Chris Terrio Rewrote THE BATMAN Script; More Directors Rumored to Be in Contention

This week, it was confirmed that Ben Affleck is no longer directing The Batman for Warner Bros. and DC Films. Affleck is still on board to star in and produce the film, which he co-wrote with Geoff Johns. The filmmaker cited an inability to effectively fill both the roles of director and actor, and thus, he will only focus on the later.

When the announcement was made, two directors to replace Affleck were said to be on the shortlist: Matt Reeves and Matt Ross. Now, a few other names have surfaced.

Forbes has published a highly detailed article breaking down Affleck’s exit and what it means for the film. The article names a few directors who are rumored to be in contention for the job. In addition to Reeves and Ross, Forbes lists Gavin O’Connor, George Miller and Denis Villenueve as those directors.

O’Connor recently worked with Affleck on The Accountant, and he previously directed the terrific Warrior. Villenueve’s latest film, Arrival, is up for several Academy Awards this year, including Best Picture. He also has Blade Runner 2049 and a Dune reboot coming up, so his schedule for the next couple years will probably be full. Meanwhile, Miller has been rumored for several DC films over the years, and he almost made Justice League: Mortal for WB.

So, could any of these filmmakers take on The Batman? Or will the highly coveted gig go to someone not on the shortlist? Time will tell. Click HERE to read Forbes’ article in its entirety.

In other news, it looks like Affleck and Johns aren’t the only screenwriters on this film. According to Deadline, Chris Terrio recently turned in a rewrite of The Batman script. Of course, Terrio previously wrote Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the forthcoming Justice League, so he’s very familiar with not only the Batman character, but with the DC Extended Universe as a whole. Deadline’s article also mentions that Reeves will be the first director that the studio talks to about The Batman.

Production on The Batman was previously on track to begin this spring or summer. But unless a director is hired very soon, that time table will most likely change. The film will also star Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke, Jeremy Irons as Alfred, and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon.

Stay tuned for more news as we have it.