Robert Richardson discusses Ben Affleck's unproduced Batman script

[The Laughing Fish]

Famed cinematographer Robert Richardson spoke on Josh Horowitz's podcast to talk about his career and life thus far, and near the end of the interview, he briefly spoke about the script that Ben Affleck had been working on for his take on Batman.

Firstly, and quite obviously, Richardson confirmed he was going to shoot Affleck's movie. Not whatever the f*** Warner Butchers will throw at us in a few years time, as it was mistakenly reported last week. It would've been their second project together following Live by Night, which Affleck directed and starred.

Secondly, Affleck's movie was going to take place in Arkham Asylum. Here's a transcript on what could've been.

Richardson: I wanted to shoot Batman with Ben [Affleck] cause that was the next film we had. There was a script, but not a loved script. There was a lot of work he was doing to it to change it. Then he made the decision to do Gone Girl.

Horowitz: Were there reference points, for what the look of that film would've been to differentiate from previous Batman films?

Richardson: He was going more into the insanity aspects. So I think you would've seen something a little darker than what we've seen in the past, and more into the individual, who is inside Batman, what element may be sane and what element may actually not be sane. He was entering more into the Arkham, he's going into where everyone was bad. And everyone has shifted. So, that whole aspect was very fascinating. To go to the darker side of Batman.

Horowitz: I'm a comic book geek as you can imagine. We've never really seen Arkham Asylum.

Richardson: No, and that's where we were going.

Horowitz: That would've been cool.

And you read and go, oh and oooh. I was very interested in that one.

Horowitz: And I'm buddies with Joe Manganiello, who was going to be Deathstroke, who I guess would've been one of the key antagonists in that one. What might have been.

You can listen to Richardson's quotes on the 49:20 mark of the interview here: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/happysadconfused?selected=PPY6627854428

There's quite a bit to take in over what Richardson said here. Gone Girl was released in 2014, so Affleck would've been working on his Batman script around the same time he was doing BvS.

One might say the script not being loved would've supported Affleck's words about "couldn't crack the script" on the Jimmy Kimmel Show, but I'm not so sure. DC animated film and storyboarder Jay Oliva was working closely with Affleck on the script and not only called it "the best Batman script he's ever read" (which you can see in my signature below, as well as the endorsement by Joe Manganiello), but also gave a good idea how far the script development got:

I did not just "read" it, I was actively working on with alongside Ben and Geoff Johns for a few months. I was working on the ending when I was pulled off to do reshoots for WW as they worked on a new draft of Ben's script. So I should know what I'm talking about.

Source: https://twitter.com/jayoliva1/status/1135595069266776064

The WW reshoots Oliva talked about took place in November 2016.

Source: https://screenrant.com/wonder-woman-gal-gadot-reshoots-pregnant/

This was six or so months into Geoff Johns' tenure as head of DC Films following BvS's release, which had a big impact on reshoots for SS, WW and the most notorious of all - JL. Due to the overreaction towards the dark tone of BvS (which people didn't seem to give a sh*t about before in previous movies), my only guess is Affleck's script was getting undermined by the those in charge who wanted to make everything light as possible. It's quite likely Affleck said those words on Kimmel just to keep peace with the studio. Let's face it, politics is everywhere, especially in Hollywood. It wouldn't look good for him if he badmouthed the studio on TV, even if he had the right to do so.

With that all said, maybe Affleck was telling some truth as well? Live by Night came at the end of 2016, and from what I've heard it bombed financially and critically. This might've resulted his loss of confidence on top of all the trouble and possible lack of support that was going on behind the scenes in JL and Batman's future in the DCEU. On top of personal problems which were made public late last year with his return to rehab, he probably thought it just wasn't worth the stress. Who knows for sure?

Had this movie got off the ground, I assume the biggest challenge would've been how many villains facing Batman could've shared screentime. Personally, if it were up to me, I'd go back to making Bats face off only one villain, which we haven't had since B89. Other than BR, all the other movies that had multiple villains make for scant character development and there's always somebody who gets short-changed.

Still, the prospect of a Batman movie in the spirit of a Grant Morrison/Rocksteady Arkham Asylum story taken away from us? Once again, get f***ed Warner Butchers.





