The Batman

The Batman is a 2022 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, 6th & Idaho, and produced by Dylan Clark Productions and Warner Bros. Distributed by Pictures, it is a reboot of the Batman film franchise. The film was directed by Matt Reeves, who wrote the screenplay with Peter Craig. It stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman with Joey Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis and Colin Farrell. The film sees Batman, who has been fighting crime in Gotham City for two years, uncover corruption while pursuing the serial killer Riddler (Dano) who targets Gotham’s corrupt elite.

Development began in 2013 after Ben Affleck was cast as Batman in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Affleck signed on to direct, produce, co-write and star in The Batman, but had doubts about the project and dropped out. Reeves reworked the story, removing the DCEU connections. He wanted to explore the detective side of Batman more than previous films, taking inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock and New Hollywood era films and comics such as “Year One” (1987), The Long Halloween (1996–97) and Ego (1996–97). 2000). Pattinson was cast in May 2019, with more cast in late 2019. Filming began in January 2020 in the United Kingdom, but was halted in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It resumed later in the year and ended in Chicago in March 2021.

After two delays to its original June 2021 release date due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Batman premiered at Lincoln Center in Manhattan on March 1, 2022, and was released in theaters on March 4. The film was a commercial success, grossing $771 million against a budget of $185–200 million, making it the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2022, and received positive reviews from critics. The film was nominated for three awards at the 95th Academy Awards and received numerous other accolades. Batman is intended to launch a Batman Shared Universe, with two sequels planned and three spin-off television series for Max, including The Penguin starring Farrell. The first sequel titled The Batman – Part II is set for release on October 3, 2025.

Details

On Halloween, Gotham City Mayor Don Mitchell Jr. is murdered by a masked serial killer, the Riddler. Reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne, who has served as the vigilante Batman for two years, investigates murders alongside the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD). Lt. James Gordon discovers a message that the Riddler has passed on to Batman. The next night, the Riddler kills Commissioner Pete Savage and delivers another message for Batman.

Batman and Gordon discover that the Riddler left a thumb drive in Mitchell’s car containing a picture of Mitchell, Annika Kosolov, at the Iceberg Lounge – a nightclub run by Oswald “The Penguin” Cobblepot, a lieutenant of crime boss Carmine Falcone. While Penguin pleads ignorance, Batman notices that Annika’s roommate Selina Kyle works as a waitress at the club. When Annika disappears, Batman sends Selina to the Iceberg Lounge for answers and discovers that Savage was on Falcone’s payroll, as was District Attorney Gil Coulson.

The Riddler kidnaps Coulson, attaches a timed collar bomb to his neck, and sends him to interrupt Mitchell’s funeral. When Batman arrives, the Riddler calls him through Coulson’s phone and threatens to detonate a bomb if Coulson can’t answer three riddles. Coulson refuses to answer the third—the name of the informant who gave the GCPD information that led to a historic drug bust of gangster Salvatore Maroni’s operation—and is killed. Batman and Gordon assume the informant may be Penguin and track him down to a drug deal. They discover that Maroney’s operation has moved to the Falcon, involving many corrupt GCPD officers. Selina inadvertently exposes them when she comes to steal the money and discovers Annika’s body in the trunk of a car. After a car chase, Batman captures the Penguin, but he and Gordon learn the Penguin is not the informant.

Batman and Gordon follow the Riddler’s trail to the ruins of an orphanage funded by Bruce’s murdered parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne, where they learn that the Riddler has a grudge against the Wayne family. Bruce’s butler and caretaker, Alfred Pennyworth, is hospitalized after opening a letter bomb addressed to Bruce. The Riddler uncovers evidence that Thomas, who was running for mayor before the murder, hired Falcone to kill a reporter who was writing a story about Martha’s family history of mental illness. Bruce confronts Alfred, who thinks that Thomas only asked Falcone to quietly threaten the journalist; After learning that Falcon had murdered the journalist, Thomas planned to turn himself and Falcon over to the police. Alfred believes that Falcone killed Thomas and Martha to silence them.

Selina reveals to Batman that Falcone is her father. After learning that he killed Annika to discover the informant, he tries to kill Falcone, but Batman and Gordon arrive in time to stop him. Gordon arrests Falcone, but the Riddler kills Falcone moments later with a sniper rifle. The Riddler is unmasked by forensic accountant Edward Nashton and incarcerated at Arkham State Hospital, where he tells Batman that he draws inspiration from him when targeting corrupt people. Batman learns that Nashton has planted car bombs around Gotham and has cultivated an online plot to assassinate mayor-elect Bela Real.

The bombs destroy the seawall around Gotham and flood the city. Nashton’s followers try to kill Real, but Batman and Selina are able to stop them. Later, Nashton befriends another inmate, [a] while Selina seems to have left Gotham alive. Batman aids the recovery effort and vows to bring hope to Gotham.

