The June 2019 Batman On Film Mailbag #2

By
Bill "Jett" Ramey
-
2551

Hey Now!

Welcome to the 2nd BOF Mailbag for June 2019.  Thanks for all the questions, so let’s get right to ’em! – Bill “Jett” Ramey

Do you think the Snyder cut exists, and that it will ever be released?

JETT SAYS: Keep in mind that the JUSTICE LEAGUE movie released in November of 2017 IS — officially — the “ZS Cut” as Joss Whedon was brought in to simply “finish Zack’s vision.”

Regardless, I’ll address your question.

Is there a ZS cut of JUSTICE LEAGUE that’s finished and ready to show to the public?

Hell no.

Will Warner Bros. spend millions of dollars to complete a “ZS Cut” of JUSTICE LEAGUE that only a small, but vocal, segment of fandom wants to see?

Hell no.

WB is trying to forget about and distance themselves — and DC on film — from the BATMAN v SUPERMAN/JUSTICE LEAGUE era for obvious reasons.  They are sure as hell aren’t going to shine the spotlight on it again now that the future of DC on film is looking good.

Any chance that [THE BATMAN] movie will be filmed on location in Brooklyn? There are some areas that are like Gotham City.

JETT SAYS: No idea.  I know that filming will be based in the UK, so I’d say it’s doubtful.

I will say that I hope they do a lot of on-location filming and not shoot the whole thing on soundstages in front of a green screen (ala BvS and JL).

JETT SAYS: As I’ve said many times, not only am I not a fan of fan-casting, I’m not particularly good at it. But I have said here recently that Andy Serkis would make a fine Oswald Cobblepott.

Hey Jett! Do you think this version of Batman movies will delve into any of the more fantastical characters like Mr. Freeze or Clay Face?  Also, I thought I read this movie would be set in the 90s and I was curious if you had any thoughts on why that specific time? Thanks!

JETT SAYS: How “fantastical” are we talking about here?  I don’t see Matt Reeves using a character like Clayface in his Batman films as that’s a little much.  Batman fighting a big blob of clay works in the comics, but I’m not so sure how that will play in a movie that’s supposed to be taken seriously.

Batman has the greatest rogues’ gallery of any comic book superhero and most of them are, well, “relatively realistic.”  Just look at the villains that are rumored to be in THE BATMAN — The Penguin, The Riddler, Catwoman, Firefly, and The Mad Hatter — and I think it’s a good indication of what Matt Reeves is going for in his Batman movies.

As far as THE BATMAN being set in the 1990s, I’ve personally heard nothing about that at all.  Thus, I’m just chalking it up as, “ahem,” rumor.

Hey Bill, will THE BATMAN be tied to JOKER with [Joaquin] Phoenix?

JETT SAYS: Unequivocally…NOPE.

The Joker music theme from THE DARK KNIGHT has to be the best villain theme of all time. I can’t think of a close second. What say you?

JETT SAYS: As much as I love it — and it is really brilliant and musically describes “chaos” to a T — I’d argue that the shark theme from JAWS is the greatest of all time.  I’d also say that “The Imperial March” theme for Darth Vadar from STAR WARS is a movie villain classic more so than TDK‘s Joker theme.

 

Hey Bill, THE BATMAN is supposed to start filming the beginning of next year, and SUICIDE SQUAD 2 starts filming this September. When will we get casting news? Also after SS2, will we have anymore Harley Quinn films?

Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn in SUICIDE SQUAD (2016)

JETT SAYS: It’s called THE SUICIDE SQUAD, not SUICIDE SQUAD 2, for one thing (and for a reason), but I getcha.  And I think we’ve gotten a lot — if not most — of the casting news for that one already.

When it comes to casting news for THE BATMAN, as I said in the last BOF mailbag, I’ve heard it’s imminent.

Finally, I’m sure we’ll get more of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn after BIRDS OF PREY and THE SUICIDE SQUAD as she is one of the few things that “worked” with DC on film in the last few years.

As an incredibly respected site by WB (and rightfully so), are you excited by the prospect of being invited to a set visit for THE BATMAN? Cheers brother!

JETT SAYS: A set visit to THE BATMAN set would be a great honor — but I’m not expecting it.

A lot of things have changed since those days and a lot of the folks at WB that I worked (and become friends) with during that era have moved on to other great things.  And frankly, most of the access I got on THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY films was due to Emma Thomas and Chris Nolan — they loved BOF and me. 😉

Regardless of the WB comings and goings, BOF and I are still respected by the studio — I know that.  We’ll see what happens I guess.

I remember during THE DARK KNIGHT, you guys posted shooting reports and stuff during production. I don’t remember anything like that during the production of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. Any chance you guys will bring that back?

JETT SAYS: Probably not — especially when it comes to anything illicit and/or spoilerish.

During the production of THE DARK KNIGHT, I really came into my own in terms of running BOF and what I wanted it to be…and what I wanted to stand for.  Posting set pics and details on filming is something I simply do not want to do anymore.

BOF is more about lobbying for the longterm continuation of good Batman films.  Once one is in production, BOF is just an information-providing cheerleader.

But yeah, I’ll be covering THE BATMAN extensively for sure…and it’ll be the BEST, spoiler-free coverage on the Net, period.

JETT SAYS: INCEPTION…MEMENTO, too.

