Zürcher Nachrichten - Pattinson suits up for macabre new 'Batman'

EUR -
AED 3.829665
AFN 73.124937
ALL 98.671597
AMD 412.950691
ANG 1.876092
AOA 950.893358
ARS 1066.519947
AUD 1.66985
AWG 1.876763
AZN 1.768751
BAM 1.958611
BBD 2.101816
BDT 124.398516
BGN 1.961207
BHD 0.392199
BIF 3078.217348
BMD 1.042646
BND 1.41453
BOB 7.193323
BRL 6.648748
BSD 1.040994
BTN 88.610159
BWP 14.457747
BYN 3.406689
BYR 20435.86617
BZD 2.094706
CAD 1.495833
CDF 2992.39459
CHF 0.923263
CLF 0.037382
CLP 1031.479634
CNY 7.609756
CNH 7.617798
COP 4580.720255
CRC 528.5585
CUC 1.042646
CUP 27.630125
CVE 110.423461
CZK 25.213254
DJF 185.376021
DKK 7.479841
DOP 63.410997
DZD 140.599492
EGP 52.925809
ERN 15.639693
ETB 132.543204
FJD 2.417532
FKP 0.825757
GBP 0.831489
GEL 2.929895
GGP 0.825757
GHS 15.301959
GIP 0.825757
GMD 75.070472
GNF 8996.910876
GTQ 8.018507
GYD 217.79254
HKD 8.098958
HNL 26.448955
HRK 7.478803
HTG 136.11533
HUF 412.012008
IDR 16871.162963
ILS 3.805904
IMP 0.825757
INR 89.0337
IQD 1363.656894
IRR 43882.378225
ISK 145.500924
JEP 0.825757
JMD 162.192752
JOD 0.739547
JPY 164.035366
KES 134.543357
KGS 90.709698
KHR 4184.00419
KMF 486.003444
KPW 938.381027
KRW 1518.620823
KWD 0.321323
KYD 0.867545
KZT 539.283891
LAK 22765.669517
LBP 93219.873719
LKR 306.800269
LRD 189.461884
LSL 19.356377
LTL 3.078663
LVL 0.630686
LYD 5.110334
MAD 10.497765
MDL 19.206562
MGA 4910.046085
MKD 61.524778
MMK 3386.474294
MNT 3542.911765
MOP 8.327751
MRU 41.555634
MUR 49.07729
MVR 16.078621
MWK 1805.090367
MXN 21.047639
MYR 4.678398
MZN 66.628983
NAD 19.356377
NGN 1606.884965
NIO 38.304969
NOK 11.839112
NPR 141.776454
NZD 1.846977
OMR 0.400329
PAB 1.040994
PEN 3.876363
PGK 4.225063
PHP 61.161284
PKR 289.809186
PLN 4.272871
PYG 8118.650542
QAR 3.786033
RON 4.988333
RSD 116.996577
RUB 103.976124
RWF 1452.183934
SAR 3.914406
SBD 8.741082
SCR 14.865032
SDG 627.148703
SEK 11.552916
SGD 1.408193
SHP 0.825757
SLE 23.765491
SLL 21863.773344
SOS 594.953779
SRD 36.553098
STD 21580.671932
SVC 9.109072
SYP 2619.680194
SZL 19.364789
THB 35.543468
TJS 11.388343
TMT 3.659688
TND 3.319263
TOP 2.441978
TRY 36.689814
TTD 7.074152
TWD 34.098599
TZS 2523.812801
UAH 43.648437
UGX 3810.468153
USD 1.042646
UYU 46.336494
UZS 13439.285837
VES 53.775059
VND 26514.493709
VUV 123.785049
WST 2.88061
XAF 656.899674
XAG 0.035236
XAU 0.000398
XCD 2.817804
XDR 0.798145
XOF 656.899674
XPF 119.331742
YER 261.052517
ZAR 19.454142
ZMK 9385.066686
ZMW 28.809342
ZWL 335.731662
  • RIO

