Details on HBO Max's planned The Batman spinoff show have been few and far between, but it has been confirmed that the series will primarily focus on corruption in the Gotham City Police Department. However, it sounds like another iconic location from Batman lore may also receive some of the spotlight.
According to The Illuminerdi, the show's current working title is "Arkham."
While working titles don't always have very much (if anything) to do with the the plot of the series/film, this couldn't be a more obvious nod to the iconic institution where the Dark Knight sends the majority of his criminally insane foes. Whether that means Arkham Asylum will feature prominently in the show remains to be seen, but this small-screen spinoff would provide the perfect opportunity to introduce some of Batman's lesser-known villains.
We know that the show will be at least partially inspired by Gotham Central, the 2002 police procedural comic from Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka. Director Matt Reeves has also confirmed that the prequel series will take place during "Year One" of the Dark Knight's reign as Gotham's protector, as a “masked vigilante…starts to unsettle the city”.
The series will zero in on the corruption that “goes back many years,” and will be told from the POV of an unnamed crooked cop. It's not known if Robert Pattinson will actually show up as The Caped Crusader, but Jeffrey Wright is expected to reprise his role as The Batman's Commissioner James Gordon. Colin Farrell (The Penguin) has been rumored to appear, but that's yet to be confirmed.
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