At this stage, the only other comic book movie with a "backs-against-the-wall" scenario that might come close to what Affleck had envisioned is perhaps the 2012 Dredd movie. That was actually awesome, I should go back and watch it again.

[thecolorsblend]

I always took Affleck's "couldn't crack the script" thing as a diplomatic euphemism. It was probably true but it could also mean anything.

It's entirely possible that the cast and crew loved the script while the studio suits wanted something more commercial. I can't knock their logic in some ways. Right now, the last undisputed hit DC character movie is TDKRises. Everything since is open to debate as to how successful or unsuccessful it really was.

If WB is swinging for the billion dollar fences... well, good luck to them.

And if that's where their minds are at, I think I can understand their trepidation about a dark, character-driven film set primarily in Arkham Asylum featuring D-list (to them) characters like Deadshot. It's logical that they'd get cold feet over something like that.

Still, to their credit, they do seem willing to go in character-driven directions. There don't seem to be tons of Joker 2019 cheerleaders on this forum but I'm definitely one of them. It's a low budget film which looks to have oodles of darkness and character development. There's virtually no way it won't make at least some profit and could pave the way for similar types of films.

I wouldn't say DC Comics characters have a super bright future on screen right now but it doesn't take much imagination to see how things could be lots worse.

[The Laughing Fish]

Right now, the last undisputed hit DC character movie is TDKRises. Everything since is open to debate as to how successful or unsuccessful it really was.

In terms of box office, Aquaman is the most successful DC movie to date.

If WB is swinging for the billion dollar fences... well, good luck to them.

And if that's where their minds are at, I think I can understand their trepidation about a dark, character-driven film set primarily in Arkham Asylum featuring D-list (to them) characters like Deadshot. It's logical that they'd get cold feet over something like that.

Under the circumstances surrounding JL and their constant disrespect to the people involved in the production and core fanbase, I really have no respect for what they're doing. Don't call yourself a "filmmaker driven studio" if you don't support the directors' vision. Lying, dishonest, greedy sacks of sh*t.

Still, to their credit, they do seem willing to go in character-driven directions. There don't seem to be tons of Joker 2019 cheerleaders on this forum but I'm definitely one of them. It's a low budget film which looks to have oodles of darkness and character development.

Yeah, I'm definitely NOT a cheerleader for that Joker-in-name-only movie. I seriously don't see the appeal. It looks like a wannabe Scorsese movie that's using a gimmicky character that just happens to have the Joker name, just to get the fans' money. Get f***ed, Warner Butchers. I'd rather rewatch Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy.

And if that sh*t gets critically acclaimed and its dark tone is one of its positive talking points, once again, the critics are full of sh*t.

I wouldn't say DC Comics characters have a super bright future on screen right now but it doesn't take much imagination to see how things could be lots worse.

Things ARE worse right now.

[thecolorsblend]

Right now, the last undisputed hit DC character movie is TDKRises. Everything since is open to debate as to how successful or unsuccessful it really was.

In terms of box office, Aquaman is the most successful DC movie to date.

Yeah, that's true. Wonder Woman too, come to think of it.

So they've had a couple of hits but my point is that they don't have oodles of hits like Marvel does and I would understand where WB might think they have some catching up to do.

[The Laughing Fish]

Right now, the last undisputed hit DC character movie is TDKRises. Everything since is open to debate as to how successful or unsuccessful it really was.

In terms of box office, Aquaman is the most successful DC movie to date.

Yeah, that's true. Wonder Woman too, come to think of it.

So they've had a couple of hits but my point is that they don't have oodles of hits like Marvel does and I would understand where WB might think they have some catching up to do.

If you're talking about making formulaic, trendy movies that tend to guarantee successful gross revenue, maybe.

If you're talking about competing with Marvel, forget it. The MCU not only has a stranglehold on the entire shared universe concept, but are nowadays seen "the champion" of all comic adapatations. Whereas Warner not only surrendered their shared universe, but are now seen as second rate or less. I've never seen Aquaman, but from what I've read online, even that movie didn't totally escape the snark and anti-DC hostility despite its financial success and having a lighter tone than even WW, by the sounds of it.

