For fun – as well as a bit of research for this op-ed – I posted the following on Twitter…
Over/under for the next solo Batman film: March 2022. You taking the over or under? Give me the over.
— Bill “Jett” Ramey (@BATMANONFILM) January 9, 2018
Wanna guess which one got the most votes? Yep, the under.
Folks, it’s already 2018, and 2022 – relatively speaking – isn’t that far away. Hell, there was a four year gap between THE DARK KNIGHT and THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, and we got through that Batman on film “drought” just fine.
Here’s the thing BOF’ers. In the last 21 months, we’ve had three – THREE – live-action films featuring Batman (BATMAN v SUPERMAN, JUSTICE LEAGUE, and yes, I KNOW that the SUICIDE SQUAD appearance is just an “extended” cameo, but it still counts). To add insult to injury, not one of those movies were received well by critics, by the general audience, and two of them were huge box office disappointments.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Batman on film needs a bit of a break. There should be a period of time to not only develop the next solo Batman film properly, but also to let the anticipation and excitement for a new Bat-Movie build up.
Additionally – and this is the most important aspect to me – Matt Reeves shouldn’t be pressured by the studio or by us fans to crank out his Batman film ASAP. Let the dude take his time so that it can be the best that it can possibly be. Look what happened to Ben Affleck’s THE BATMAN when there was immense pressure for him not only to write and direct it but to get it in theaters as quickly as possible. That didn’t turn out well, did it?
Folks, it’s not a MUST(!) that a solo Batman film hit theaters in 2020 – which is the year of release I see so many fans targeting. That’s more about fans simply wanting another Batman film than it is actually believing that 2020 is the best date for it to be released. Sure, Reeves could finish his script, start pre-production this year, commence filming in 2019, and release it in 2020.
If Reeves can ready the film properly and it isn’t a rush job to get it into theaters, then a 2020 release is fine by me. However, I don’t think that will or should be the case for reasons I’ve previously stated here on BOF.
2021, and yes, even 2022 is more likely and better for the film overall.
Let’s all take a deep breath, relax, and let this movie happen when it happens. And remember, most of the fun when it comes to a new Batman movie is the ride of getting there. So, slow down and enjoy it!
Patience, my friends, is a virtue. – Bill “Jett” Ramey
