Is Matt Reeves ‘Batman’ spin-off TV series, on the new streaming service HBO Max, similar to Fox’s ‘Gotham’?
In July 2020, Matt Reeves announced an HBO Max spin-off which will follow the officers at Gotham City Police Department. It will also be Reeves’s first project after his major deal with the Warner Bros Television Group. The spin-off will extend the world established in ‘The Batman’ movie and introduce multiple characters from the Batman mythos. It will ultimately lead to launching a new ‘Batman’ universe across several platforms. The HBO Max spin-off will include the return of Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, and various other cast members from ‘The Batman’ movie. Though it is still unclear if Robert Pattinson will make an appearance on the small screen or not.
HIGHLIGHTS —
- Is the ‘Batman’ spin-off based on ‘Gotham’
- Terence Winter quits ‘Batman’ spin-off TV series
- Ben Affleck back as Batman on HBO Max?
After agreeing to don the cape once again for Andy Muschietti’s ‘The Flash‘, many rumours also suggest that Ben Affleck has been signed to be part of the HBO Max’s spin-off TV series
Is the ‘Batman’ spin-off based on ‘Gotham’
Revees issued a statement announcing a TV show spin-off for ‘The Batman’. He said:
“This is an amazing opportunity, not only to expand the vision of the world I am creating in the film but to explore it in the kind of depth and detail that only a long-form format can afford.”
“We were the last big network battlecruiser to leave the harbour, but we were very much a network show. I think now that we have realized that streaming is the new god, I think Matt is going to have a much easier time selling the kind of show that we wanted to do because he has got a movie with movie stars to back it up.”
The concept of the series is being compared to Fox’s ‘Gotham’ that concluded in the same year. In an interview with “Comicbook”, ‘Gotham’ producers Danny Cannon and Bruno Heller also agreed that the upcoming Batman HBO Max spin-off feels very similar to their Fox series. They also talked about how Reeves’ ‘Batman’ HBO Max spin-off TV series has a better chance of success.
‘Gotham’ first released on Fox in 2014 and served as a prequel to the story of Batman. The spin-off TV series revolved around detective James Gordon who struggled to fight the rogued streets while a young and orphaned Bruce Wayne grew in the same crowd. The HBO Max spin-off will have a different and darker take than its prequel series. The press release for the new HBO Max spin-off stated it would build upon motion picture’s examination of the anatomy of corruption in Gotham City, ultimately launching a new ‘Batman’ universe across multiple platforms. Hence, indicating that it won’t just be based around Fox’s ‘Gotham’.
Other DC series in the making with HBO Max include ‘Green Lantern’, ‘Strange Adventures’, and ‘Justice League Dark‘ from J.J. Abrams.
Terence Winter quits ‘Batman’ spin-off series
During Reeves’ announcement of the ‘Batman’ HBO Max spin-off, it was also mentioned that Terence Winter would write and executively produce it. But according to “Variety”, Terence Winter has left the project over creative differences. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. Television would now have to find a new person to head the project. Winter leaving the project has turned out to be a greater loss. He has had a great track record of working on many great crime dramas such as ‘Boardwalk Empire‘ and ‘The Sopranos’. During the announcement of the project, Reeves had acknowledged that working with Winter was an absolute dream for him.
Ben Affleck back as Batman on HBO Max?
After agreeing to don the cape once again for Andy Muschietti’s ‘The Flash‘, many rumours also suggest that Ben Affleck has been signed to be part of the HBO Max’s spin-off TV series. However, it entirely lies on Affleck if he would be willing to return as the Dark Knight or not. Affleck is also part of Zack Snyder’s ‘Justice League’ which is set to release sometime in 2021. The rumour also mentions that if the ‘Justice League’ movie is a big success, then only will Snyder-verse continue to work on additional DC projects like ‘Justice League 2’ on the HBO Max streaming service. Sadly, fans of Ben Affleck will have to wait for a few more months for confirmation.
Due to personal reasons, Ben Affleck earlier had to step down from his role as Batman, leading to the casting of Robert Pattinson. Let us know who you’d prefer as Batman! Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
