Though Warner Bros. has, under its new regime brought in by the merger with Discovery been on something of a cost-cutting rampage of late, it appears there is still cash available to certain people. And Matt Reeves, the man who made The Batman, has locked in a big new first-look film deal with the studio.
Making this legendary studio my home is a dream," Reeves says in a statement. "I am so excited to be working with Mike, Pam, and Channing and our teams to bring captivating stories I am truly passionate about to the big and small screen."
Reeves, of course, is in the very early scripting stages of a sequel to The Batman (more on that in a moment) and has been developing the Colin Farrell/Penguin-starring spin-off for HBO Max. There's also a series featuring Arkham Asylum that is in a more tentative place right now.
As for The Batman 2 (or whatever subtitle it has), we do now know who will be working on the script with Reeves – Mattson Tomlin, who helped iron out third act issues, but didn't qualify for the final credit list – which went to Reeves and Peter Craig. This time, Tomlin will be there from the start.
Of course, Warner Bros. putting money into Batman projects feels like even more of a slap in the face to the likes of team Batgirl and Batman: The Animated Series‘ Bruce Timm, who had been in production on new show Batman: Caped Crusader with JJ Abrams, Reeves and Ed Brubaker serving as executive producers. That has been culled from HBO Max's future plans along with a variety of other animated output. The Bat-show is, according to TV Line, staying active while looking for a new home.
Meanwhile, Netflix, which previously had a first-look deal with Reeves, is left outside like a Victorian orphan enviously pressing their nose against the window of a toy shop.