Negotiations with the 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' helmer to direct the Batman standalone movie reportedly break down.
- Feb 18, 2017
AceShowbiz - Warner Bros. is another step back in finding director for "The Batman". After Ben Affleck stepped down from the role, Matt Reeves was reportedly in talks for the job. Now, however, it's reported that the "Cloverfield" helmer has exited the discussions.
It's unclear what caused the breakdown in the negotiations, but The Hollywood Reporter suggests that talks could resume when heads cool. WB is also still intent on making the movie despite the so many challenges it has faced and is ready to move on to another director should it fail to reach a deal with Reeves.
Reeves is currently in post-production on "War for the Planet of the Apes", which is due out July 14 in the United States. It was previously reported that all parties, including Affleck, seemed to share a similar creative vision with Reeves early on.
Affleck himself 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."