I wouldn't be surprised if Warner will struggle to find such box office breaking successes again in the future. Right now, there's not a lot of goodwill within the fan community surrounding DC Comics adaptations, and it's not just on film either. The backlash for Swamp Thing's cancellation is yet another example of Warner's gross incompetence despite the show's overwhelming fan reception, and many people are unsure if other darker content shows like Titans and Doom Patrol have a future. Warner have brought it upon themselves. Maybe if they were transparent with their plans and their intentions, instead of deceiving and confusing people, they might've gotten a lot more support. Instead, Warner broke the fans' trust and their own brand.

[thecolorsblend]

Right now, the last undisputed hit DC character movie is TDKRises. Everything since is open to debate as to how successful or unsuccessful it really was.

In terms of box office, Aquaman is the most successful DC movie to date.

Yeah, that's true. Wonder Woman too, come to think of it.

So they've had a couple of hits but my point is that they don't have oodles of hits like Marvel does and I would understand where WB might think they have some catching up to do.

If you're talking about making formulaic, trendy movies that tend to guarantee successful gross revenue, maybe.

If you're talking about competing with Marvel, forget it. The MCU not only has a stranglehold on the entire shared universe concept, but are nowadays seen "the champion" of all comic adapatations. Whereas Warner not only surrendered their shared universe, but are now seen as second rate or less. I've never seen Aquaman, but from what I've read online, even that movie didn't totally escape the snark and anti-DC hostility despite its financial success and having a lighter tone than even WW, by the sounds of it.

I wouldn't be surprised if Warner will struggle to find such box office breaking successes again in the future. Right now, there's not a lot of goodwill within the fan community surrounding DC Comics adaptations, and it's not just on film either. The backlash for Swamp Thing's cancellation is yet another example of Warner's gross incompetence despite the show's overwhelming fan reception, and many people are unsure if other darker content shows like Titans and Doom Patrol have a future. Warner have brought it upon themselves. Maybe if they were transparent with their plans and their intentions, instead of deceiving and confusing people, they might've gotten a lot more support. Instead, Warner broke the fans' trust and their own brand.

I think they have been quite transparent. One might say, perhaps even too transparent. They outright lied about JL but otherwise they've been pretty forthright that they're experimenting with different things.

Another way of saying it might be that they're throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks. Some things have stuck and others... well, less so.

As to Swamp Thing, I'll cut everybody involved some slack. The production was promised certain tax rebates for filming in that state. It has since been made quite clear that those tax benefits will not be granted after all. There was no choice but to pull the plug because the show is cost prohibitive without those benefits. It was never a question of the show's quality or reception. If ever there was a case of "That's showbiz", Swamp Thing is it.

When I was young and full of beans, I'd joust with Marvel fans all the time about DC Comics vs. Marvel Comics. Back then, I challenged Marvel fans with some very basic questions. Where is Marvel's Dark Knight Returns? Or Batman- Year One? Where's their Alan Moore on Swamp Thing? What about Marvel's Sandman? Or their Vertigo line? Where's Marvel's Crisis On Infinite Earths?

Hell, where's Marvel's Kingdom Come for that matter?

The closest Marvel has to matching any of those things is Squadron Supreme as a forerunner to DC's Watchmen. But even Squadron Supreme is mired in continuity that doesn't affect Watchmen (which I think was a major element of Watchmen's long term success among non-comics readers). And really, Squadron Supreme is just a pastiche of various DC characters.

I think WB might find success if they try taking the same risks that DC took in the 80's and 90's. Maybe the answer to competing against Marvel is to do for WB to do what DC has always done best: be different Marvel.

[The Laughing Fish]

I think they have been quite transparent. One might say, perhaps even too transparent. They outright lied about JL but otherwise they've been pretty forthright that they're experimenting with different things.

Another way of saying it might be that they're throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks. Some things have stuck and others... well, less so.

Like it or not, it only takes one incident to undo all goodwill. It's one thing to lose the likes of Ben Affleck, Will Smith and scrap plans for prospective DC movies such as Affleck's solo Batman movie. But under the circumstances surrounding Snyder leaving JL, their lies weren't only done in poor taste, but were quite malicious too. Their attempts to continue ignoring the Snyder cut only adds further insult to injury.