Cast and characters

Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman:
A reclusive billionaire who obsessively protects Gotham City as a masked vigilante to come to terms with his traumatic past. Batman is nearly 30 years old and not yet a seasoned crime fighter, as director Matt Reeves wanted to explore before “fully fleshing out” the character. Reeves and Pattinson described Batman as an insomniac who could not delineate between the Batman persona and his “lonely rockstar” public identity as Bruce, with Reeves comparing his obsession with being Batman to a drug addiction. Pattinson said that the film questions the nature of heroism, as Batman is more flawed than traditional superheroes and unable to control himself, seeking out his rage and “doing his kind of justice”. Reeves sees The Batman as a story about Batman learning that he must not seek revenge, but inspire hope. Oscar Novak portrayed a young Bruce, while Rick English was Pattinson’s stunt double.
Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle / Catwoman:
a nightclub waitress, drug dealer, and cat burglar who meets Batman while searching for her missing roommate; Kravitz said the character is becoming a femme fatale and is “trying to figure out who she is, just somebody trying to survive”. He describes her as a mysterious character with unclear motivations, who represents Batman’s femininity in contrast to his masculinity. He said the pair were “partners in crime” brought together by their desire to fight for vulnerable people. Reeves saw Selina as awakening to Batman’s own sheltered upbringing and prejudices. Kravitz focused more on Selina than her Catwoman persona because he didn’t want to distract from the character’s emotional journey, and interpreted Selina as bisexual, as in the comics.
Paul Dano as Edward Nashton/The Riddler:
A forensic accountant inspired by Batman to become a serial killer who targets elite Gotham citizens and live streams his crimes. An orphan raised in extreme poverty, he resents Gotham’s rich and powerful for ignoring the less fortunate and wants to “unmask the truth” about Gotham, taunting Batman and law enforcement. Reeves said that Batman inspired the Riddler by reflecting the idea from the comics that he makes his own enemies, and that the Riddler’s attack on Gotham gave the character a “political agenda” as a terrorist-like figure. He finds Batman and the Riddler unsettling, calling them “two sides of the same coin”, as they have similar goals. He compared the Riddler to the Zodiac Killer, who he considered a “real-life” Riddler for his practice of communicating with ciphers and riddles, while Dano said his performance balanced the real-life premise with the theatrics of the Batman franchise. Joseph Walker plays a young Nashton.
Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon:
Batman’s allies in the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD). He is the only GCPD officer Batman trusts and they work together to solve the Riddler case. Wright described Gordon as “a man of Gotham City, the Gotham City Police Department, Batman, justice and corruption”. As in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012), Gordon begins as a GCPD lieutenant in The Batman, allowing his progression as commissioner to be depicted in later films. Wright felt Gordon started because The Lieutenant enabled him to play a larger role than in previous film iterations. Reeves felt that Batman and Gordon’s partnership was emphasized more in The Batman than in previous Batman films and compared them to Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) and Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) in All the President’s Men (1974).
John Turturro as Carmine Falcone:
A Gotham crime boss and Selina’s father. The Riddler’s primary target, the Falcon, is in control of most of Gotham; Turturro described him as a “dangerous guy”, while Reeves said he was “seemingly…a decent mobster but [he] has a very, very dark history behind him” and compared him to Noah Cross (John Huston) from Chinatown. (1974). Batman suggests that Falcon played a role in Batman’s origin story by ordering the murders of Thomas and Martha Wayne. Falcone wears vintage sunglasses throughout the film, as Turturro felt the character needed a “mask”.
Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Coulson: Gotham’s district attorney, whom Sarsgaard describes as untruthful and “uninteresting”.
Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth:
Batman’s butler and mentor, though their relationship is strained and they rarely speak. Pattinson described Alfred as Batman’s only confidant, although Alfred “thinks he’s gone crazy!” Alfred has a military background, which reflects that he is “accustomed to rules and regulations, structure and precision” and his dress and mannerisms. To portray Alfred’s physical appearance as a military veteran, Reeves came up with the idea of him having a cane, while Serkis suggested his facial scars. Serkis said Alfred was “part of the Secret Service and then the security team looking after Wayne Enterprises”; His background led him to become more of a “mentor and a teacher” than the father Bruce needed. Reeves noted that Alfred was forced to become a parental figure to Bruce despite his inexperience, and that he felt guilty that Bruce’s parentage led to his obsessive journey as Batman.
Colin Farrell as Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot / The Penguin:
Falcone’s chief lieutenant who runs the Iceberg Lounge, the nightclub where Selina works. He is still not the crime kingpin he is portrayed as in the comics, and dislikes being referred to as the Penguin. Reeves explained that Penguin is a “mid-level mobster guy and he’s got a bit of showmanship to him, but you can see that he wants more and he’s underrated” Reeves compared Penguin to Fredo Corleone (Jon Cazal) in The Godfather (1972). compared to, because of “the insignificance she lives in, in a family full of very powerful, very brilliant, very capable, very violent men.”
Additionally, Jayme Lawson portrays Bella Reál, a Gotham City mayoral candidate who Reeves says represents hope; MacDonald portrays William Kenzie, a corrupt GCPD officer; Alex Ferns portrays Pete Savage, GCPD Commissioner; Conn O’Neill portrays Mackenzie Bock, GCPD Chief; Don Mitchell Jr., Mayor of Gotham. Barry Keohane as the Joker (credited as “Unseen Arkham Prisoner”), while other cast members include twins Charlie and Max Carver as Iceberg Lounge bouncers (“The Twins”) Hana Herzic as Annika, Selina’s roommate; Jay Licargo as a young gang member; Akye Kotab as a train passenger; Sandra Dickinson as Dory, Bruce’s caretaker and housekeeper; Stalker as Bruce’s parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne.

