This broke on the later end of last night, but I’ve been fighting a terrible case of food poisoning and am finally coming out on the better end of that. But I feel better today, hooray!
Despite my lateness, it’s great news for fans of Batman and the DC Films slate in general, as Ben Affleck’s The Batman (or whatever it will actually be called) may have found its director to step into his shoes. That person? Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ Matt Reeves who is now in negotiations to direct.
Reeves has been high on WB’s list to take over the film ever since Affleck announced he would be stepping down from the director’s chair to concentrate on his performance in the central role. And Reeves, whose resume also includes Cloverfield and Let Me In (the Let The Right One In remake), is no stranger to this kind of situation: he took over for Rupert Wyatt on the Rise of the Planet of the Apes sequel after that filmmaker stepped away from the franchise and in turn made a critically and financial successful blockbuster. The next sequel, directed again by Reeves, War for the Planet of the Apes hits this summer.
While I do like Affleck as a filmmaker – Argo is an absolute delight – Reeves is perhaps a step up in this realm. Affleck has never made a film of this kind of scale before, and while the idea of a Clint Eastwood-style director-star overseeing a Batman movie is appealing, it could also risk some real troubled waters as Affleck himself divined.
Now, to find another director for The Flash….
Reeves is hardly a step up from Afflek, unless you like generic, mindless movies.
I would disagree, Chris. I don’t love Reeves’ remake of LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, but I think both CLOVERFIELD and DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES showed strong sci-fi/action chops. Affleck just doesn’t make movies in that vein, he’s more of a middle of the road, Eastwood kind of filmmaker. I’ve never quite been excited by him as the director of the next Batman movie, novelty aside.
As a director, I don’t think Affleck has topped his first effort, GONE, BABY, GONE (from a decade ago). Of course, he had good source material in Dennis Lehane’s novel.
THE TOWN was also good, but I thought ARGO was overrated. It was an OK movie (that took lots of liberties with the facts), but Best Picture? Ridiculous.
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