Batman fans can now read the screenplay for The Dark Knight's latest big screen adventure. Deadline has released the script for director Matt Reeves' The Batman as part of its Read The Screenplay series.
The Batman's screenplay was written by Reeves and Peter Craig. The film follows a young Batman/Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) who works with Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) to stop the serial killer known as the Riddler (Paul Dano). This leads to Batman teaming up with Catwoman/Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz). Batman also agrees to help Catwoman find her missing friend Annika Kosolov. Batman and Gordon must also deal with the corruption in Gotham City under crime boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro).
The screenplay also features a deleted scene from the film where Batman goes to speak with the Joker (Barry Keoghan) at Arkham Asylum. In the scene, Batman asks the criminal his thoughts on what type of person the Riddler may be. In the final version of the film, the Joker's only appearance was towards the end when he introduced himself to the Riddler/Edward Nashton in Arkham.
"It's more Batman in his detective mode than we've seen in the films," Reeves said about The Batman in 2019. "The comics have a history of that. He's supposed to be the world's greatest detective, and that's not necessarily been a part of what the movies have been." In May 2019, it was announced that Pattinson was cast as the new Dark Knight. A sequel to The Batman is currently being developed with Reeves returning to direct. A release date for the sequel has not yet been announced. Two television spin-offs, one focusing on Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot (Colin Farrell) and one focusing on Arkham, are currently in development for HBO Max.
The Batman is currently available to stream on HBO Max. The Dark Knight will next be seen on the big screen in 2023's The Flash, with both Affleck and Michael Keaton returning as their versions in the film. In the meantime, check out this Collider interview with Pattinson and Kravitz on The Batman below: