What was James Gunn’s Arkham Asylum TV show update?
Speaking to BobaTalks in a recent interview with the YouTuber, Gunn was asked about Reeves’ show, which was originally set to be a spin-off to The Batman and focus on the Gotham City Police Department. Gunn was asked if there were any hopes for the show to come back, and while he didn’t say no, his answer all but shut the door on it.
“Hope? Sure. But that isn’t something that’s being developed by anyone right now. You know? Just didn’t work,” said Gunn.
The show, which was originally rumored to be titled GCPD, went through many changes. Originally described as a drama about the GCPD, reports suggested that Reeves then spun those plans into a separate project that would’ve focused on the iconic asylum that houses many of Batman’s most legendary foes.
For whatever reason, the show never materialized and Reeves ended up working on the award-winning and critically acclaimed series The Penguin instead. Whether or not Reeves will continue that series, or perhaps work on another DC project for Gunn, is unknown as of now. Currently, Reeves is working on the follow-up to The Batman, The Batman: Part II, which is set to release in theaters on October 1, 2027.
Originally reported by Anthony Nash for SuperHeroHype.
Guillermo Del Toro wouldn’t mind taking on The Phantom of the Opera. Filming on Robert Eggers’ werewolf movie has begun. Plus, get another new look at Predator: Badlands. Spoilers now!
The Heretiks
Deadline reports Gregg Bishop is attached to direct The Heretiks, a “supernatural home invasion horror-thriller” set on Halloween. Written by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski, the story concerns “a disaffected teenage girl who must team up with a renegade witch to protect her little sister from a murderous coven hellbent on using her as a human sacrifice in an apocalyptic ritual on Halloween night.”
The Bells
Deadline also reports a feature adaptation of Virat Pall’s short film, The Bells, is also in development. Like the short is based on, the “supernatural horror film in the vein of The Ring and Smile” will concern “a cursed phenomenon where victims hear mysterious bells tolling before meeting a deadly fate.”
The Phantom of the Opera
Speaking with Inverse, Guillermo del Toro stated he has “a couple of ideas” for a new take on The Phantom of the Opera.
It’s such a classic tale but I would do it differently. I have a couple of ideas but for now, I’m going into crime and stop-motion.
Werwulf
According to Screen Daily, filming has officially begun on Robert Eggers’ Werwulf in Dartmoor, Devon.
Shelby Oaks
A new Shelby Oaks poster from Bloody-Disgusting is 3/4ths text, and full of praise.
We also have an international trailer for Predator: Badlands.
Energon Universe
Deadline reports that Hasbro is woring with Skybound Entertainment to create a TV series based on the Energon Universe comic series, a shared universe that incorporates the Transformers and G.I. Joe characters, as well an original sci-fi storyline, Void Rivals. Lucifer‘s Joe Henderson is set to showrun the series, an adult-focused animated show, as it taken out to buyers.
The Thrashers
Deadline also reports James Wan’s Atomic Monster has acquired the television rights to The Thrashers, a YA novel from Julie Soto about an “exclusive friend group at New Helvetia High.” When a student named Emily Mills, “who desperately wanted to be a Thrasher, dies—the whispers about the Thrashers begin. As Emily’s journal surfaces, detectives close in, and [series’ star] Jodi faces an impossible choice: betray her [new] friends or protect herself. Meanwhile, as eerie messages and strange occurrences escalate, it becomes clear—Emily isn’t done with them yet.”
Arkham Asylum
Finally, during his recent appearance on the BobaTalks Youtube channel, James Gunn confirmed the planned Arkham Asylum TV series is no longer in development.
That isn’t something that is being developed by anyone right now. It just didn’t work.
Once in a while, a remarkable game comes along to the too-often underdeveloped space of VR, that challenges the belief that magic head-goggles are a niche product. Could Batman: Arkham Shadow be one such example? Here’s everything you need to know.
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Early word suggests that like Half Life: Alyx before it, Batman: Arkham Shadow could be a stellar showing for the VR world, that grants full control of the world’s greatest detective as he solves a new mystery in Gotham City—and beats down a bunch of bad guys in the process, obviously. If you’ve been curious about Batman: Arkham Shadow let’s see if we can answer your questions.
Is Batman: Arkham Shadow a direct sequel?