As to Swamp Thing, I'll cut everybody involved some slack. The production was promised certain tax rebates for filming in that state. It has since been made quite clear that those tax benefits will not be granted after all. There was no choice but to pull the plug because the show is cost prohibitive without those benefits. It was never a question of the show's quality or reception. If ever there was a case of "That's showbiz", Swamp Thing is it.

Be that as it may, it still doesn't make any sense to announce its cancellation immediately after the debut episode aired online. Why not wait till the show finishes and then make the announcement? Yes, you'll still get a backlash of some sort, but I don't believe it would be as loud as it is right now, and it certainly wouldn't sour the excitement for the viewers interested in the show. It's yet again another brain dead decision by Warner.

Even the actor who played the Swamp Thing on the show expressed disbelief and found it disrespectful:

In an interview with Collider, actor Derek Mears – who portrays the titular monster – has shared his reaction to the cancellation, describing it as a "heartbreaker" and stating that he feels the decision to axe the show felt like a "lack of respect" on DC's part: "It was such a heartbreaker to find out after our first episode that we got canceled for the second season, but all we've heard up until that point was how amazing everything was," said Mears. "And everyone's going, 'We have a big hit on our hands. This is crazy.' ... So it's a weird nebulous space that we're all in now because we don't know officially why that would happen, or why they canceled it. Even if you are going to cancel it, wouldn't you wait until later on until to see how it plays with fans before? So, something's going on somewhere."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp_Thing_(2019_TV_series)#Post-production

When I was young and full of beans, I'd joust with Marvel fans all the time about DC Comics vs. Marvel Comics. Back then, I challenged Marvel fans with some very basic questions. Where is Marvel's Dark Knight Returns? Or Batman- Year One? Where's their Alan Moore on Swamp Thing? What about Marvel's Sandman? Or their Vertigo line? Where's Marvel's Crisis On Infinite Earths?

This is all subjective of course, but I wouldn't be surprised if Marvel fans cherish the likes of Days of Future Past, X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills, Frank Miller's Daredevil: The Man Without Fear or The Infinity Gauntlet more than DC's stories. But that's beside the point.

I think WB might find success if they try taking the same risks that DC took in the 80's and 90's. Maybe the answer to competing against Marvel is to do for WB to do what DC has always done best: be different Marvel.

Sorry, but I just don't have any confidence that Warner will follow your advice. Judging from what I've heard of Aquaman and Shazam, it sounds like they belong in MCU Phase 3.

Put it this way, on top of the negative things people dished out on BvS, the movie was described as a departure from what we've seen of Batman and Superman, which I don't think is true judging from what I've seen in comics and previous movies. If people hated the fact that Batman suffered from PTSD and paranoia and Superman was mistrusted among the wider public, can you imagine the backlash surrounding an adaptation of how those characters would be depicted in another "risky" take? A Dark Knight Returns live action movie may be popular within the comic fan community, but I have a feeling mainstream movie audiences wouldn't appreciate it. Due to what we've seen of criticisms of Cavill's Superman, how can anybody think they would appreciate a Kingdom Come adaptation? If they saw the KC Superman losing his mind and attempted to topple the entire UN in a fit of rage for wiping out the metahumans, people would bitch about that too.

Unfortunately, when it comes to Bats and Supes, people will only accept movie versions of those characters as long as they pay lip service to certain ideals or focus on the most superficial details. Any sort of character development that takes the effort to reconstruct them is grossly underappreciated.

To be honest, if Joker-in-name-only gets praised, I won't be surprised if the critics will claim it should be the exception to the rule, and then condemn another DC movie for doing the same thing. We've seen these double standards many times before, and they'll happen again.

[The Laughing Fish]

I found this awesome fan poster on what should've been.



Way to go Warner, you pathetic failures.

[The Laughing Fish]

^Since that picture from my last post has expired, I'll post it again from a more secure source. Hopefully it stays permanent this time.



While I'm at it, here's this nice piece of fan art.



Sigh. I hope that once the Snyder cut gets released, Affleck's Batman script gets adapted into an animated feature one day. I can only envision it with Affleck and Manganiello reprising their roles as voice actors with Jay Oliva directing. It still wouldn't be ideal compared to a live action adaptation, but at the very least, it would be a very nice way to satisfy Batfleck fans and repair some goodwill among the disillusioned. Put it on the new HBO Max streaming service, and I guarantee it would be a big success.

