The author Bret Easton Ellis recently sent house-bound fanboys into a tizzy by commenting during an interview with the ringer.com on the script for The Batman, to be directed by Ben Affleck. Ellis clarifies his speculation, according to his very own Facebook page.
Ellis writes:
“During a long interview with The Ringer’s Sean Fennessey we talked about reasons why studio movies are so bad now and touched on the global needs of the marketplace. I told him something I had heard about the new Batman movie as an example of what might be the problem: I was talking with two executives who have NOTHING to do with the Batman movie and who KNEW people who were involved with the production. The two executives I was having dinner with were relating the problems they had heard about the script from people working on the Batman project–that’s all. I know no one involved with the Batman movie and I didn’t realize that my comments would make it into The Ringer piece or else I wouldn’t have cited that particular movie–I have no idea what the Batman script is like and I regret that it came off as if I was disparaging the project. Another reason to be careful giving interviews.”
While trouble with the script is possible, it hasn’t reached final draft status yet. And knowing the movies Affleck has either written (Gone Baby Gone) or directed (The Town, Argo, the upcoming Live By Night), it’s a safe bet the script will be fine.
Little is officially known about the plot of The Batman. What is certain is the film’s villain: Deathstroke. True Blood actor Joe Manganiello will play the mercenary/assassin, marking the characters first ever big screen appearance.
Joining Affleck and Manganiello are Jeremy Irons back as Alfred Pennyworth and (presumably) JK Simmons as Commissioner James Gordon. Affleck will direct from a script written by himself and Geoff Johns. The movie tentatively scheduled for a 2018 release.
Until then, Affleck plays the Dark Knight again in Justice League. Zack Snyder directs from a screenplay by Academy Award-winning writer Chris Terrio. Justice League hits theaters November 17, 2017.
