Matt Reeves Reveals Why 'Arkham Asylum' and 'Gotham PD' Spinoffs Were Shelved

‘Batman’ director Matt Reeves shared why he abandoned two projects, 'Arkham Asylum' and 'Gotham PD,' midway. After launching his version of ‘The Batman’ in 2022 with Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader, Reeves disclosed to Entertainment Weekly that these projects are now shelved. He had "cool" ideas for the shows and aimed to strike a deal with Warner Bros. 

Reeves also discussed expanding his film franchise with ‘The Penguin’, an HBO series centred around Colin Farrell's character, Oz Cobbs, set to premiere on Max in September. The director explained that while writing 'The Batman,' he envisioned some exciting shows, which led to his desire to make a deal with Warner Bros. 

Also Read: ‘Batman: Arkham Asylum’ TV Series Cancelled by HBO

Reeves and his producing partner, Dylan Clark, had their team divided between the two projects, and HBO executives provided feedback on incorporating elements into ‘The Penguin’. "They were like, ‘We like what you’re doing, and we want to lean harder into the marquee characters,’” Reeves said. He added that in ‘The Batman’, the big red herring is that it seems the Riddler's target must be the Penguin, creating a power vacuum where the Penguin is underestimated.

–Farheen Ali