The Batman resumes production now that Robert Pattinson is cleared to film. After shutting down principal photography back in March when the coronavirus pandemic took a turn for the worse, The Batman started rolling the cameras again recently. Unfortunately, that only lasted a few days before the movie encountered another setback. Pattinson tested positive for COVID-19, forcing Warner Bros. to halt shooting as they dealt with the situation.
At the time, it was unknown how long the delay would last due to the number of variables at play. Not only was Pattinson's health the foremost concern, WB also had to make sure he did not transmit the virus to anyone else involved with production. With only 25% of The Batman shot prior to the first shutdown, the team still has a lot of work to do, and any other delays could be damaging as they strive to meet the October 2021 release date. Thankfully, The Batman is up and running again.
Per Variety, The Batman has resumed production after Pattinson was cleared following quarantine. Others who were in "close contact" with Pattinson at the time of his positive test also quarantined as part of the health and safety protocols.
The good news is this delay only lasted a couple of weeks, as opposed to several months. If filming is resuming now, it suggests Pattinson's made a full recovery from the illness. However, The Batman still has a lot of lost time to make up, and it'll be interesting to see how things progress from here. There's still over a year before The Batman hits theaters, so director Matt Reeves and company theoretically have plenty of time to complete the film without rushing. Of course, that's barring any more setbacks, which is certainly possible amidst the ongoing pandemic. It's certainly possible someone else on The Batman could get sick, which would cause another delay.
For now, The Batman is moving forward with the established protocols in place, even reportedly eliminating location shoots so all production can be done at the studio (removing travel from the equation). That will hopefully allow for things to go smooth from here; Jurassic World: Dominion encountered an issue when an outbreak happened in Malta. Ideally, The Batman will be able to wrap principal photography without any more hurdles and the movie will be able to come out next fall. But with things so difficult to predict, everyone will just be watching on with curious eyes to see how Hollywood operates in a post-COVID world.
Source: Variety