The 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' helmer is reportedly in talks to take over directing duties from Affleck on the upcoming Batman standalone movie.
- Feb 11, 2017
AceShowbiz - "The Batman" has found its new director after Ben Affleck stepped down from the role. Matt Reeves, who was previously reported being considered for the job along with George Miller ("Mad Max: Fury Road") and Denis Villeneuve ("Prisoners") among others, has been offered to take over directing duties.
Variety reports that while the deal isn't sealed just yet, the "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" helmer is already committed to the Warner Bros. movie. The gig will mark another significant leap in Reeves' career. People began to notice his name after he directed "Cloverfield". He then replaced Rupert Wyatt as director for "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes". He's now in post-production on "War for the Planet of the Apes".
Affleck, who is set to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne a.k.a. the Caped Crusader, stepped down as director for "The Batman" as he decided that tackling double duty for such massive project was too much. "Performing this role demands focus, passion and the very best performance I can give. It has become clear that I cannot do both jobs to the level they require," he said in a statement. He added, "I remain extremely committed to this project, and look forward to bringing this to life for fans around the world."
Words are, the new script, which is rewritten by "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Justice League" scribe Chris Terrio, is finished and Warner Bros. President and Chief Content Officer Toby Emmerich is "very happy with it."
No release date is set just yet for the Batman standalone movie. Joe Manganiello has been cast as the main villain, Deathstroke.
