WARNER BROS. PICTURES |
BEN AFFLECK REVEALED AS BATMAN IN WARNER BROS. PICTURES’
NEW SUPER HERO FEATURE FILM, NOW SLATED TO OPEN JULY 17, 2015
The Oscar®-winning star
joins Henry Cavill in the first ever onscreen match-up
of DC Comics’ most iconic characters.
BURBANK, CA, August 22, 2013 – Ending
weeks of speculation, Ben Affleck has been set to star as Batman, a.k.a. Bruce
Wayne. Affleck and filmmaker Zack Snyder
will create an entirely new incarnation of the character in Snyder’s as-yet-untitled
project—bringing Batman and Superman together for the first time on the big
screen and continuing the director’s vision of their universe, which he
established in “Man of Steel.” The
announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development
and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and
International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.
The studio has slated the film to
open worldwide on July 17, 2015.
Last month’s surprise announcement of
the new movie featuring both Superman and Batman created a wave of excitement
and immediately fueled discussion and debate—among fans as well as in the
media—about who would put on the cape and cowl of Bruce Wayne’s alter ego.
Snyder successfully re-imagined the
origin of Clark Kent/Superman in the worldwide blockbuster “Man of Steel,” which
has earned more than $650 million worldwide to date, and climbing. The director will now create an original
vision of Batman and his world for the film that brings the two DC Comics icons
together.
Affleck will star opposite Henry
Cavill, who will reprise the role of Superman/Clark Kent. The film will also reunite “Man of Steel”
stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane.
In the announcement, Silverman
stated, “We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to take on one of DC Comics’
most enduringly popular Super Heroes, and Ben Affleck certainly fits that bill,
and then some. His outstanding career is
a testament to his talent and we know he and Zack will bring new dimension to
the duality of this character.”
Snyder also expressed his excitement
about the casting of Affleck, noting, “Ben provides an interesting
counter-balance to Henry’s Superman. He
has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and
wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but
retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne. I can’t wait to work with him.”
Kroll added, “We are so thrilled that
Ben is continuing Warner Bros.’ remarkable legacy with the character of Batman. He is a tremendously gifted actor who will
make this role his own in this already much-anticipated pairing of these two
beloved heroes.”
Affleck recently starred in the
Academy Award®-winning Best Picture “Argo,” which he also directed
and produced, earning acclaim and a BAFTA Award nomination for his performance
in the film, as well as a number of directing honors. In 2010, he starred in and directed the hit
crime thriller “The Town.” His recent
acting work also includes “The Company Men,” “State of Play,” and
“Hollywoodland,” for which he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor.
Earlier in his career, Affleck starred
in and co-wrote (with Matt Damon) “Good Will Hunting,” for which he won an
Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay.
The new Super Hero film is being scripted
by David S. Goyer from a story he co-created with Zack Snyder. Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder are
producing, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan and Wesley Coller serving as executive producers.
Production is expected to begin in
2014.
The film is based on Superman
characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, and Batman characters
created by Bob Kane, published by DC Entertainment.
-wbp-
