Denis Villeneuve reveals he was not approached to direct the upcoming Robert Pattinson-led The Batman. With an array of critically acclaimed films on his resume, including Sicario, Prisoners, Arrival, and Blade Runner 2049, the French-Canadian filmmaker is set to premiere his latest epic, Dune, later this month. The film, which has already garnered mostly positive reviews, seems to be set to reaffirm Villeneuve's reputation as one of the most innovative directors working today.
The Batman, which will be helmed by Planet of the Apes trilogy director Matt Reeves, is not due to release until next year and is already one of 2022's most anticipated films. Starring Robert Pattinson as the titular superhero alongside Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as Riddler, Colin Farrell as Penguin, and Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, The Batman looks to be a darker, more atmospheric take on the source material, especially when compared to Christopher Nolan's more grounded Dark Knight trilogy. While one trailer has already been released for the film, fans will get another look at The Batman during DC FanDome next week.
In a new interview clip with Josh Horowitz, who hosts the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Villeneuve reveals that he was not one of the directors approached to helm The Batman. Horowitz suggests that, due to Villeneuve's successful track record with Warner Bros., there was talk that the studio had him in mind for the upcoming Caped Crusader film. The director, however, denies the rumors, believing the studio already knew he'd be too busy to take on the DCEU film:
To be honest with you, sometimes I have a very bad memory so sometimes I don't recall, but I don't remember being approached for Batman. They probably knew that I was deeply busy doing Dune.
Given Villeneuve's good relationship with Warner Bros., it would make sense that his absence from The Batman shortlist was due to his commitments on Dune. In the same clip from Horowitz's interview, Villeneuve went on to explain that Batman is actually the only superhero he can relate to, so the rumors got as close to truth as they could have. While The Batman is certainly in good hands with Matt Reeves, one can't help but wonder what Villeneuve would have brought to the table had he taken the project instead.
Considering Villeneuve's penchant for mature themes and more serious subject matter, it's no surprise he relates the most to Batman. Villeneuve has proven himself capable of telling more grounded stories like Prisoners and Sicario, but has also showcased his ability to tackle science fiction material with the likes of Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival. It would be interesting to see Villeneuve's specific filmmaking skills, like his ability to create very tactile, moody, and visually interesting worlds, be put to use on a Batman film - but, unfortunately, it seems it was never in the cards. Dune releases in the US on October 22, while Reeves' The Batman is scheduled for March 4, 2022.
Source: Josh Horowitz, Twitter
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