The Batman, the latest live action film starring the DC superhero of the same name, was one of the film and TV projects which recently resumed production following a relaxation of restrictions for cast and crew members. However, only a few days later, filming was paused yet again – reportedly due to the film’s star, Robert Pattinson, contracting the coronavirus (COVID-19). While some filming will be carried out without Pattinson, the actor himself is currently self-quarantining for a minimum of 14 days.
Pattinson (The Twilight Saga, Tenet) was cast in the role of Bruce Wayne / Batman in May 2019, after Ben Affleck (who had played the role in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League) stepped down and the film was rewritten to feature a younger Batman. He joined a cast which also includes Zoë Kravitz (Big Little Lies, The Lego Batman Movie) as cat burglar Selina Kyle / Catwoman, Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine, 12 Years a Slave) as supervillain The Riddler, and many others. Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) is serving as the film’s director, while Peter Craig (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 and 2) co-wrote the screenplay.
Filming initially paused in March, but re-started at the beginning of September. Reeves put in a virtual appearance during the 2020 online-only edition of DC FanDome, where he presented a new trailer which received a highly positive response from excited fans. During the event, the release date for The Batman was announced as October 2021. It is not currently known whether the second pause will result in further delays regarding the film’s debut.
While Warner Bros.’ official statement merely announced that “a member of The Batman production has tested positive for COVID-19,” Vanity Fair and other news sources reported that the affected individual is indeed Pattinson. We at FlickLuster are wishing Pattinson a quick recovery to full health.
