Warner Bros. and DC Studios have temporarily halted production on “Batman 2“ after director Matt Reeves briefly stepped away from the film due to a family matter.
Robert Pattinson is set to return as Bruce Wayne in the highly anticipated sequel.
“Production on “Batman 2“ has been temporarily halted while Matt Reeves focuses on a family matter. "Matt has the full support of DC Studios and we look forward to continuing this journey soon," a production representative said.
No further details about the personal circumstances surrounding director Matt Reeves were released.
The news is yet another change in the schedule for one of DC's most anticipated projects. Originally, “Batman 2“ was supposed to hit theaters on October 2, 2026, but Warner Bros. moved the release date to October 1, 2027. In July, the studio pushed the film back again, this time to February 2028.
The first “Batman“ Matt Reeves's film is set for release in March 2022 and stars British actor Robert Pattinson as a darker and more psychologically complex version of Bruce Wayne.
In addition to Robert Pattinson, the sequel's cast includes Scarlett Johansson, Colin Farrell, Sebastian Stan, Andy Serkis, and Jeffrey Wright.
Following one of the previous delays, DC Studios boss James Gunn defended the long period between the two films. He pointed out that such hiatuses are not uncommon for major Hollywood productions, citing franchises like “Alien“, “Terminator“, “Avatar“, “Top Gun“ and “Guardians of the Galaxy“.
Robert Pattinson himself recently revealed to Collider that the second part will not simply repeat the formula of the first film.
“The first was a different take on a Batman movie, and this is another one. It takes a completely different direction from the first, but somehow retains some of its atmosphere“, said the actor.
Pattinson describes the script as “very ambitious“ and admits that he is curious to see how the final result will look on the big screen.
The first “Batman“ reunited Robert Pattinson with Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Colin Farrell as The Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth.
Despite the temporary hiatus, Warner Bros. and DC Studios have not yet announced a new delay to the premiere of “Batman 2“.