After the huge success of The Batman, which earned upwards of $770 million at the global box office, more news about the proposed sequel is finally emerging after it was revealed that the project had yet to be greenlit. Matt Reeves is solidifying his working relationship with Warner Bros. and has enlisted a writer for The Batman 2.
Deadline reports that Reeves' co-writer from the first installment, Mattson Tomlin, reteaming with him on The Batman 2's script, and that Reeves is the first filmmaker to sign an overall first-look deal with Warner Bros. Pictures Group since the company's restructuring in April. Reeves and his production company 6th & Idaho initially had a first look deal with Netflix but considering the success of his Batman reimagining and the fact that there is a spinoff The Penguin show in the works, it makes sense for the director to team up with Warner Bros.
“Making this legendary studio my home is a dream, I am so excited to be working with Mike, Pam, and Channing and our teams to bring captivating stories I am truly passionate about to the big and small screen,” Reeves said in a statement. With the new deal, the subsidiaries of Warner Bros. Picture group get first-look privileges at anything that Reeves and his company develop. That means New Line Cinema, Warner Animation Group, and DC-based Films will all have access to the filmmaker's projects.
Along with the production of The Penguin spinoff show that will see Colin Farrell reprise his role as Oswald Cobblepot from The Batman, it has also been revealed that a Batman Arkham series is currently in discussion. The news comes as a welcome announcement for the studio and for fans, and it could be a signal that the DCEU is heading on the right path after several false starts. Plot details surrounding The Batman sequel are tightly locked away, but Warner Bros. Pictures co-CEO Michael De Luca stated the director "has an open invitation to go wherever his interests take him. We’ll lean into whatever Matt wants to do."
The news of Reeves' deal with the company comes after a long string of less than favorable news has come out of the studio. In April, David Zaslav took over as CEO and has made some extremely controversial moves in order to cut down the $53 billion debt that the company currently owes. In his short time at the company, Zaslaz has fired many key female executives from the company while also removing countless media from the HBO Max streaming service. Just in the last week, much of the platforms' animated content has been completely removed without warning.
Of course, there is also the continuing backlash against the cancelation of many projects, some that were completed or close to completion. The main example of this is the Batgirl movie, which was reportedly ninety percent complete before the plug was pulled. There's also the continuing controversy surrounding The Flash star Ezra Miller, who has recently entered treatment for mental health issues.
The Batman 2 is currently in development.
Source: Deadline