We had to see this coming, right? Warner Bros. continues to have issues getting The Batman off the ground, but one thing we thought was FINALLY ready was the screenplay. About a month ago Chris Terrio was said to have come aboard to give Ben Affleck and Geoff Johns' script a rewrite, with the promise that it wasn't a complete restart. But with production now slated to not kick off until 2018 at the soonest, it looks like Warner Bros. has decided to put that time to good use.
Slashfilm reports the script is being written "from the ground up", and before you freak out this is probably for the best. When Matt Reeves signed on to direct we noted he would probably have a say in the script, just as he has in most of the projects he's worked on. This is completely normal and allows for Reeves to make the movie that is better suited to his style, and that's always a good thing. So we can toss out what little we thought we knew about the story, except for maybe Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke because nobody would be dumb enough to cut him out. What we don't know yet is the person doing the actual writing, but you can bet Reeves will at least consult.
Meanwhile, the Batman-associated Suicide Squad has a sequel on the way, but somebody's got to write it first. Warner Bros. has found their guy and...well, let's cross our fingers and hope for the best. Adam Cozad, who wrote the franchise-killing Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and underwhelming The Legend of Tarzan, will now pen Suicide Squad 2. On the plus side, it's likely Cozad's script will only get the ball rolling until a director comes in and puts his own stamp on it, just like Reeves is doing with The Batman. Remember, David Ayer won't be involved this time as he's moved over to direct Gotham City Sirens. [THR]
