‘The Batman’ Composer Michael Giacchino Says the Movie ‘Feels Fresh,’ Has ‘Total Freedom’
Superhero movies aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. So, moviegoers who are tiring of the genre have a rough road ahead. If anything, the comic book movie landscape is set to expand in the coming years. After all, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to add new heroes like Shang-Chi and the Eternals to its rich tapestry. Meanwhile, DC is finally getting the hang of things.
The less-than-expected box office for Birds of Prey notwithstanding, the DC Extended Universe has seen a notable uptick in critical and fan reception. But even beyond this, Warner Bros. is testing the limits of the franchise. Joker was the company’s first attempt to step outside the shared continuity of the DCEU. And $1 billion later, The Batman aims to repeat that approach.
‘The Batman’ promises the Dark Knight as we’ve never seen him
Writer/director Matt Reeves takes control of Gotham City this time around. Originally envisioned to be Ben Affleck’s solo debut as the character, The Batman was instead reworked to focus on a younger version of the character. With Robert Pattinson in the role, the film reportedly has no connection to any previous films and will kick off a planned trilogy.
The only bits fans have seen so far is a camera test of Pattinson in his Batsuit and a few stills of the new Batmobile. Sporting a more grounded look, the suit hews more closely to the Arkham video games than recent films. Likewise, the Caped Crusader’s sporty ride feels ripped straight from comic book runs chronicling Batman’s early career.
Composer Michael Giacchino teases a new vision of Gotham City
While we still don’t know a ton about The Batman, Reeves is assembling an outstanding team for the project. This, of course, includes a cast featuring Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright, and And Serkis. But it also extends to Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino, one of Reeves’ regular collaborators.
Now, in a new interview with Collider, Giacchino teased a bit about how he and Reeves are approaching The Batman. And it sounds pretty much in line with what fans expect. The new film, it seems, will be unlike anything we’ve seen so far.
I felt total freedom to do whatever I want [with the music]. Matt [Reeves] always agreed. This is our Batman. This is our vision. … I’m not the kind of person that says Batman must always be this. It’s like, “no, why?” It can be whatever the artist wants to be and it has over the years done that, many times over. I love the idea of taking something and just kind of doing our version of it.
Giacchino goes on to say he believes “what [Reeves] is doing is really cool, and it’s different and feels fresh.” Although fans might have a while to wait to learn much more, at least they can rest assured that what they have seen is very much a part of the process.
Fans have already heard some of Giacchino’s music for ‘The Batman’
For instance, the theme music featured in Pattinson’s “camera test” isn’t just a placeholder. Rather, it’s an original theme Giacchino wrote early in the process. Since film composers often don’t even begin work until after principal photography is done, Reeves and Giacchino felt compelled to include this bit of music into the brief first glimpse of Pattinson’s Batsuit.
“This was a great opportunity to, from the get-go, say, ‘Nope, this is our Batman,'” Giacchino told Collider. “‘Like it or not, this is what we’re doing.'”
With more music already planned for subsequent marketing teases, Giacchino suggests fans who want to know more keep rewatching the camera test. According to the composer, it provides a good sense of the vibe Reeves is going for as well as why Pattinson “is such a crazy great choice for Batman.”
Like all of Hollywood, The Batman is currently on a break in its production due to coronavirus concerns. However, the film is still scheduled to hit theaters on June 25, 2021.
