As studios are following the coronavirus pandemic, Warner Bros.' The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson, is the latest major production to be put on hold. As the global-affecting virus is spreading, it's stopping several events and productions in the industry from continuing. In order to preserve peoples' health, studios and networks are currently putting many movies and TV productions on hold while keeping eyes on the virus. Within the last few days alone, a big number of currently-shooting TV shows and films are closing things down temporarily with no real certainty on when things will resume.
When it comes to superhero movies and shows, a good number of them have already had their ongoing productions closed down temporarily. For Marvel, director Destin Daniel Cretton is currently being tested for the coronavirus, forcing Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings filming to hit pause for now. When it comes to the DC films at Warner Bros., The Batman is currently the only property that is in production currently. Despite the coronavirus crisis now also affecting movie releases, Wonder Woman 1984 is seemingly not being pushed back as marketing is continuing, with new posters released earlier this week. However, things are now affecting principal photography for the upcoming Caped Crusader picture.
In a new report from Deadline, Warner Bros. has officially put The Batman on a two week hold due to the concern of the cast and crew's safety. Production was supposed to move from London to Liverpool, but due to the current situation, the studio decided to hold off for the time being. Warner Bros. is stressing that no one that works on set has been affected by the coronavirus. In a statement released to Deadline, Warner Bros. confirmed that the hiatus is going into effect as of today as they "will continue to monitor the situation closely."
Even though The Batman along with Matrix 4 was said to not have been affected by the coronavirus, things have now taken a different turn. It remains to be seen if the Keanu Reeves-starring project will soon be going on a similar suspension due to concerns over the coronavirus. It's also uncertain if delays in production will possibly affect The Batman's (or Matrix 4) release date, but that would most likely happen if the hiatus is extended.
Another superhero film that is coming up for Warner Bros., in terms of production, is Dwayne Johnson's long-waited Black Adam. Since the official announcement of the release date, principal photography has been slated for July 2020. While the coronavirus situation may look entirely different four months from now, it's always possible that the studio will push filming back. As the studio keeps following the virus' situation, a potential delay could be a reason why there's been no casting news yet. With the Justice Society of America playing a pivotal part in the story, there are several players to be cast there. But if all goes well, The Batman will officially be back to filming on Saturday, March 28 and the remainder of Warner Bros. slate can continue as planned.
Source: Deadline
