It was just last month that we heard how Matt Reeves was developing a HBO Max series based around the Gotham City Police Department which would tie-in with his The Batman, and now comes an update on that show.
From this weekend’s DC FanDome – where Reeves’ also delivered a fantastic teaser trailer for his Robert Pattinson-headlined The Batman – the filmmaker has revealed how this to-be-titled GCPD offering will seemingly pull inspiration from Frank Miller’s seminal Batman: Year One.
While we’ve now learned how The Batman will take place during Bruce Wayne’s second year in the cape ‘n’ cowl, Reeves has confirmed that the GCPD series will take place before this movie.
As Reeves explained, “The idea is we go back to Year One. Year One is the beginning, it’s the first appearance of this masked vigilante that unsettles the city. You start to see the story through the point of view of these corrupt cops and one in particular. The story is actually a battle for his soul. He’s a cop over generations, and the history of corruption is enormous and goes back many years.”
Batman: Year One is a 1987 comic book arc from Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, and it centres on both Batman and Jim Gordon in their formative years of protecting Gotham City. In addition to seeing Bruce Wayne as a masked vigilante on his ascension to becoming the Caped Crusader, the tale also shines a spotlight on a Gordon who has recently been transferred to the corrupt Gotham City Police Department.
Boardwalk Empire creator Terrence Winter will be penning the series, with Reeves’ involvement part of his recently-inked deal with Warner Bros. TV Group.
Given how The Batman has Boardwalk Empire and Westworld favourite Jeffrey Wright on board as Jim Gordon, could that mean that Wright will be expanding that role in this TV offering? That would certainly seem a logical school of thought – even if that is just us thinking out loud at this early juncture. Either way, the GCPD show seems like it has a character lined up to mimic the role of Gordon in Batman: Year One, even if Jimbo himself doesn’t appear.
As ever, expect more on this massively intriguing series as it continues to develop.
