Things have been looking pretty bad for Warner Brothers The Batman. After saying that he would not direct the film unless the script was as good as it could be, director/writer/star Ben Affleck stepped aside as the helmer of the project at the end of last month. Earlier this week it was revealed that the screenplay that Affleck had been working on with DC Entertainment co-chair Geoff Johns would very likely be tossed aside once the studio found a new director. It was a one-two combination that did not inspire much confidence in the project.
But it looks like the studio may be pulling the project out of its nose dive as the Hollywood Reporter is stating that Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes and the upcoming War For The Planet Of The Apes director Matt Revees is in early talks with the studio to take over the project.
The studio is certainly moving fast on this which suggests that they had this in mind for some time. The Reporter cites sources that say that “multiple conversations [have already] occurred” in advance of their meeting on Friday.
And while Reeves is at the top of the studios shortlist, if the negotiations don’t work out, the Reporter notes that Alien‘s Ridley Scott and Fede Alvarez, the director of the 2013 Evil Dead remake, are two other possibilities that they could turn to. Matt Roos, director of last year’s family drama Captain Fantastic has also been mooted.
Reeves work on the Planet Of The Apes franchise has been exemplary. Building on the solid foundation of director Rupert Wyatt’s 2011’s Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes with a sequel that balanced character-based drama (even though those characters were mostly intelligent apes) with well choreographed action. If he brings the same sensibilities, and there’s no reason to think he won’t, than he should be a good replacement for Affleck. That is, if the studio brass who have been behind the constant micromanaging of the DC Comics Expanded Universe films actually stands back and lets him do his thing.
As he is deep in post-production for War For The Planet Of The Apes, Reeves probably won’t be available until that film’s July release. Of course, that could give whomever may be taking over scripting duties
