The Batman writer/director Matt Reeves is planning to expand on his film's universe with a series devoted to the Dark Knight's rogues gallery.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Reeves is not only working on a sequel to The Batman but is also quietly developing a film series centered around both well-known and obscure Batman villains, including Scarecrow, Clayface and even Professor Pyg, among others. These projects are in very early development, but Reeves is taking meetings with writers and directors to expand The Batman universe.
It was reported in August that a sequel to The Batman starring Robert Pattinson was still in development, though it would be years before the Warner Bros. and DC film reached theaters. Warner Bros. officially announced a sequel to The Batman in April with Robert Pattinson reprising his role as the Dark Knight and Reeves set to pen the script. However, these reports came after Warner Bros. sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry when the company opted to shelve both Scoob! Holiday Haunt and its upcoming DC film Batgirl, which would have premiered exclusively on HBO Max. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav indicated that part of the reasoning behind Batgirl's cancellation was to "protect the DC brand."
Apart from The Batman sequel, there are two planned HBO Max series that will spin out of the 2022 film, including a series titled The Penguin centered around Colin Farrell's Oswald "Oz" Cobblepot that is currently in development. While Reeves will serve as a producer on the series alongside Dylan Clark, Lauren LeFranc will act as head writer and showrunner on The Penguin. The sereis has not received a director at the time of writing.
The Batman was released exclusively in theaters in March, exceeding box office expectations in its opening weekend, bringing in a total of $134 million after projections estimated it would open to $128.5 million domestically. Prior to its streaming release on HBO Max, the film earned $386.1 million overseas and $365 million domestically, for a worldwide box office total of $751.1 million.
Directed and co-written by Reeves, The Batman stars Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Paul Dano as Edward Nashton/Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as Lt. James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth and Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin. The Batman was described by both Reeves and Pattinson as a neo-noir crime thriller. In particular, the film followed a younger Bruce Wayne who is only in his second year of vigilantism and leaned heavily into the character's detective abilities.
The Batman is currently available to stream on HBO Max.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter