The Batman: Gotham PD Showrunner Was Fired Two Months Before Movie Debuted

The Batman has already ended it’s theatrical run with over $700 million at the box office and has already begun streaming on HBO Max. Warner Bros. and DC Comics are already planning to launch spin-offs from that universe, with one focused on Penguin and the other focusing on Arkham Asylum. Previously, there was a spin-off that was set to focus on the Gotham City Police Department with Joe Barton set to pen the script as well as Executive Produce the series. That series was ultimately shelved, and Matt Reeves and company moved on to other projects. Now, Barton is speaking out on being fired from the series, and he reveals that it happened two months before The Batman hit theaters. During an interview with The Telegraph, the Executive Producer revealed that he was fired in January.

“I gave the script over in November and HBO called to say they loved it and they were really excited. And then in January, my agent called to say I’d been fired. If you’re going to get fired from a massive franchise, don’t do it two months before the film comes out. I saw Batman everywhere.” Barton went on to reveal that he had to receive notes on a script in the pouring rain and the only place he could find shelter was “Underneath a f—ing Batman poster. It was like being haunted by Fathers 4 Justice.”

During the press tour for The Batman, Reeves opened up about the canceled Gotham P.D. spin-off. The director went into detail on what exactly the series was about during a previous podcast appearance. While appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Reeves revealed the plans for the canceled spin-off.

“One thing that we’re not doing that I was gonna do — so there’s the Gotham police show, which, that one actually is put on hold,” Reeves said. “We’re not really doing that.”

Gotham PD was to act as a prequel to The Batman, taking place in “Year One” of Bruce Wayne’s (Pattinson) crime-fighting crusade. In the film set in Batman’s second year, the Dark Knight encounters early versions of Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz), Riddler (Paul Dano), and Penguin. 

“The series was going to be kind of like [Sidney Lumet’s neo-noir crime-drama] Prince of the City, where it was going to be year one,” Reeves said. “Because the movie is year two, and I wanted it to be the first appearance. But it wasn’t going to be a Batman story, it was going to be about this corrupt cop. And it was going to be about how the worst gang in Gotham were the GCPD. And [Batman] was going to come across paths, he would have touched paths with Gordon who would have been — it would have been someone to measure him against. But it would be a battle for his soul.”

Directed by Matt Reves, The Batman stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Paul Dano as Edward Nashton/the Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as GCPD’s James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson, Jayme Lawson as mayoral candidate Bella Reál, Andy Serkis as Alfred, and Colin Farrell as Oswald “Penguin” Cobblepot. The film is streaming on HBO Max now.

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