The word on BATMAN 3... "nothing's happening!"
Some 15 months after The Dark Knight was released in theatres, frustratingly, we are absolutely no closer to seeing the caped crusader back on our screens.
It's been four months since I have meaningfully written about Batman 3, a movie that most definitely WILL happen sometime over the next four years but as of 26.10.09, some 15 months after The Dark Knight was released in theatres, frustratingly, we are absolutely no closer to seeing the caped crusader back on our screens. However my childlike impatience aside, the smart side of my brain is convinced that allowing breathing space for The Dark Knight and the whole Heath Ledger/Oscar microscope will only benefit the longevity of this compelling mainstream movie franchise. After all, despite the fact we haven't had as much as a breadcrumb of solid information to go on for well over a year now, anticipation for the next outing for these three guys is a hot as ever...
A LITTLE INCEPTION KEEPS NOLAN BUSY
Director Chris Nolan has been spending the best part of the last year working on Inception, his big budget (anywhere between $150-180 million) original sci-fi project at Warner Bros. which is now in post-production for a release in July of next year. You can see the mouth watering teaser trailer for the movie, HERE, which recalls a feeling I haven't quite gotten in this genre since The Matrix ten years ago. We believe that WB offered Nolan the money to make Inception as an incentive to helm a new Batman movie at the studio within four years, though we should stress that no contracts have probably being signed, or even a silent handshake agreement reached for this deal. Nolan probably doesn't know himself whether he wants to make another movie. That is the reality right now. If you disregard his personal love for the character or the big money incentive of making a new movie, there's a hell of a lot more negative factors in trying to top himself, than there is to walk away and do something else. Just ask Francis Ford Coppola. Warner Bros. have a list of names as potential back-up's if the Worst Case Scenario that I spoke about in June were to happen. Back in March, the top of the list would have been Zack Snyder after the early buzz and box office for Watchmen was very solid indeed but since that movie petered out and the critics and fanboy reaction seems to have soured over time, we at OWF no longer believe that Snyder is such a wanted man for the job. More likely at the top of the list is Public Enemies director Michael Mann, which is a name I've not so quietly been promoting for the job if the worst case scenario of a Nolan drop out was to ensue. But as of right now, we have nothing to report. As far as I can tell Warner Bros. are happy to give Nolan some time and breathing space to mull over his options and decide if he wants to make a third movie. Of course this space won't last forever and sooner or later WB will get itchy trigger fingers and will press Nolan to give them answers before looking elsewhere, because this character makes them too much money to lay dormant on the shelf, but as of right now... WB are happy to do nothing. As reported by Batman on Film over the weekend from their reliable scooper Remy, who provided BOF with several 100% solid scoops during the making of The Dark Knight...I can tell you this -- last I had heard, Batman 3 is in what I would call pre-pre-production. Basically, it's in an embryonic stage that, like you said, may have evolved as far as a rough draft, but I doubt it's even that far.... My source worked on and no one had been contacted to begin technical work on the films until there was a script -- setting pre-production into full swing. And unless I'm being left out of something this time around -- and I stress that I'm pretty confident in what I'm telling you -- nothing's happening.So for now, all we can do is sit around, debate, dissect and predict what might happen with Batman 3. May I guide you to several articles where we have done this already... Who would direct Batman 3 if Nolan was to bail?