    -0.0300

    59.2

    -0.05%

  • BCC

    0.9500

    123.19

    +0.77%

  • NGG

    -0.1600

    58.86

    -0.27%

  • SCS

    0.0800

    11.73

    +0.68%

  • CMSC

    -0.1321

    23.77

    -0.56%

  • CMSD

    0.1000

    23.65

    +0.42%

  • RELX

    0.3000

    45.89

    +0.65%

  • JRI

    0.0500

    12.15

    +0.41%

  • RBGPF

    59.8000

    59.8

    +100%

  • BCE

    0.0600

    22.9

    +0.26%

  • BTI

    0.0400

    36.26

    +0.11%

  • GSK

    -0.0300

    34.03

    -0.09%

  • VOD

    0.0600

    8.43

    +0.71%

  • BP

    0.0400

    28.79

    +0.14%

  • AZN

    -0.3300

    66.3

    -0.5%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0100

    7.24

    -0.14%

Pattinson suits up for macabre new 'Batman'
Pattinson suits up for macabre new 'Batman'

Pattinson suits up for macabre new 'Batman'

Robert Pattinson had never been interested in playing a superhero -- until Ben Affleck quit his role as Batman, leaving the famous cape unexpectedly up for grabs.

Text size:

Having spent the past decade mainly working on critically acclaimed arthouse movies, former "Twilight" actor Pattinson requested a meeting with the filmmakers entrusted by Warner Bros. to revitalize the beloved franchise.

"He sought me out... and somewhere in that meeting, he brought up Batman," producer Dylan Clark told AFP.

Although Pattinson, now 35, appeared to feel "a little bit suspiciously" about fronting a "giant big studio movie" again, he was "genuinely interested in the character of Batman and Bruce Wayne," said Clark.

"And he has that jawline, so that was very helpful!" added Clark.

The result is "The Batman," out in US theaters on March 4, starring Pattinson and directed by Clark's "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" collaborator Matt Reeves.

It finds Bruce Wayne in only his second year as Batman, when his nocturnal detective work has not yet earned him the trust of Gotham's police or public.

Pattinson's vigilante is still figuring out his tactics and his motivations for stalking the dystopian city's criminals, and his famous villain-busting gadgets are still rough prototypes.

Even compared to Christopher Nolan's gritty trilogy starring Christian Bale, "The Batman" is notable for its macabre, noirish tone.

Batman himself cuts a forlorn, almost depressive figure, partially inspired by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, whose music also features prominently in the soundtrack.

Pattinson, fresh from a supporting role in Nolan's mega-budget sci-fi film "Tenet," "wanted to play a part that was physical," recalled Clark.

"What he didn't know was that Matt's script was going to take that character on an emotional-physical ride, and that he was going to really have to put himself through the wringer."

- 'Disgruntled' -

This Batman, Clark added, "is a dark hero and he can sometimes come across as an antihero. Vengeance definitely fuels his drive."

The film finds Batman on the heels of the Riddler (Paul Dano) -- a serial killer in the sinister style of the real-life Zodiac Killer, or the recent Netflix true-crime series "Mindhunter."

The Riddler claims to be impelled by a sense of justice against Gotham's corrupt elite, and his crimes -- broadcast on social media -- attract a cult-like following among the city's disaffected and disenfranchised.

"Matt wrote this script two years before we went into production (in 2020). I think it was just looking at our world and our landscape and the things that were going on," said Clark.

"The best part about Gotham is it's a mirror to our societies. And I think it was a representation of these people that are feeling on the fringes, and they're disgruntled."

While Clark insists "we're certainly not trying to be political" or "sensational," the movie carries the message that "the world needs faith in their elected officials."

- 'Terrifying' -

Pattinson takes over the role from Affleck, whose appearances as Batman in two DC Comics-based ensemble superhero movies -- "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Justice League" -- were poorly received by fans.

Affleck had written, and was also due to direct, a standalone Batman movie, but ultimately withdrew entirely from the franchise at a turbulent time in his personal life, including renewed struggles with alcoholism and his divorce from Jennifer Garner.

"We had come in at a time of transition," said Clark.

"DC had to have some transition. And Ben, I think, was looking at his life, and reflected on where he wanted to be, and made that decision on his own."

Recasting Batman allowed the filmmakers to attempt a "fresh new take" on a franchise that has existed in some form for eight decades.

"Matt's idea was 'Let's try to introduce this new Batman in a place where we have never seen before,'" said Clark.

"It's the most exciting proposition but it's also one of the most terrifying," he added.

"You have to set out with great ambition, because the title, the character, the history is so large.

"The demand is, 'You'd better try to make a great Batman or we're going to hate you.'"

N.Fischer--NZN