And probably DUNKIRK.

JETT SAYS: While I’d love a film set in 1939 — the year “The Bat-Man” made his debut — I think I’d love a Batman movie set in the 1970s even more — 1973 specifically.

And thank you for your question and for following BOF!

Hey Jett!  How does THE BATMAN connect to the DCEU and [films such as] SHAZAM!, [WONDER WOMAN 1984] and all these other DC movies coming out?

JETT SAYS: First of all, the “DCEU” never existed — that was a made-up moniker given to DC on film by a magazine writer just for the hell of it.

Secondly — and most importantly — it doesn’t.

THE BATMAN is its own thing that exists in a vacuum and its own world, and the same goes for all the other upcoming DC movies from Warner Bros.

Fans need to stop trying to figure out how they all “connect” going forward.  If they do, they’ll be able to enjoy them a whole lot more.

I really love the idea that Matt Reeves will take us on a journey with Batman as he solves a case. With every other Batman movie we’ve known who the villain is and pretty much what they’re planning. Finally a live-action mystery. For my question. Is this in fact what Reeves is going to do and do you have any other thoughts on this topic? Thanks, Jett!

JETT SAYS: Based on what Matt Reeves has said — which hasn’t been a lot to be honest — it does appear that THE BATMAN is going to be a noirish detective story as you described.  I believe it’s going to be very different from what we’ve gotten previously with Batman films.

Hey there! Judging from previews announcements from past bat films when do you think are we getting the first peak of Pattinson in the suit?

JETT SAYS: I suspect a publicity picture of Pattinson as Batman will be released around the time filming begins.  So, sometime during the first half of 2020.

Did Christopher Nolan have some contribution in Pattinson’s casting as the new Batman? Also, will WB have Nolan as an executive producer for THE BATMAN?

JETT SAYS: No and no.

What villain(s) would you like to see in Matt Reeves’ Batman film and why? I purely want to hear Jett’s fanboy opinion, no studio influence, intel etc.

JETT SAYS: Crazy Quilt, Kite Man, and Condiment King.

Kevin Smith describes a discussion he had with several people working on JUSTICE LEAGUE and they described multiple things that were planned before the transition to Joss Whedon took place, does this line up with what you know to be true, and can you add any details? Thanks!

JETT SAYS: What was planned — and planned in name only — and what came to be are two different things.  Look, I know A LOT about the whole JUSTICE LEAGUE debacle, OK?  The bottom line is that ZS’s film was deemed “unwatchable” and he was replaced by Joss Whedon who ended up reshooting half the damn film.  Once ZS was let go, whatever he had planned going forward was done as well.

There are folks who continue to talk about the “ZS Cut” of JL and what ZS would’ve done in JL2 need to let it go.  Posting concept art and revealing details about what might’ve happened does no one any good.

Is the general public ready for another Batman film?

JETT SAYS: Batman is a pop culture icon and is extremely popular not only with fans but amongst the mainstream too.  So yes, they are…as long as it’s good.

JETT SAYS: I’d go with those and add SE7EN and THE THIN MAN.  And I’d tell folks to either read or reread THE LONG HALLOWEEN.

Have you heard the Aubrey Plaza as Catwoman buzz and what do you think? I think shes got the excentric chops for the role and the looks.

JETT SAYS: I really don’t have an opinion on this rumor, to be honest.  And that’s all it is, rumor.  I like her because I was a big PARKS AND RECREATION fan and she was funny AF in it.

 

I guess I will ask the same thing I did last time: What do you feel are the chances we might get a period piece Batman film?

JETT SAYS: I don’t believe THE BATMAN is a period piece — unless it’s really set in the 1990s as rumored (though I don’t buy it).  Now, could we get a Batman film set in, say, the 1940s one day?  Maybe.

JETT SAYS: I’ll give you that one, and I’ll throw in 5 more: “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Mystery Train,” “In the Ghetto,” and “Hurt.”

 

This is a question for Bill Ramey. Have you ever found any details on the casting that almost was: Ricky Addison Reed as Dick Grayson/Robin?

JETT SAYS: Bill Ramey is unavailable, so you’ll have to settle for Jett.  As far as your question, all I know is that Robin was in an early draft of the script, Ricky Addison Reed was cast as Dick Grayson, and then Tim Burton decided to cut that segment out of the script.  I don’t think it got to the point where costumes were made.  Below is a video of how that segment would’ve played out in BATMAN.

 

Do you think Reeves will have brilliant marketing like Nolan did?

JETT SAYS: Well, the director isn’t really involved with marketing, so that’ll be up to Warner Bros.  I don’t see them not marketing and hyping the hell out of THE BATMAN.  With that said, I don’t think we’ll see a viral campaign surrounding THE BATMAN as we did for THE DARK KNIGHT as that was a once in a lifetime sort of deal.

With Iain Glenn on TITANS [as Bruce Wayne] and Batwoman getting her own show, do you think Bruce Wayne will be a character on The CW?

JETT SAYS: If you’re asking me if Bruce Wayne, not Batman, will show up on BATWOMAN, my answer is very unlikely.  If you’re asking me if we’ll get a Batman TV series on The CW, my answer is no.

JETT SAYS: My guess is that it’ll be a mix of the two and have a look and vibe we’ve yet to see in a Batman film.

 

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