We’re still some time away from the much-discussed ‘The Batman‘, yet another big-screen take on Gotham’s famous vigilante, this time featuring Robert Pattinson and directed by Matt Reeves. The standalone film, currently scheduled for October 2021, is not part of the same interconnected continuity that connects other parts of the DCU movies.
But it’s been a major week for Bat-news: It’s now been revealed there are also plans for a television series for HBO Max which would take place in the same continuity as the new film and would deal with the Gotham City Police Department and their efforts to fight crime on a more basic level. Terence Winter (Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos) will be writing and act as an executive producer on the series,. There is no news as to whether Pattinson or Jeffrey Wright (who plays Commissioner Jim Gordon) would appear in any capacity, but it would make perfect sense for Wright reprise his role. There’s no official title, though Gotham PD would reflect the successful DC comic of the same name.
According to a statement from HBO Max, the series is “…set in the world Reeves is creating for The Batman feature film and will build upon the motion picture’s examination of the anatomy of corruption in Gotham City, ultimately launching a new Batman universe across multiple platforms. The series provides an unprecedented opportunity to extend the world established in the movie and further explore the myriad of compelling and complex characters of Gotham.”
“Our collaboration with Warner Bros. and DC allows us to elaborate and grow fan connections across these powerful brands for years to come,” added HBO Max‘s chief content officer Kevin Reilly. “This is Batman as most audiences have never seen before and we know fans will want to spend more time in this new world inspired by the film.”
Gotham City’s cops have already featured in FOX‘s Gotham television series (running from 2014 to 2019) which dealt with the pre-Batman policing of the dark metropolis, the younger Bruce Wayne and the rise of the people who would become the ark Knight’s foes. The new series, set later in Wayne’s life, will likely have a very different feel.
