There’s a new showrunner in Gotham City! According to The Hollywood Reporter, Joe Barton has been tapped to helm HBO Max’s The Batman spin-off series. Former showrunner Terence Winter exited the project in November.
Now, Barton is most known for creating Giri/Haji, a crime thriller about a detective from Tokyo who searches London for his missing brother with ties to the Yakuza. Winter, who created Boardwalk Empire and wrote for The Sopranos, departed The Batman spin-off due to creative differences.
As of now, the spin-off is untitled. The show was granted a straight-to-series order in July of 2020. It’s meant to serve as a companion piece to Matt Reeves‘ upcoming blockbuster starring Robert Pattinson as The Caped Crusader. The Hollywood Reporter writes that the project will “further examine the corruption in Gotham City set up in the film.” Reeves participated in DC FanDome’s virtual event back in August. The director stated that “the series would be told from a crooked cop’s point of view and would serve as a prequel to his Batman Year Two movie. ‘The story is actually a battle for his soul,’ Reeves said at the time.”
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It’s unclear whether Pattinson or Jeffrey Wright, who will portray Commissioner James Gordon in The Batman, will appear in HBO Max’s spin-off. The series is part of WarnerMedia’s plan to expand the Batman universe across multiple streaming platforms.
Besides Giri/Haji, Barton has written for AMC’s Humans, The Ritual and My Days of Mercy starring Elliot Page. Barton also penned the BBC drama Our World War alongside Marco Crivellari.
I’m not familiar with Barton’s work, but judging on the genre in which Giri/Haji falls, he sounds like the right person to helm The Batman spin-off. Especially since both shows are described as gritty, crime-riddled sagas. He was nominated for a Broadcasting Press Guild Award for his writing in 2020. We do like award winners here! Perhaps this move will help revitalize Batman’s story within the DC universe.
What do you think about Joe Barton taking the reins from Terence Winter for The Batman spin-off? Let us know in the comments below!
Melody.McCune@geekgirlauthority.com
What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet. Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium. I love cheese. I love geek. I love lamp.
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