Cinematographer on 'The Batman' says the movie pivots on Bruce Wayne and Alfred

There might be a host of villains lining up for The Batman – the Penguin and the Riddler among them – but the movie reportedly has a different relationship at its core.

Soon to restart filming in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown easing, director Matt Reeves is said to be putting Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne and his trusted right hand Alfred, played by Andy Serkis, at the centre of the action.

The tip comes from the movie's director of photography Greig Fraser, who has been speaking to Collider about what's happening on the set of the Batman reboot.

Asked first what he could tell them about the movie, he said: “Nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing.”

Then, changing his mind, he added: “[What] I can tell you is what some of the actors have gone away and said. It is a character based movie about the characters, about Andy Serkis’ character and Robert Pattinson’s character.

“It’s a very good script, like all of Matt’s scripts it’s very good, very well thought out.”

Fraser, who was also a cinematographer on movies like Rogue One, Zero Dark Thirty and recently The Mandalorian for Disney+, added: “We’re having a ball making it. We’re going our best. It’s a lot of pressure. I don’t think Matt takes non-pressure movies.

“To do the American version of Let the Right One In, that’s a huge pressure. To do the Apes movies which I think a lot of people have a lot of vested interest in is a lot of pressure. So Batman is a lot of pressure. He’s gutsy, he’s a gutsy director.”

Filming, which was taking place across the UK, in London, Liverpool and Glasgow, was suspended in March, just prior to the coronavirus lockdown moving into place.

The production also suffered tragedy, after the film's dialect coach, the movie veteran Andrew Jack, died from the virus on March 31.

Filming is set to recommence at some point this month, following the publishing of new safety guidelines from drawn up by the British Film Commission and the British Film Institute.

Also starring Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, Colin Farrell as the Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as Gotham PD's Jim Gordon, and John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, the movie is set for release on 1 October, 2021.