Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
The short answer: no.
He is, however, signed on to develop a BATMAN film for Warner Bros, according to Michael Fleming of VARIETY, who broke the news this morning.
I want to be more excited about this news. I mean, in theory, it rules. Nolan is obviously a fan of BATMAN based on his comments in the article, and that’s what has been sadly missing from each and every announcement regarding Warner Bros. and SUPERMAN so far... a genuine love of the source material. Ratner mumbled about having a framed ACTION COMICS on his wall in his house, but nothing he’s said in the press or in private makes me think he is any sort of fan. Nolan’s also got giant bucketloads of talent, and if he wanted to bring Guy Pearce to the table to play Bruce Wayne, I don’t think there’s a fanboy alive who could complain about that. Of course, I know that Pearce was offered DAREDEVIL several times and professed a general disdain of movies that would encase him in rubber or spandex, so I’m not sure if Nolan would be enough to persuade him or not. One can hope...
Casting is a long, long way from happening, though. Right now, Nolan’s got to crack the material. He’s got to convince Warner Bros. to actually make a film, and as anyone who has followed the recent efforts to make a WB superhero film knows, that is easier said than done. I mean, we don’t know if he’s writing something or if he’s just attached to direct or what.
This puts him into a long line of guys who are kicking around Batfilms for the studio, including Aronofsky and Frank Miller. If Nolan’s signed on for the heavily-rumored BATMAN: THE FRIGHTENING (one lousy title, if you ask me), then he’ll be working in the franchise that’s already been established. One would hope that they’re going to allow him to reboot the whole damn thing and just start over, and that he’ll be writing his own film.
Also, keep in mind that Fleming's article still has Ratner attached to direct SUPERMAN, something that hasn't been true for about a month now. Michael Bay has come and gone already, and it looks like the studio may be circling back around to the guy who got bumped in the first place, McG, with several other names waiting in the wings just in case he doesn't make his deal. I hope that Fleming has a better source on this BATMAN story than he does on SUPERMAN right now, and that Nolan is indeed signed, sealed, and delivered.
Whatever the case, I’m encouraged to see him attached, but I’m not about to start holding my breath on seeing the actual film yet. This is one very positive step in what will likely be a long, long development road. Let’s just hope that it’s a productive one.
"Moriarty" out.
