Andy Serkis Says Fans Should Expect a Darker Batman with Robert Pattinson’s Portrayal

Writer/director Matt Reeves, along with his cast and crew, managed to film just 25 percent of the upcoming tentpole “The Batman,” starring Robert Pattinson, before quarantine orders hit and production was forced to shutter. Yet co-star Andy Serkis, who plays Bruce Wayne’s butler Alfred Pennyworth in the forthcoming Dark Knight film, has read and seen enough so far to give moviegoers a taste of what to expect, according to a new interview with London-based LADbible.

Fans should know that “The Batman” will be “darker than previous” Gotham incarnations, said Serkis, who is otherwise known as the maestro of motion-capture acting for director Reeves in “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and “War for the Planet of the Apes.” Filming on “The Batman” was underway in London when production halted back in April. Distributor Warner Bros. recently shuffled the film’s release date to October 1, 2021, down from June 25, 2021.

“I was literally half way through shooting my part in it when we got shut down,” Serkis said.

When asked if “The Batman” will be a “darker, broodier” entry, Serkis said, “I would say that’s not far from the truth.” But he also added that there’s a new emotional center to the film that’s explored by Reeves and co-writer Mattson Tomlin in the screenplay.

“It’s very much about the emotional connection between Alfred and Bruce,” Serkis said. That’s really at the center of it. And it is a really exquisite script that Matt has written.” Alfred has previously been played by actors including Jeremy Irons, Michael Gough, and Michael Caine. But Serkis said he’s not trying to emulate his predecessors.

“He [Michael Caine] was fantastic. His Alfred was legendary, I couldn’t even begin to go there, really,” Serkis said. “You find it for yourself. It’s like playing these iconic roles in Shakespeare, you go back, you revisit them and you have to make it your own, and see what it is about he character that connects with you and your personal venn diagram.”

The rest of the cast includes Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman; Paul Dano as Riddler; Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon; John Turturro as Carmine Falcone; and Colin Farrell as Penguin.

Serkis is currently in post-production on “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” which he directed. The sequel to the dark Tom Hardy Marvel film will be released on June 25, 2021.

 

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