The Batman is getting a sequel that will see Robert Pattinson return as Gotham’s toughest defender.
Warner Bros. revealed its plans for another Caped Crusader story during its presentation Tuesday night at CinemaCon, the annual show for theater owners. The Batman director Matt Reeves was there to break the news that he will be writing and directing the follow-up, but he gave no details on what the film will entail.
The Batman, a gritty three-hour superhero adventure, debuted on the big screen in March and grossed $134 million domestically. Those ticket sales are still considered the biggest opening weekend of 2022 and become only the second pandemic-era film, after Spider-Man: No Way Home, to surpass $100 million in a single weekend. With $759 million at the global box office to date, The Batman is currently the highest-grossing film of the year.
Notably, “The Batman” marked a return to theatrical release exclusives for Warner Bros. after the studio simultaneously released its entire 2021 slate on HBO Max. Going forward, Warner Bros. plans to keep its new movies in theaters for 45 days before releasing the new titles on HBO Max. Upcoming titles include Elvis (June 24), DC League of Super-Pets (July 29), Creed III (Nov. 23), and Shazam! Wrath of the Gods” (Dec. 16).
“The Batman” took a somber (albeit PG-13) look at Bruce Wayne’s earlier days as “the world’s greatest detective.” In his quest for justice, the teenage Dark Knight uncovers corruption in Gotham City while pursuing the insane killer known as the Riddler (Paul Dano). The star-studded cast included Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Andy Serkis as Batman’s butler Alfred Pennyworth, Colin Farrell as the crime boss known as Penguin, and Jeffrey Wright as Gotham City’s police chief James Gordon. In addition to selling Blockbuster tickets, the film was widely embraced by both critics (it holds an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences (it landed an “A-” CinemaScore).
In Variety’s review of The Batman, chief film critic Peter Debruge singled out Reeves for “doing something relatively unique here, at least by comic book movie standards.”
“This down-to-earth, often violent, nearly three-hour film noir is among the best of the genre, although – or rather, because – what makes the film great is its willingness to dismantle and question the very concept of superheroes.” he wrote.
In addition to Bruce Wayne’s sequel, Warner Bros. has several DC films in the works, including the animated DC League of Super-Pets (which hits theaters July 29) and Shazam! Fury of the Gods” (which opens December 22). Next year, Jason Momoa returns for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (scheduled for March 17) and Ezra Miller stars in The Flash (June 23).
optional screen reader