With director Matt Reeves’ The Batman opening in movie theaters on March 4, I recently had the chance to speak with Paul Dano (Riddler) and Jeffrey Wright (James Gordon) about making the hugely anticipated DC movie. Since they have been doing a lot of press, I made sure to ask about something they hadn’t talked about which was Greig Fraser’s cinematography and the filmmaking.
If you’ve seen the trailers and clips, I’m sure you’ve noticed that the film looks incredible. And the main reason for that is Fraser. As the cinematographer on projects like Zero Dark Thirty, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Vice, Foxcatcher, Killing Them Softly, Lion, the first season of The Mandalorian, and others, he’s shown again and again why he’s one of the best directors of photography working in Hollywood. His resume and incredible work also explains why Denis Villeneuve called on him to helm his dream project: Dune.
During the interview, Dano and Wright talked about what it was like working with Fraser, how Wright thinks of him as a painter with light, the fantastic filmmaking in the movie, why he is excited for younger audiences to see the film, and Dano talks about how The Batman is an immersive piece of cinema that should be seen in a movie theater.
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Watch what Dano and Wright had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about. Look for more Batman interviews soon. The Batman also stars Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle, Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson, Jayme Lawson as mayoral candidate Bella Reál, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth.
Paul Dano and Jeffrey Wright
- What was it like working with cinematographer Greig Fraser and what were some of the more challenging shots to pull off?
- Why Dano loved shooting the diner scene and the way it looked.
- Wright talks about why he thinks of Fraser as a painter with light.
- How The Batman is a great movie with fantastic filmmaking that happens to star Batman.
- Dano on how The Batman is an immersive piece of cinema and how you need to see it in a movie theater.
- Wright on why he is excited for younger audiences to see the film.
Here's the official synopsis for The Batman:
From Warner Bros. Pictures comes Matt Reeves’ “The Batman,” starring Robert Pattinson in the dual role of Gotham City’s vigilante detective and his alter ego, reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne.
More than a year of stalking the streets as the Batman (Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies—Alfred (Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Wright)—amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.
When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle (Kravitz), Oz, aka The Penguin (Farrell), Carmine Falcone (Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka The Riddler (Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.