Production for The Batman resumed in September 2020 following a six-month hiatus on filming due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As reported by Variety, Director Matt Reeves was feeling the pressure of creating a successful reboot of this infamous franchise, yet after restarting shooting in London, Reeves got bad news. “All we did was shoot a day, and already it wasn’t just someone got COVID- Batman got COVID,” Reeves explained. Luckily, Robert Pattinson’s symptoms were not very severe and faced a quick recovery time. Yet, this close call came as a scare to Reeves as production had already lost dialect coach Andrew Jack due to the pandemic within the first few weeks of filming.
This close call inspired Reeves to become “a burrito” on set donning a mask, head covering, and goggles. “Because we had no vaccines or anything, I was like, if I go down, we’re not going to finish the movie,” Reeves noted. “You couldn’t see my face, and this is the way the actors saw me for the rest of the movie. I was like this ridiculous, hermetically sealed creature. It was absurd.”
Reeves’ budget of $200 million is a large gamble considering the lack of success from other Batman revival attempts, yet Reeves’ incorporation of fear is something that sets this adaptation apart from the rest. “Matt really acknowledges things that have scared him in his life and things that scare him presently, and can project those into his movies,” Pattinson says.
The actor and director duo become increasingly close during an isolated production often communicating via earpiece throughout certain scenes. “You could hear his little reactions. If it was a tense scene, you’d suddenly hear his breathing accelerate,” Pattinson explains. “I’ve never been so close to a director’s perception of what I was doing before. It’s a strangely intimate experience.” The Batman released on March 4, with Warner Bros Pictures noting streaming options will be available 45 days following its initial release.
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