It’s been a long while since we’ve received a game in the Arkham series, so you might be delighted to hear that Batman: Arkham Shadow is set within that same universe.
Taking place between the events of Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Asylum, it casts you as the Caped Crusader once again, as he seeks to protect Gotham City from a fresh threat known as the Rat King. This new villain has abducted a variety of officials from the city, with plans for their execution, giving Batman only a week to rescue them and enact justice once more.
Despite being part of the grander Arkham universe, though, you shouldn’t feel the need to have played the other games in the series. While there are plenty of references and plot points that franchise fans will no doubt pick up on, Batman: Arkham Shadow remains a perfectly enjoyable standalone Gotham adventure.
Who developed Batman: Arkham Shadow?
Batman: Arkham Shadow was developed by Meta-owned developer Camouflaj, the team behind 2020’s fairly well-received PSVR exclusive, Iron Man VR. Before getting bought by Meta to work in-house on VR games, Camouflaj also made episodic stealth game, République.
What platforms is Batman: Arkham Shadow available for?
Batman: Arkham Shadow is exclusively available for the Meta Quest 3 VR headset. As of this writing, Camouflaj has not revealed any plans to bring the game to competing headsets like PlayStation VR2, although given they’re owned by Meta, that seems very unlikely. It’s Meta Quest 3 or nothing if you’re interested in playing it anytime soon.
The good news is that anyone who buys a Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S before April 25, 2025 will receive Batman: Arkham Shadow included with the purchase of the headset. If you’ve been VR-curious but haven’t taken the plunge yet, I’d say that’s a pretty good incentive!
That being said, the Meta Quest 3 can feel a bit pricey at $499. If you don’t mind the slight (though admittedly noticeable) downgrade in pixel count and resolution, the Meta Quest 3S retains a lot of the same technology for $299.
Who voices Batman in Batman: Arkham Shadow?
Screenshot: Oculus Studios / Kotaku
Fans will be thrilled to hear that Arkham Origins’ Roger Craig Smith returns once again to voice The Dark Knight himself. Smith, also known for voicing popular video game characters like Ezio from Assassin’s Creed and Chris Redfield from Resident Evil, is often rated as one of the best actors to bring life to Bruce Wayne and his ass-kicking detective alter ego, since the sad death of Kevin Conroy in 2022.
Other notable stars in the game include Elijah Wood as Scarecrow, Tara Strong as Harley Quinn, Troy Baker as Harvey Dent, and The Walking Dead’s Khary Payton as The Ratcatcher (not to be confused with the Rat King). All in all, it’s clearly a star-studded cast.
How long is Batman: Arkham Shadow?
Many VR games are on the shorter side, so you may be surprised to hear that Batman: Arkham Shadow can take quite a while to complete. As a matter of fact, clearing the game without any side content can take 8 to 10 hours. If you want to see and do everything in this VR recreation of Gotham City, you can spend up to 15 hours tracking down various types of collectibles and completing unique challenges.
Batman: Arkham Shadow is available now on Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S for $49.99.
Matt Reeves started to create a whole universe with the release of 2022’s The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader.
The filmmaker is expanding the world with The Penguin, an HBO original series centered on Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb, which will premiere on the premium cable network and Max in September.
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Reeves explains why two series he had been developing, set in what he calls the Batman Epic Crime Saga, had been canceled for now.
“As we were writing the movie [The Batman], I was like, ‘Hey, you know what? I think there are some cool shows that we could do,” Reeves told EW. “It was actually why I wanted to make our deal at Warner Bros.”
Reeves and producing partner Dylan Clark had been working on a couple of series, one focusing on the Gotham Police Department and a second set in the Arkham Asylum. HBO executives gave Reeves notes and the filmmaker said that some elements will be making it into The Penguin.
“They were like, ‘We like what you’re doing, and we want to lean harder into the marquee characters,’” Reeves said.
He continued, “What’s interesting is that, in the movie, the big red herring of the story is it seems like the person they’re looking for, that the Riddler’s pointing to must be the Penguin, some kind of informant. This movie creates a power vacuum, and because Penguin is so underestimated, people don’t really see who he is.”
Reeves said he “wanted it to be, not in a grandiose way, but in a mythic Shakespearean way, this kind of great tale.”
