alfred Pennyworth Andy Serkis says the sequel is to begin filming in early 2025". Popverse. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  43. ^ Romano, Nick (September 20, 2024). "Building Batman's crime saga: Matt Reeves on scrapped spinoffs, The Penguin, and what comes next". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
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