The Batman Cinematographer Says The Film Is About Alfred and Batman

We’ve heard a lot about Warner Bros. upcoming The Batman from the people that will be stepping into the roles of DC Comics fabled heroes and villains, but a new quote from someone behind the camera paints the entire film in a new light. Speaking in a new interview, the cinematographer for the film reiterated that the movie is a character-based film but highlighted a surprising character as being in the spotlight just as much as Robert Pattinson‘s Batman, his trusted servant Alfred. Played by Andy Serkis in the film, DP Greig Fraser (Rogue One, The Mandalorian, Dune) specifically called out the butler as being one character whom the movie is “about.”

“Nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing,” Fraser first said to Collider when asked what he could say about the movie. “I can tell you is what some of the actors have gone away and said. It is a character based movie about the characters, about Andy Serkis’ character and Robert Pattinson’s character. It’s a very good script, like all of Matt’s scripts it’s very good, very well thought out.”

Fraser continued, “We’re having a ball making it. We’re going our best. It’s a lot of pressure. I don’t think Matt takes non-pressure movies. To do the American version of Let the Right One In, that’s a huge pressure. To do the Apes movies which I think a lot of people have a lot of vested interest in is a lot of pressure. So Batman is a lot of pressure. He’s gutsy, he’s a gutsy director.”

Serkis’ Alfred specifically being mentioned as a character that the film is “about” might come as a surprise to some fans, as it’s unclear how involved Serkis will be in the movie overall. While production on The Batman was still ongoing, Serkis was busy directing a film of his own (the highly anticipated Venom: Let There Be Carnage), perhaps limiting his time on set. Production on that film has already wrapped however, possibly freeing up Serkis for more time in front of the camera in the Bat-Cave.

Fraser went on to talk about Reeves’ career as a filmmaker and how it makes him perfectly suited for taking on Batman, pointing to his ability to create emotional stories starring characters that aren’t even human. Fraser added, “Naturally casting is a big part of it, but it’s the work of a very, very good director to have you find emotion in things that are innately unemotional. I’m talking about animals, apes. He did a brilliant job with that. So I’m excited to be working with him currently on Batman.”

Like so many other major film producitons, shooting on The Batman was shut down back in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, and is expected to resume full production in the near future. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters on October 1, 2021.