Box Office

Batman grossed $369.3 million in the United States and Canada and $401.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $771 million. It is the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2022, as well as the highest-grossing serial killer film. The film’s IMAX performance helped boost its first-quarter gross ($60 million) by 55% and its global box office ($173.2 million) by 57% from the same period in 2021. Deadline Hollywood calculated the film’s net profit at $177 million, accounting for production budget, marketing, talent engagement and other costs; Box office gross and home media revenue placed it seventh on the list of “Most Valuable Blockbusters” of 2022.

In the United States and Canada, Batman was estimated to gross $115–170 million from 4,417 theaters in its opening weekend, and around $330–475 million for its domestic box office total. Advance IMAX screening tickets sold out within a day of going on sale on February 8, 2022.[320] The film grossed $57 million on its first day in the United States and Canada, including $17.6 million from Thursday night previews and Tuesday and Wednesday advance screenings. Includes $4 million. It grossed $134 million in its opening weekend after Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), making it the second Pandemic-era film to gross over $100 million in the United States and Canada. It also became Warner Bros.’ It has surpassed Dune (2021) as the highest-grossing Pandemic era film domestically in just three days. Over 65% of the opening weekend audience was male, while over 60% was between the ages of 18-34. The film grossed $66.5 million in its second weekend, down 50%, and topped the box office. It grossed $36.7 million in its third weekend, down 45%, also becoming the second Pandemic era film to gross over $300 million in the United States and Canada. In its fourth weekend it was displaced into second place by The Lost City, down 44% to earn $20.5 million.

In South Korea, Batman opened to $1.7 million, the country’s biggest opening of 2022. As of March 2, it has grossed $5.3 million in eight countries. In France, it earned $2.1 million, the highest opening for 2022. As of March 4, it has grossed an estimated $54 million in 74 countries outside of the United States and Canada. In the UK it opened to $6.4 million, the second highest opening in the country during the pandemic. It grossed $1.2 million as well as the second highest pandemic opening in Spain. It grossed around $124.2 million over the weekend in 74 countries outside of the US and Canada, and topped the weekend in 73 of them. It grossed $22.3 million worldwide at IMAX theaters, the chain’s second-highest opening weekend since December 2019. It was the highest opening for a film outside the United States and Canada in 2022, the highest for Warners during the pandemic, as well as the third-biggest overall during the pandemic. Additionally, it had the second highest opening weekend of the pandemic era in sixteen countries, including the UK ($18.1 million), Mexico ($12.1 million), Australia ($9.3 million), Brazil ($8.8 million), France ($8.4 million). , Germany ($5.1 million), South Korea ($4.4 million), Italy ($4.1 million), Spain ($3.7 million), and India ($3.4 million). It achieved the biggest opening weekend for Warner Bros. in 62 countries during the pandemic and its biggest opening weekend in seven countries.

The film grossed $66.6 million from 76 markets other than the United States and Canada, down 42% in its second weekend, including a $3.2 million opening in Japan. The film reached the $500 million milestone on March 17, becoming the eighth Pandemic-era film to do so, along with Warner Bros.’ Highest Grossing Films During Pandemic In its third weekend, it made $49.1 million in countries other than the US and Canada, a drop of 46%. In China, it opened to an $11.8 million weekend according to Artisan Gateway when 30-43% of theaters were closed, the country’s best opening for an American film in 2022, topping the box office. In its fourth weekend it grossed $25.3 million for a 49% decline, including $3.1 million in China, where it was displaced by Moonfall. It crossed the $750 million milestone on April 17, becoming the fifth Pandemic-era film to do so, with running totals in the UK ($53.2 million), Mexico ($30.7 million), Australia ($27 million), France ($25.9 million), Brazil ($22.6 million), China ($22.5 million), Germany ($18.9 million), Spain ($11.8 million), Italy ($11.2 million), and Japan ($10 million).

About

Directed by	Matt Reeves
Written by	·         Matt Reeves ·         Peter Craig
Based on	Characters from DC
Produced by	·         Dylan Clark ·         Matt Reeves
Starring	·         Robert Pattinson ·         Zoë Kravitz ·         Paul Dano ·         Jeffrey Wright ·         John Turturro ·         Peter Sarsgaard ·         Andy Serkis ·         Colin Farrell
Cinematography	Greig Fraser
Edited by	·         William Hoy ·         Tyler Nelson
Music by	Michael Giacchino
Production companies	·         Warner Bros. Pictures ·         DC Films ·         6th & Idaho ·         Dylan Clark Productions
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates	·         March 1, 2022 (Lincoln Center) ·         March 4, 2022 (United States)
Running time	176 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$185–200 million
Box office	$771 million

ScreenShots