Warner Bros. are going big on The Batman, with the world of The Dark Knight set to expand far beyond the exploits of the superhero on the big screen. Matt Reeves’ upcoming movie is receiving a small-screen tie-in based around the Gotham City Police Department, Gotham PD, and now, HBO content chief Casey Bloys has provided some explanation as to how the show will fit within the franchise, even teasing the involvement of famous DC faces such as Jim Gordon.
“That’s the idea. Matt Reeves is obviously a producer on Gotham City PD. We don’t want to reserve characters just for films or for TV. There should be kind of some fluidity between them. So that is the idea. I mean, we’re in very early stages on that. So, I don’t want to suggest that any one character will be. But yes, that is, generally speaking, that is the idea, that there will be crossover.”
While it seems unlikely that The Batman lead Robert Pattinson will show up as the Caped Crusader, or even alter ego Bruce Wayne for that matter, it sounds very plausible that the likes of Jeffrey Wright could feature in cameo appearances as Batman ally Jim Gordon. It could of course also lead to the likes of The Penguin and Catwoman doing what they do best, resulting in Gotham’s finest having to track them down.
While specific plot details for Gotham P.D. remain under wraps, the series will reportedly be set during Batman’s first year of operations and focus on corruption in Gotham City. Various reports and details revealed during the latest DC Fandome have also revealed that the show will focus on a corrupt GCPD officer and the battle for his soul.
Gotham PD was created by Terence Winter, though he exited the project on November 17, 2020. Since Winter’s departure, Joe Barton (Humans, Girl/Haji) has been tapped as the new showrunner for the upcoming DC project. The Batman director Matt Reeves is also on board as a key producer, with the show ordered straight to series and due for release on HBO Max. With Gotham PD being set in the same universe as The Batman, expect the series to be draped in the same noir driven influence.
The Batman meanwhile picks up with a young Bruce Wayne, who has become disheartened by the lack of impact he is having on crime in Gotham when suddenly a series of murders occur at the hands of The Riddler. Led down a path that will reveal dark secrets about his parents, Bruce is forced to confront the corruption going on in the shadows of his city, all while trying to catch The Riddler before he kills again.
Tenet star Robert Pattinson is suiting up as the Dark Knight, with the rest of cast including the likes of Zo&ë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as Riddler, Colin Farrell as Penguin, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson and Jeffery Wright as Commissioner Gordon. The Batman is expected to wrap filming in March and is scheduled to hit theaters on March 4, 2022 following several delays.
Gotham PD is just one of several upcoming DC spin-offs being planned for HBO Max, with director James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad already receiving a Peacemaker series starring John Cena. This comes to us courtesy of The Wrap.