Matt Reeves is currently working on a third The Batman spinoff alongside The Penguin and the untitled Arkham Asylum series, according to a new report.Variety's senior TV writer Joe Otterson recently cited an unnamed source close to Reeves who claims the director is developing a trio of projects set in the same universe as his 2022 Bat-blockbuster. Otterson's source alleges that the Arkham Asylum show didn't replace the previously announced Gotham City Police Department-focused spinoff. Instead, both productions are supposedly moving forward in parallel alongside The Penguin, which will see Colin Farrell reprise the Oswald "Oz" Cobblepot role he played in The Batman. That said, neither Warner Bros. nor HBO Max has officially confirmed that the GCPD spinoff is still going ahead, which means this report should be taken with a grain of salt for now.
Otterson acknowledged in his tweet that Reeves himself indicated in March 2022 that the GCPD project had morphed into a show about Arkham Asylum. At the time, the director seemed to rule out the possibility of the original version of the spinoff continuing as a separate production. "The GCDP thing, that story has story has kinda evolved" Reeves said. "We've actually now [moved] more into the realm of exactly what would happen in the world of Arkham as it relates coming off of our movie, and some of the characters… almost leaning into the idea of… it's like a horror movie or a haunted house that is Arkham,"
Is The Batman's GCPD Spinoff Still Happening?
Comments by showrunner Joe Barton around the same time likewise suggested that Warner Bros. and HBO Max had scrapped The Batman's GCPD spinoff. Barton publicly added the project to his list of career losses, saying that he was "adding [the GCPD series] to the 'ones that got away' column." He added that the show would've been "something special" and said he hopes Reeves will one day make it a reality. Should reports that the GCPD spinoff is still in the works prove accurate, it's unclear whether Barton will remain onboard as showrunner.
It's equally uncertain how a third project related to The Batman would fit within Reeves' already hectic workload. Aside from overseeing The Penguin and the unnamed Arkham Asylum spinoff, the director is also currently hashing out The Batman 2. Reeves is reportedly developing several films focused on the Dark Knight's rogues gallery as well, with the search underway for writers and directors to spearhead each entry in the series.
Neither of HBO Max's confirmed The Batman spinoffs have release dates at this stage.
Source: Twitter