By Some new details about the canceled Ben Affleck helmed Batman film have come out and they sound pretty dark. While the character is typically known for a more brooding and moody atmosphere, it looks like Affleck wanted to take that further after his turn in both Batman V Superman and Justice League. In a recent appearance on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, cinematographer Robert Richardson shared information on Affleck’s project and even expressed regret about not being able to film it.
“Well, he was going more into the insanity aspects,” Richardson revealed. “So I think you would’ve seen something a little darker than what we’ve seen in the past and more into the individual, who was inside Batman – what element may be sane and what element may actually not be sane.” Richardson also notes that Arkham Asylum, the famous penitentiary from the comics, would be a setting and likely explore those darker elements as Bruce descended into madness.
As for how far into production Affleck’s film got, apparently not much had happened. “There was a script, but not a loved script,” Richardson said. “There was a lot to do…he was trying to change it and then he made the decision to do, as you know, Gone Girl.” It seems Affleck fell off after that, which was probably spurred by the relative failure of Justice League and the actor’s personal problems.
As much crap as I might give Affleck for being a jerk, he is typically a good actor. I’ve found his work behind the camera to be far better, from both his writing and directing, so I had some hopes that his Batman film would be a good one. We’ll never get the chance to see that happen, though.
Ben Affleck’s Batman Movie Was Focused on Arkham & Bruce’s Darker Side [Screen Rant]
