Steven Soderbergh will help Matt Reeves finish filming on “Batman 2“ after the director temporarily stepped away from the set due to a family matter. Soderbergh will step in for the final weeks of principal photography on the sequel, while Reeves remains the film's writer and director.
The decision was made with the support of DC Studios. A studio representative said Soderbergh offered his help himself, as he is a fan of Reeves' work. The two will work with the cast and crew to maintain the vision of the production.
“The goal is to create material that fits seamlessly into what has already been shot,“ Soderbergh said.The studio said Reeves will continue to direct “Batman 2“. Soderbergh's involvement is limited to the completion of principal photography while Reeves deals with family matters. No details have been released about the personal circumstances that led to his interruption of work on location.
Production has been temporarily suspended
The sequel is currently filming in the UK and was temporarily suspended earlier in October. Now, production will continue with Soderbergh's help, with new scenes to be shot in line with the material already shot.
“Batman 2“ will once again star Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne and his alter ego. The cast also includes Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot, aka The Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner James Gordon, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth. New additions include Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan.
The sequel has gone through several schedule changes. It was originally scheduled to premiere on October 2, 2026, but was later pushed back to October 1, 2027. Warner Bros. later moved the film to February 2028.
Reeves remains at the helm
Soderbergh's involvement does not represent a change of director. His task is to help the team complete the filming process, while Reeves continues to lead the project and monitor the correspondence between the new and already shot scenes.
Soderbergh is an „Oscar“ winner and director of films such as „Traffic“, „Erin Brockovich“, „Sex, Lies and Video“ and the „Ocean's Gang“ series. The first „Batman“ Reeves' film was released in March 2022 and launched a separate film series starring Pattinson.
Sources: au.variety.com, thewrap.com, nme.com