Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Cinematographer Robert Richardson Not Shooting The Batman

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood cinematographer Robert Richardson has shot down a Wednesday report that claimed he'll shoot The Batman for director Matt Reeves.

"I'm not shooting The Batman. ... I have never met with Matt Reeves," Richardson told The Hollywood Reporter when promoting Quentin Tarantino's Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt-starring Hollywood.

"I woke up this morning to a slew of text messages, 'Congratulations, I didn't know you were shooting Batman.' I was highly perplexed. The closest part of reality is that when Ben Affleck was going to direct, I was going to shoot. But I don't know how that got moved into this space."

The editor-in-chief of DiscussingFilm, the outlet which first reported Richardson's involvement, apologized for the error Thursday and said Reeves was likely to again team with director of photography Michael Seresin (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, War for the Planet of the Apes).

Affleck was originally set to write and direct the picture. Reeves' Batman will instead focus on a younger, less-experienced caped crusader, portrayed by Robert Pattinson.

"I actually liked the idea that I was doing Batman ... I was like, oh yeah," added Richardson, who won Academy Awards for Hugo, The Aviator and JFK.

When Affleck was attached to the director's chair with Richardson as DP, "I thought, finally, I get to do a Batman movie. I think that would be a lot of fun. Whether Batman, or I have always wanted to shoot Superman.... He was one of my favorite characters growing up."

Other roles in The Batman, including the rumored female lead role of Catwoman, have yet to be announced.

A recent report from The GWW claimed Reeves would launch production on The Batman on January 13 in London. Studio Warner Bros. has dated the picture June 25, 2021.

The Richardson-shot Once Upon a Time in Hollywood opens from Sony Pictures July 26.