Warner Bros. has signed Matt Reeves to direct the next standalone Batman movie.
Reeves is no stranger to big blockbusters. He directed Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and the upcoming War for the Planet of the Apes, which is due out in July. The deal is a big coup for Warner Bros., the DC Extended Universe and Ben Affleck, solidifying a very important position for one of the most important projects for the studio.
The news comes a week after a report surfaced that talks between Warner Bros. and Reeves broke down.
After Ben Affleck stepped down as director a couple weeks ago, the project was left in limbo, with rumors of a problematic script possibly adding to its delay. The problems with the script may not be solved, but the The Batman can now move forward with a director that can pull the project together.
Who is Matt Reeves?
Prior to his work with the Planet of the Apes franchise, Reeves directed the J.J. Abrams-produced Cloverfield. He then directed the horror flick Let Me In in 2010 before taking up directing duties for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. His work on the sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes successfully built off a great first movie for the rebooted franchise. This bodes well for The Batman, which is technically a rebooting of the character.
Batman and the DCEU are already in place; Reeves now just needs to build off it.