The Batman resumes filming after Robert Pattinson's positive COVID-19 test
COVID-19 is no match for the bat
The Batman is resuming production after the film was shutdown due to a positive COVID-19 test from none other than Robert Pattinson himself.
"Following a hiatus for COVID 19 quarantine precautions, filming has now resumed on The Batman in the UK," a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Pictures tells Variety. According to the outlet, Pattinson has been cleared to return to work after a September 3 shutdown was put in place when he tested positive for COVID-19. Although the studio and his representative never officially acknowledged that R.Patts had contracted the virus, Variety confirmed an initial Vanity Fair report stating he did, which we reported on two weeks ago.
The September 3 shutdown came just after the film had returned to production September 1, after shooting around a quarter of the film before the COVID-19 shutdown across the movie industry went into effect. The September shutdown halted filming at Leavesden Studios, although some sets were still worked on during the break. Pattinson quarantined himself for the last three weeks, and has since fully recovered.
The Batman, Matt Reeves' take on the caped crusader, was originally set to release in June 2021 but has since been pushed to October of the same year. It's unlikely this three week delay will push the film even further, but it's unclear what the future holds for film production. The film will tell the story of a younger, less experienced Bruce Wayne dealing with past trauma and the troubles of Gotham City. The cast includes Pattinson, Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, and more.
The Batman panel at DC Fandom was huge.
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Alyssa Mercante is an editor and features writer at GamesRadar based out of Brooklyn, NY. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.