Interview
The new ‘The Batman’ arrives this Friday in cinemas, a battle for the soul of this street vigilante to the rhythm of Nirvana
The new ‘The Batman’ has nothing to do with what we have seen so far, a punk noir film set to music by Nirvana, where Robert Pattinson plays the dual role of the protector of Gotham City and his alter ego, the lonely billionaire Bruce Wayne. Pattinson (London, 35 years old) has spent more than a decade fleeing from the fans of the ‘Twilight’ saga and from a part of the ‘Harry Potter’ fans.
Now, he’s going to have to do the same with Batman’s. As he confesses, he was never in the plans for him to play the DC vigilante, but he could not resist accepting director Matt Reeves’s proposal when he approached him about the project. Pattinson’s quest for grittier, more independent movies changed with ‘The Batman,’ his strategic effort to be a respectable actor is being eaten away by the legacy of his new character, and watching the nearly three-hour-long movie, you may is even achieving its purpose. Obsessed with playing the caped hero, he revealed that he had spent more than a year preparing for the role.
Ben Affleck was originally set to direct and star in ‘The Batman,’ which was going to exist within the DC comics universe. Affleck dropped out of the franchise, leaving it to Reeves, who recast it to be a standalone story aimed at a younger audience. After the abandonment of Affleck and the forced stoppages caused by the covid, the production of the film has lasted for more than three years.
After a rigorous casting process, Pattinson landed the role of Bruce Wayne, drawing the ire of those who weren’t convinced he could do the character justice based on the actor’s conventional work. But as audiences learned more of what he’s been up to in recent years, including a string of critically acclaimed independent films, they caved in willing to give Pattinson a chance to prove himself on film. that sounds like a blockbuster.
-How do you feel playing Batman, one of the most beloved characters in the DC universe?
-I’ve always been a huge fan, I’ve loved Batman since I was a kid and I’m so glad all of you are wearing masks so I can’t read your micro expressions. It’s great to have a fan base, like Batman has, to cheer us on during this pandemic period. I’m glad to hear that there is so much anticipation for this project, especially after the eternity we had to wait to shoot the movie. The nature of the role is a bit strange, you can put this character in so many different genres and contexts and still maintain the identity of him. In addition, the legacy of the people who have been involved before has given the character a great mysticism and for me it is a great privilege to take over.
-What did you feel when you put on the bat suit?
-When you put on the suit for the first time you can feel it. I remember just walking across the parking lot and seeing a shadow with two little ears coming out of the top of my head, it was really weird.
-He will be compared to the other actors who played this character before. Are you ready for the intense scrutiny?
-Everyone has an opinion about their favorite Batman and their favorite director, but at the same time and after the uncertainty that has also existed in the film industry, to feel this level of euphoria with the fans, despite the fact that we have been three years working on the film, it’s incredible. I had a lot of time to think about it. I was selected seven or eight months before we started filming, and I had the opportunity to experience many different feelings.
-Are you afraid of the ‘bativoces’, as you and the director Matt Reeves qualify the criticism of the fans who did not see you dressed in the Batman suit?-They began to warm up and that has been taking pressure off me. It’s something very rare, the more you wear the suit, the more you embody the character, until you feel it as something organic, as if it were part of you. Getting to commune with the character was part of my job and now it feels like the voices are yelling at someone else.
-Did you like the transformation process you had?
-From the first day of rehearsals, we were training about six hours a day. It was fun and I loved how Rob Alonzo prepared the choreography. Once you get used to it, you can do those fight scenes over and over again.
Pattinson, clad in the Batman suit.
-He trained with Zoe Kravitz, the daughter of musician Lenny Kravitz…
-Yes, we both train together, and with the doubles of the others. I told her, ‘I really don’t want to hurt you,’ and she said, ‘Trust me, you won’t hurt me.’ I remember the first day she kicked me in the head (laughs).
What attracted you to the script?
-Each Batman movie has been done in its own way. What really excited me about this script and Matt’s vision was the way he understood his story. We have honored the franchise created in 1939 by inventing a Gotham for the 21st century.