Kevin Smith Says Robert Pattinson Batman Movie Is Based on The Long Halloween

There are a lot of questions surrounding the new Batman movie, especially when it comes to Robert Pattinson‘s younger take on Bruce Wayne and what director Matt Reeves has planned. With rumors of multiple villains involved, including Penguin and Catwoman, fans are wondering if Reeves is tackling a classic storyline, or at least a different take on Batman Returns. But many people have theorized that Reeves’ film, based on what he himself has said about it, will actually be adapting one of the seminal comic runs from Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. And according to Kevin Smith, that’s exactly what’s happening.

During the latest episode of the FatMan Beyond podcast, Smith was taken back when co-host Marc Bernardin explained the rumor that it would adapt The Long Halloween.

“To be fair, I heard it to, and I heard it from a good source too,” Smith explained.

Reeves previously made it clear that he was not making a movie connected to the DC Universe, and The Long Halloween would go a long way in making a lot of connections while also remaining disconnected from the established DC Universe with Wonder Woman, Shazam, and Aquaman.

“Right now, I’m involved in The Batman,” Reeves said. “What it will be called ultimately, I don’t know. Aquaman is going to be very different from the Todd Phillips Joker movie, and that’s going to be different from Shazam and Harley Quinn. Warners believes they don’t have to try to develop a giant slate that has to have all the plans for how it’s going to connect. What they need to try and do is make good movies with these characters.”

Reeves also teased the kind of story his plot will tackle, which probably lead to many of the theories that were pointing toward The Long Halloween.

“It’s very much a point of view-driven, noir Batman tale,” Reeves said of his take on the Caped Crusader. “It’s told very squarely on his shoulders, and I hope it’s going to be a story that will be thrilling but also emotional. It’s more Batman in his detective mode than we’ve seen in the films. The comics have a history of that. He’s supposed to be the world’s greatest detective, and that’s not necessarily been a part of what the movies have been. I’d love this to be one where when we go on that journey of tracking down the criminals and trying to solve a crime, it’s going to allow his character to have an arc so that he can go through a transformation.”

The Batman is set to premiere in theaters on June 25, 2021.