Warner Bros/DC’s highly-anticipated The Batman has been cleared for a release in China. A date has yet to be confirmed, but the approval is significant given the market has been light on studio titles across the past year.
In a video posted to the Warner Bros Weibo account, Batman star Robert Pattinson addressed Chinese fans saying, “Today, I have good news for you,” while Zoë Kravitz added, “our new movie, The Batman, will be released in China.” Also appearing in the video are Colin Farrell and Paul Dano.
Whether the China approval signals an overall change versus 2021 remains to be seen. Currently, Disney/20th Century Studios’ Death On The Nile is due to release this coming Saturday, and is the only Hollywood movie with a date. It’s likely that Sony’s Uncharted will be approved, though that is not yet confirmed. Spider-Man: No Way Home has still not been dated, owing to what amounted to an unofficial ban on Marvel throughout the past year. That movie nevertheless has grossed over $1.8B worldwide without China.
The Batman, which begins offshore rollout on March 2 and releases in North America on March 4, is understood to be a fairly dark picture, though contrary to WB/DC’s Joker, which was rated R and did not get into China, this film is carrying a PG-13. Recent DC titles featuring Ben Affleck’s Batman, Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice and Justice League, grossed $95.8M and $106M, respectively in China. The Dark Knight Rises with Christian Bale did about $53M there when the market was just opening up back in 2012.
Matt Reeves directs The Batman which sees Pattinson as Bruce Wayne and his becowled alter ego and Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. The pair teams up against the villainous Riddler (Dano), a serial killer who is obsessed with the Wayne family. Farrell is Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, Jeffrey Wright plays James Gordon and Andy Serkis steps in as Alfred Pennyworth.