Is Christopher Nolan Returning for 'Batman 3'? The Rumor Mill Says No
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It's hard to believe it's been a year since The Dark Knight, and the Batman 3 rumor mill just hasn't stopped grinding. Someone, somewhere, is always trying to flog a rumor of who will be Catwoman, Penguin, Riddler, or Robin. When they get tired of fantasy casting, they ponder when Christopher Nolan will abandon this Inception thing, and get going on Batman 3. In a piece passed wildly around the net, Batman on Film is reporting that Nolan is very uninterested in returning to Gotham City. The story goes that Heath Ledger's death upset him greatly, and dismantled any and all plans he had for a third installment. The Joker was set to return (is that really a surprise?), and now there's simply no story. While Nolan and David S. Goyer are working on ideas, it's unlikely you'll see anything before 2012 at the earliest, with 2013 being more likely.
Considering Nolan is about to start shooting Inception, it's very possible that he's doing the right thing, and staying focused on one massive project before flinging himself into another Batman. But he has been diffident about committing, and about discussing story ideas, which is odd considering the way The Dark Knight ended. Vacations and fresh projects are neccessary to anyone, but it does seem peculilar that he isn't more enthusiastic about returning to what he left off. Contrast him with Jon Favreau who hasn't broken a sweat over Iron Man 2.
But Favreau might actually be a little clue as to what else could be going on. The astute Devin Faraci suggests that the rumors could simply be a ploy to reopen contract negotiations in the press, and get a little more money, which is something Favreau did, and quite successfully, too. Whatever the story, Warner Bros does have a possible list of replacements ready for the asking.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-18-2009 @ 11:19AM
Adam said...
I say if Nolan won't return reboot the franchise. I'd rather start all over again than someone ruin what has been an outstanding story. Not saying that no one else could carry on what Nolan has started but it is a very remote possibility.
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6-18-2009 @ 11:51AM
Andrew said...
I disagree if they were to make another Batman without Nolan i say they shouldn't do it at all for like another decade or two. Nor should they reboot it again, because the whole rebooting thing will just get really annoying. In my opinion every two eras had their own kind of Batman, the 60s and i guess you can say the 70s had the cheap campy Batman. The 80s and the 90s had the flashy stylized Batman.
Then today we have the Dark, gritty, realistic style Batman.
If we were to have another reboot i say wait about 10 or 20 more years to do so.
6-23-2009 @ 12:41PM
Robin said...
Give Nolan time to come back to a fantastic franchise that everyone loves and begs for a continuance. Nolan has done such a good job with it, just give him some time to vacate the premises so that he can come back with a fresh mind and wow us again.
6-18-2009 @ 11:36AM
Riley Freeman said...
ive said it countless times here.
FEAR OF FAILURE. the dark knight over performed now hes afraid to fail. because technically anything thats nnot at least 500 million will be a failure and thats only half of what dark knight made.
its no surprise. i say recast the joker and keep it going. people will get over it.
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6-18-2009 @ 11:41AM
Bobby Booey said...
If Nolan does not come back, unless he is involved as a producer and somehow working behind the scenes to get the movie going in the right direction, then there would almost be no point is making the movie.
However I have always wondered what kind of Batman movie David Fincher would make, so if they got him to direct it, I would still go see it. Kind of like when Peter Jackson said he was not going to to direct The Hobbit, then who cares? But then Del Toro was such a perfect fit everyone got excited about it again.
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6-18-2009 @ 11:48AM
Oblique said...
@ Riley
I agree with you...I always thought, though its said that Heath L. is gone, Nolan should still recast the joker. Fans will be mad but the Joker didn't die the actor that played him did. Plus The Joker was heading to arkum, maybe he got even crazier when he leaves and looks a bit different lol? how about Mr Depp stepping up to the role.
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6-18-2009 @ 11:49AM
Stan Winsome said...
I respect Nolan's artistic integrity if this rumor is true. I've no doubt they're offering him all the money in the world to return. Fact is The Dark Knight is a perfect film and with Heath Ledger gone there's nothing more you can make in a third film that wouldn't feel like leftovers- at best. Not that it will prevent WB from ultimately pressing forward and grinding their series into the ground as they've done before...
