Two weeks ago, it was announced that The Batman movie project was going on pause due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
On Twitter, The Batman director Matt Reeves was asked about the holdup for the movie. He confirmed that the project is on hold until they can safely continue. The film is slated for a June 2021 release.
COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). Over half a million cases have been announced.
Movie theaters across the world have been shut down. Countless major events around the world have been canceled or suspended. Two weeks ago, the NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS all suspended their seasons, while the NCAA canceled its basketball and hockey tournaments. Canada and the United States have closed the borders on non-essential travels.
There is no cure yet for COVID-19, and it's unknown when the general public can end the self-quarantine phases.
Ben Affleck portrayed the Caped Crusader in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017). He decided to step away from the franchise, explaining that he had lost the excitement to continue. Twilight star Robert Pattinson was cast as his replacement.
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Reeves has loaded up with a star-studded cast that includes a handful of the most popular Batman villains from the Rogues' Gallery. This includes Zoë Kravitz (Catwoman), Paul Dano (Riddler) and Colin Farrell (Penguin). The Penguin hasn't appeared in a live theatrical film since 1992, when Danny DeVito portrayed the character in Batman Returns. The Riddler's last appearance was in 1995 (Batman Forever, portrayed by Jim Carrey).
Other cast members include Andy Serkis (Alfred Pennyworth, Batman's loyal butler), Jeffrey Wright (James Gordon), John Turturro (Carmine Falcone), Alex Ferns (Commissioner Pete Savage) Peters Sarsgaard (Gil Colson) and Con O'Neill (Chief Mackenzie Bock).
The last two Batman films received largely negative reviews, so the pressure is on Reeves and Warner Bros. to put together something unique and creative here. Given the promising cast, it's safe to say that they're off to a great start.