The Batman was a visually distinct movie, and while production designer James Chinlund (War for the Planet of the Apes) won't be back for the sequel, filmmaker Matt Reeves has enlisted someone whose work on screen is every bit as impressive.
In The Hollywood Reporter's latest Heat Vision newsletter, it's revealed that Andor's Luke Hull will serve as production designer for The Batman Part II. He also won an Emmy for his work on HBO's Chernobyl, so we can be confident in saying that his take on Gotham City will be suitably impressive.
There's no word on why Chinlund isn't returning, but this wouldn't be the first time we've seen a production designer shakeup between Batman movies.
Anton Furst, for example, worked on 1989's Batman before his passing, meaning Bo Welch stepped in for Batman Returns. He built on Furst's incredible work, further fleshing out Gotham City.
While Colin Farrell recently confirmed that The Batman 2 takes place "a few weeks" after The Penguin, the sequel is expected to be a very different movie from its predecessor. With that in mind, a change in production designer makes sense.
"We haven't talked about anything like that," Reeves previously said of potentially bringing The Batman franchise into James Gunn's DCU. "We have had conversations about how things could work and all that kind of stuff, just in general. So, of course, it would be a lot of fun. What I really want to do is play out these stories that we began and arrive at the conclusion I've hoped we would arrive at from the beginning. It's very exciting."
"First of all, I'm flattered. That's very kind of James to say. It would be really exciting to work with them, of course. We're working with them on [The Batman Part II]," the filmmaker continued. "I mean, it's a DC, so, like, it's Elseworld, but it is DC, so it's theirs as well. What the future brings and what I am doing will become clear when it comes."
Beyond the return of key cast members Robert Pattinson, Andy Serkis, Jeffrey Wright, and Colin Farrell, little to nothing is known about what's in store for us in The Batman sequel.
Hush, Hugo Strange, and The Court of Owls rank among the most popular suggestions from fans, and it's not outside the realm of possibility that we'll see more of The Joker and The Riddler after their chance Arkham meeting in The Batman.
The Batman 2 is set to be released in theaters on October 1, 2027. Are you excited for the next instalment of "The Batman Epic Crime Saga"?