Following the disappointing theatrical version of Zack Snyder’s Batman Vs. Superman, the disappointing ending to David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, and the recent departure of director Rick Famuyiwa from The Flash, now it’s learned Ben Affleck’s Batman movie is possibly in trouble.
While it’s already being spun by some individuals friendly to Warner Bros as non-news, the information comes after Ben Affleck recently retracted statements regarding his Batman movie moving forward. Affleck first said the name of the movie was “The Batman” (which Cosmic Book News exclusively revealed years ago — along with the Arkham news), but then followed it up by stating “there is no Batman movie happening yet.”
Now the latest regarding Ben Affleck’s Batman movie is that there are serious problems with the script, which is being written by Affleck and Geoff Johns. Author Bret Easton Ellis, known for writing the novel American Psycho, is quoted as stating friends of his friends are working on the Batman movie, which is suffering from a problematic script (via The Ringer):
“I was having dinner with a couple of executives who know other executives who are working on the [forthcoming] Batman movie, The Batman,” Ellis tells me. “And they were just telling me that there are serious problems with the script. And that the executives I was having dinner with were complaining about people who work on the Batman movie. And they just said they went to the studio and they said, ‘Look, the script is … Here’s 30 things that are wrong with it that we can fix.’ And [the executives] said, ‘We don’t care. We don’t really care. The amount of money we’re going to make globally, I mean 70 percent of our audience is not going to be seeing this in English. And it doesn’t really matter, these things that you’re bringing up about the flaws of the script.’ So I do think global concerns play a big part in how movies, and what movies, are being made, obviously.”
Update: Bret Easton Ellis regrets talking about Batman.
The news of the WB executives scoffing at recommendations seems to fit in line with both the problems faced by Batman Vs. Superman and Suicide Squad. It was reported Zack Snyder wanted his theatrical run for Batman Vs. Superman to be the extended 3-hour version, but WB turned him down. Anyone who has seen both of the Batman Vs. Superman versions realizes the 3-hour extended cut is by far the better product. Regarding Suicide Squad, not only is it known hours of footage went unused regarding Jared Leto’s Joker, but recent concept art hinted at a Justice League movie connection, which would have been a hundred times better than the “Ghostbusters” ending we got in Suicide Squad.
It was thought the interference from WB executives and producers had been done away with, which was the blame for the disappointment of Batman Vs. Superman, when WB CEO Kevin Tsujihara appointed Geoff Johns and Jon Berg as the co-runners of the WB DC films, but apparently that’s not the case, which may spell doom for the upcoming Wonder Woman movie.
If these same executives only think having a “Batman” movie will rake in billions, they better think again because it didn’t work for Batman Vs. Superman.
I’ll also throw this out there: I’m willing to bet if Ben Affleck thinks the Batman script is no good, he won’t be directing. I’ll also add if he is not contracted to do the Batman movie, if he thinks it’s not up to his standards, Ben Affleck won’t be doing a solo Batman movie at all.
Both Jeremy Irons and Joe Manganiello have stated the Batman movie is due to film next Spring/Summer, so there is still time to fix the script. If we hear that the Batman movie won’t be filming until a later date, we know it’s because of the issues with the script and these executives, who I honestly think shouldn’t be involved with the Batman movie at all (or any other DC flick).
