Matt Reeves teases how The Batman spin-off TV series connects to the new movie

(Image credit: DC/Warner Bros.)

The Batman is coming to the big screen, but the world of Gotham is also getting the television treatment in a HBO Max series penned by Terence Winter. Director Matt Reeves has revealed at DC FanDome just what we can expect from the Gotham PD-centred series and when it's set on The Batman timeline.

"The idea for this story was Gotham [having] this depth of corruption and have a story... that goes into the inner workings of the city," Reeves said.

Reeves also mentioned how the series will poke at the hidden corners of corruption in Gotham, something that has gone back "years" and follows one detective with a connection to the murky past of the city.

Speaking of years, The Batman spin-off series will follow the boys (and girls) in blue at GCPD in "Year One." That is, the first year Batman entered onto the scene. The Batman movie, meanwhile, will take place in Year Two.

"The idea is we go back to Year One," Reeves explained. "Year One is the beginning, it's the first appearance of this masked vigilante [Batman] that states to unsettle the city."

Still, no news yet if we're getting a more direct link between the two projects, such as Robert Pattinson or Jeffrey Wright's Commissioner Gordon showing up in both. But the world-building taking place allows the mythos of The Batman to take shape in far greater detail – and how it affects the man of the street – far more than any Bat-film before it.

The Batman also now has three new images for you to pore over, featuring the first look at Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne as well as the first trailer.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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