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6-18-2009 @ 12:19PM
robert said...
put the make-up on him and here's your new joker.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mmBw3uzPnJI/SbasR13FydI/AAAAAAAAiPQ/efCX-eZjfc8/s400/stars_who_resemble_each_other_25.jpg
after seeing Brick and The Lookout i believe if you gave him the time to work on the character Ledger created, Levitt could probably be a decent substitution.
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6-21-2009 @ 10:50PM
lazarus414 said...
Dude, I totaly agree with you! Joseph Gordon-Levitt looks almost exactly like Heath. [his eyes are a bit squintier, but with make-up, who could tell?]
All he'd have to do is bulk up a bit, and if he could get the acting and voice almost right, then I'm for it!
6-18-2009 @ 12:42PM
Mr.R said...
Hollywood is not that complex. Inception will get done and two things will happen, either. A.- Nolan wins and comes out triumphant and we never see him touch Batman again or B.- Inception bombs and to regain his status, he makes a third installment. To think that without the Joker there is no Batman is totally lame, we all know other characters are up to par. There is art involved, sure, fine movie making if you want, but Hollywood is about money and the Batman franchise is in no condition to die, much less with an economy like this and much less with horrendous movies coming out this year, outside of Star Trek, which is an ensured franchise on its own.
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6-18-2009 @ 12:58PM
Dan said...
I could see why he might feel like the lack of being able to have The Joker could screw up the story he had in mind. I think there are ways around it, but if in his mind the idea is unable to work without Ledger, then you just have to respect his unwillingness to sacrifice good material and turn it into mediocrity. Though I must say, if Nolan's not involved, I would be a hell of a lot less enthusiastic. I'd still probably see it, (because how could you not?) but I would feel uncomfortable with the whole thing.
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6-18-2009 @ 12:49PM
filmsuki said...
Dark Knight ended reasonably well, you don't need to continue the Joker story.
Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Poison Ivy...can we get some villainesses here? Or is the Baroness the only thing I can look forward to?
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6-23-2009 @ 3:45PM
living_cliche said...
Thank you! A bad ass woman villian would be awesome to see.
6-18-2009 @ 1:31PM
Greg said...
Do we really need another Batman? Do they want to run it into the ground like they have so many others? Or have we simply run out of new and fresh ideas and keep rehashing the old stuff.
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6-19-2009 @ 12:54AM
Mr.R said...
How many franchises can you name that after a bunch of horrendous sequels comes back as the second highest grossing film and top 30 adjusted? None. This means people can't get enough Batman moving pictures, all the way back to black and white TV.
6-18-2009 @ 1:14PM
Greg said...
I like Nolan, he' brought Batman back and without the bat nipples but there are other directors out there. The Joker is an Arkham, that's the end to his story. There are so many more interesting characters they can work with as villains such as Riddler, Catwoman, Hush, etc... As long as the next director follows what Nolan did and they have a good story with a good supporting cast the movie will be good.
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6-19-2009 @ 5:36PM
Batzarro said...
I think that the Joker's arc is closed. As he said, they where destined to do that again, and again and again.
That said, I will take every oportunity to laught at you all if this is true. "Oh, don't step on Nolan's toes, that might risk the next Batman film". Well, now you chumps have nothing!
MAhahahahahahahahaha!
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6-30-2009 @ 4:29PM
jaysin420 said...
I really liked the TDK but the truth is it might be the most overrated movie in the history of movies. The Harvey Dent character was very poorly written and if you take away Ledgers ridiculous performance it's just a decent comic movie. I'd be afraid to make another one too if I were him, unless he gets Anton Sugar to be the baddie.
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7-24-2009 @ 8:07AM
greenlite said...
NOlan just got a 200 million budget for his new film Inception. He won't get that kinda budget unless he agrees to do a third batman film in return. And if I were him I'd keep it tight-lipped until everything is confirmed and signed, helps to build up the hype and your legendary status too when so many ppl are desparate for you to come back to direct the third film
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8-17-2009 @ 7:35PM
P said...
U R ALL RIGHT! WARNER BROTHERS HAD RUN OUT OF IDEAS! CANT THEY MAKE A MOVIE OF SUCH AS
"THE JUSTICE LEAGUE " WITH ALL THE SUPERHEROES TOGETHER FIGHTING FOR ONE CAUSE JUSTICE!!!!!!
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