It may be a brand new year, but the COVID-19 pandemic continues to overstay its welcome around the world, straining hospitals and costing lives. On the Hollywood side of things, the industry is staying afloat amidst rough circumstances, such as a majority of theaters still being affected. England has been a popular location for movie productions to proceed, including Matt Reeves’ The Batman, even as a stricter lockdown has been put in place this week.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Monday that a new national lockdown is now in effect that echoes early 2020 restrictions. The hospital rates in the U.K. recently increased 30% from the week prior, and is currently 40% above the highest level it was at back in spring at the start of the pandemic’s major spread, per AP News. With the additional safety measures in effect, Robert Pattinson and The Batman cast are still suiting up for work thanks to a rare exception from the UK government.
English Parliament member Oliver Dowden shared that in the arts/creative sectors, most employees are being asked to work from home. However, there are exemptions put in place for the “training and rehearsal of performances, recording studios and film & TV production,” per a tweet. His information is also echoed in the official U.K. government guidelines, which details that businesses used “for the purposes of film and TV filming” are among the few industries granted to resume activities.
It’s good news for The Batman, which has already faced a slew of delays in the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The movie started filming back in January 2020 before the production was suspended in March, along with most Hollywood movies and businesses. The unique take on the Dark Knight did not get back into the swing of things until fall. Shortly after the cast and crew returned to set, Robert Pattinson reportedly had COVID and the shoot shut down again for two more weeks before resuming in mid-September.
The Twilight alum is rumored to be “exhausted” after the yearlong back and forth playing the vigilante, with a surely heavy suit and intense fight choreography to uphold as well. The production should be in its final stretch with a month or less left as actors start to wrap their work on the noir take on the beloved comic hero. Over the summer before filming resumed, we got an awesome first look at the release with this trailer:
On the bright side, Matt Reeves still has significantly more time to make The Batman than he would have during typical conditions, and that could inspire an even better film than possible before. The Batman has been delayed until March 4, 2022. Check out CinemaBlend’s full lineup of what’s coming from the DCEU following Wonder Woman 1984.
