So just how valuable is the Batman brand to Warner Bros.? As early as last spring, with the studio seeing the the current iteration of the series coming to an end with "The Dark Knight Rises," they were already beginning to talk reboot. “We have the third Batman, but then we’ll have to reinvent Batman,” Warner Bros. chief Jeff Robinov said in March 2011. Asked if he meant a reboot, he said: “I do. Chris Nolan and [producing partner and wife] Emma Thomas will be producing it, so it will be a conversation with them about what the next phase is.” But, not so fast on Nolan's participation…
With the director talking to press over the weekend for "The Dark Knight Rises," he revealed that he has finished with his involvement with Batman and has no plans to take part in the franchise moving forward, in any capacity. “No, none at all. We’re finished with all we’re doing with Batman. This is the end of our take on this character,” he told EW when asked about future Bat-plans, also denying reports he will be involved in any reboots. “Batman will outlive us all, and our interpretation was ours. Obviously, we consider it definitive and kind of finished. The great thing about Batman is he lives on for future generations to reinterpret, and obviously, Warners will have to decide in the future what they’re going to do with him. We’ve had our say on the character…"
Frankly, we're kind of glad. Nolan's imprint on the character is so defined that, creatively, it's probably better for the franchise to be guided by someone else who can bring a whole new vision of Gotham to the screen. And as for Nolan, after spending seven-plus years with the bat, he's likely eager to move on to different things entirely. But what about "Justice League"? Turns out any rumor associating Nolan with that project is just that…rumor.
“I’ve got no plans to do anything more, and certainly, no involvement with any Justice League project,” he said, attributing whispers about his participation to his involvement in producing Zack Snyder's "Man Of Steel." So is Warner Bros. in trouble?
Not really. Nolan brought his own stamp to the comic world and did it quite well, and it will probably be in the studio's best interest to try a new creative force to bring to life their remaining DC Comics properties. That said, with "The Dark Knight Rises" poised to equal the $1 billion worldwide haul of "The Dark Knight," and likely surpass it as well, we're sure studio execs will keep ringing on Nolan's doorbell (he famously doesn't use a cellphone or email). Perhaps they can sway him with a development deal (Nolan takes each movie on a project-by-project basis, and isn't tied down a single studio, though he obviously has a strong relationship with WB) to get some of his pet projects off the ground. Or perhaps Nolan will realize he does have another story to tell…though far more likely, he really truly is done and finished with Bruce Wayne.
Can Batman live on without Christopher Nolan? Who would you like to see drive the reboot when that inevitably happens? Sound off in the comments.
Nolan films were good but not perfect, always felt he didn't like Batman as his child superhero , he just accepted it from a creative point of view + to get famous
He added drama, story and revived Burton version but Burton version still the best 🙂
I would very much like to see a Guillermo Del Toro directed batman film with Clayface as the villain. That would never fit into Nolan's realistic Batman universe, but I think it's perfect for Del Toro. I also think David Fincher could direct an awesome Batman rebbot, maybe with Mad Hatter or Killer Croc as the villain.
Batman can live on without Nolan, and it will.
Am I the only person that wants to see the story line continued as it is left in Rises? Must Nolan be involved in extending this vision? I dont think so… more importantly bale, oldman, freeman, levitt and alfred need to come back and i am sure they could be persuaded to! This is the best take on a comic hero todate, as batman fans we are so lucky to have been able to enjoy this in our lifetime. But i state again why cann't we use this foundation as the back story for more movies? I do not feel this interpetation or story arch is finished or with the portential for even better storys in future films
ENOUGH with Batman movies. MOVE ON.
guillermo del toro directs The Dark Night Returns….taking off along the lines of the Nolan stories. . . Bale can do it like nothing in the next 4 years and it would be great. then again a reboot with would be great imo, you cant have a batman without the superhuman aspects too im sorry.
Wait about 23 years, so that Bale is in his 60s. Then, directly adapt The Dark Knight Returns. Refn directs. Nicolas Cage as the joker. Kyle MacLauchlan as Two-Face. Michael Caine is still Alfred. We can't know who will play Carrie/Robin yet because she has not yet been born. Gary Old(old)man is still Gordon. Hathaway is still Selina Kyle. Keanu Reeves as Superman, obviously.
If there has to be a Batman reboot, please god, let it be this one.
after this….they should just stop….period. no reboot needed….WB should end on a high note and never make another batman film again…..
I'm pretty anti Justice League at this point, and Batman Beyond doesn't sound too amazing either. My opinion is this- Wait a few years, re-boot it (the NWR and Rian Johnson options sound good) and take on more detective-oriented stories, featuring never before seen (on screen) villians. No need to totally abandon realism but no need to stick to the each movie as a step in the "epic of legend of Bruce Wayne/Batman" either. Start with a fresh story (no origin story neccesaary), and start right at Batman in the prime of his career. It doesn't have to link up to Nolans universe but his stamp will still be fresh on peoples minds and he established a lot of key elements already, so a new movie could jump into a good and new story easily, without a lot of set-up.
i'm not against a reboot if WB waits a few (5/10 years)
Why reboot at all? The term itself has begun to have, at least for me, a very negative meaning. It would be interesting to see a Batman set in the future, perhaps bringing Batman Beyond into the cinema or even elaborating on obscure protagonists associated with Batman. Beyond something totally new, I don't see a point in renewing the property every few years for the sake of profit or even for reinterpretation.
An Aronofsky Batman would likely be amazing, but I'd rather have him do his own thing than get tied up in a franchise. He probably thought the same thing when he bailed on Wolverine.
Any potential new film needs to get back to the TV series. Camp, gaudy fun, dutch angles, anti-shark repellant… get McG to direct. Fun!
CinematicESP, Refn and Johnson are good picks. I'd also throw in Duncan Jones and Aranofski (not his old idea for the series but something new) as candidates along with Joseph Kosinski (Tron Legacy, Oblivion) as a dark horse.
I say let this simmer for a bit. There's been 7 Batman movies since 1989 (that's roughly 1 release very 3-4 years), not to mention the countless interpretations in animation.
I think WB would earn a bit more good will if they sat on the property for a while before trying something new. Even the more glowing reviews of The Amazing Spider-Man make a point of wondering "why so soon?" out loud.
That's good. IMO they should go with a completely different interpretation from Nolan's instead of trying to mimick it.
How about a "Why not enjoy the countless Batman films/series/cartoons/comics/games/spin-offs/etc" feature?
As opposed to, before even being able to REVIEW the latest Batman film, wondering what kind of Batman we are going to get next?
The Internet is always so eager for the next thing, rather than the thing coming right up in fucking front of them…
With Paul Dini involved somehow in the writing
Vince Gilligan
Dream picks? Nicolas Winding Refn, Rian Johnson, John Hillcoat, Andrew Dominik.
How bout a "Who could reboot Batman" feature?