'The Batman' Resumes Production After Robert Pattinson Recovers From COVID-19
The Batman is resuming production. Robert Pattinson has been cleared to once again stalk the streets of Gotham City after his positive COVID-19 test brought production to a screeching halt just three days after the Warner Bros. comic book film had resumed filming in London.Variety reports that The Batman production has resumed once again after Pattinson had recuperated following his positive COVID-19 test in early September. This follows recently-published paparazzi images of the actor hanging out in London, whose coronavirus case appears to have not been severe.
"Following a hiatus for COVID 19 quarantine precautions, filming has now resumed on The Batman in the U.K.," a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Pictures told Variety.
Filming had only just begun Leavesden Studios outside of London when reports surfaced of a positive COVID-19 case among the crew brought the production to a standstill. Then things got really serious when it was revealed that the film's star was the one who tested positive. Production was immediately halted on September 3 while Pattinson recuperated and the cast and crew in contact with him quarantined. The studio never confirmed the identity of the positive COVID-19 test nor Pattinson's condition.
Although thankfully it appears that Pattinson's case was a mild — or even asymptomatic — one, this was a major blow to Hollywood productions, which had begun to slowly restart in recent months. If the star of the film could test positive for COVID-19, restrictions would have to tighten even more. Warner Bros. did not go into detail whether this experience would change the production's COVID-19 restrictions, but we can probably expect filming to move even more slowly and cautiously than before. Before production was shut down around the world, The Batman had completed roughly a quarter of its production schedule, so there is still a lot of work to be done. It may even push the film past its currently scheduled October 2021 release date.
The Batman, which is directed by Matt Reeves and stars Robert Pattinson, Paul Dano, Zoë Kravitz, Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis, Peter Sarsgaard, John Turturro, and Jeffrey Wright, is currently scheduled to open in theaters on October 1, 2021.