With that out of the way, I'd like to point out something to all the DCEU Batman detractors out there: you might want to reconsider your expectations and hype for the reboot, if what Robert Pattinson's words are anything to go by:



Well, well, well. What does this mean exactly? Will Pattinson continue the legacy of George Clooney as the only Batman who never killed? Will he really embark on a similar character arc like Affleck did in BvS (or in Affleck's other superhero role, Daredevil)? Will he do something not quite lethal but still horrify the fanboys? Will everybody who claimed Zack Snyder "didn't get Batman" and derided BvS show their contempt for Matt Reeves? Nah, they'll likely look at the critical reviews to tell them how to react, as many of them can't form their own opinions. 

If Pattinson is telling the truth then this goes to show that Warner Butchers have no f***ing clue what they're doing. So let me get this straight: we couldn't have Batman undergoing a dark character journey while fighting Deathstroke in Arkham Asylum because it would be too risky for mass audiences, and reshooting both SS and JL was justified in response to the backlash surrounding BvS (to the point that Josstice League allegedly only used 10% of Snyder's footage). But making a new Batman reboot potentially dark where the hero is described as "not a hero with a questionable sense of morality" is okay? And on top of that, they're using Affleck's working Batman movie title to name this reboot?

Get f***ed!

One might argue that there has been a change of management at the studio since 2016-17, but they're missing the point. Warner Butchers have got some nerve to:

• sabotage directors' movies (some of which starred Affleck, never mind the fact they used A FAMILY TRAGEDY to lie about their reshooting of JL while the intended version is still locked up in a vault)
• derail a whole planned slate in such an unprofessional manner
• leave everyone hanging whether actors were staying or going for TWO YEARS and let their names get dragged through the mud by clickbait outlets...
• ignore the demand for director's cuts from not only fans, but also from cast and crew members to the directors themselves...

....and think DCEU fans will still go out and see a new Batman movie. And to add further insult to injury, the rebooted character is possibly not much different to what we've already seen before.

But then again...maybe they're right and these fans are really THAT stupid? Nonetheless, count me out. Had Warner been a lot more professional and transparent with how they dealt things if they didn't want to purse with Snyder and Ayer's visions, I might've kept an open mind for this movie. Under the circumstances, however, that's simply not possible. I haven't rewarded their despicable corporate behaviour for a long time now, and unless they make amends by releasing Snyder's version of JL (and Ayer's original version of SS if it's just as completed), I won't be watching any of their new content any time soon.

Finally, all the fans out there who supposedly liked the DCEU Batman but are looking forward to the Reeves movie are quite deluded if they think this movie's possible success won't come at  Affleck's expense. None of you have any right to complain if the positive reviews praise Pattinson in the role while throwing dirt at Affleck's take on Batman.

Rant over.

[The Laughing Fish]

Ben Affleck spoke to the New York Times about his struggles in his personal life over the last couple of years, as he looks to bounce back with the upcoming film The Way Back.

Upon confirming that the sabotage of JL had played a critical part in his decision to leave, this is what he said about his Batman script.

I showed somebody 'The Batman' script. They said, 'I think the script is good. I also think you'll drink yourself to death if you go through what you just went through again.'"

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/movies/ben-affleck.html

It's a far cry from the day he said "he couldn't crack the script", isn't it?

It also goes to show how toxic Warner has been in its handling of these DC adaptations. It really doesn't bode well for the chances of these movies never to be meddled by the studio again. And before somebody mentions Joker in name only, forget it, because Warner had so little faith in its own product that they sold 50% of the box office profits to third party investors. Serves them right, that sh*t was their most profitable movie in a lacklustre box office year for them, and they still lost.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3509924-warner-bros-bad-call-joker-expensive

Back to Affleck, I heard a rumour that some of those dickhead executives arrived at his house unexpectedly to discuss Batman, while he was undergoing rehab in late 2018. Poor form if that's true...but when you consider how they treated Snyder during the production of JL, I guess expecting some courtesy from those hacks is asking too much. Time will tell if Affleck will continue his association with Warner after The Way Back.

Again, I hope his script gets adapted into an animated feature one day. After the Snyder cut, that would be the only thing I'd ask for from Warner.