Once again, COVID-19 has struck The Batman. The Dark Knight’s latest movie had to stop filming earlier this year due to coronavirus-related reasons (as so many film productions did), and today, just days after filming resumed, it was revealed that the pause button was pressed yet again due to someone on the cast and crew contracting the disease. Now word’s come in this individual is the movie’s main star, Robert Pattinson.
This update comes from Vanity Fair, although neither Warner Bros nor Robert Pattinson’s representatives commented on the matter. However, in its official statement from earlier, a WB representative said that the person working on The Batman who tested positive for COVID-19 is “isolating in accordance with established protocols.”
This report of Robert Pattinson contracting COVID-19 comes less than 24 hours after Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson revealed to his public that he and his family had also tested positive for the disease, but are now on the mend. Other celebrities who have also dealt personally with the coronavirus since the pandemic became widespread earlier this year include Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Idris Elba, Daniel Dae Kim, Mel Gibson, Bryan Cranston and Antonio Banderas, to name a few.
The Batman’s original COVID-19-related shutdown lasted approximately five and a half months, but Warner Bros earlier statement suggested this latest halt won’t last nearly as long. Still, the fact that Robert Pattinson contracted the coronavirus just goes to show that even with these major productions taking extra health and safety precautions, there’s still a risk that involved with getting the creative ball rolling again during this pandemic.
Before The Batman started filming again this week, only around 25% of the movie had been shot, though that was enough to put together a trailer that was shown at DC FanDome, which you can watch below.
Originally intended as a vehicle for Ben Affleck’s Batman to take center stage in the DC Extended Universe, The Batman was reimagined as a self-contained movie that follows a younger Bruce Wayne. Five months after Ben Affleck confirmed he was stepping away from the project (don’t worry, Batfleck fans, you’ll see him again in The Flash), Pattinson was chosen to don the cape and cowl next, and luckily for him, he was able to chat with The Dark Knight trilogy director Christopher Nolan about the Batman gig while they were working on Tenet.
Taking place during his second year of crime fighting, The Batman follows Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne as explores Gotham City’s corruption and investigates killings carried out by Edward Nashton, a.k.a. The Riddler, played by Paul Dano. The movie’s other main cast members include Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Colin Farrell as Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson and Jayme Lawson as Bella Reál. Along with directing the feature, Matt Reeves also co-wrote the script with Mattson Tomlin.
The Batman is set to hit theaters on October 1, 2021, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on how it’s coming along. You can also peek at what other DC movies are in development with our handy guide.
