The Batman: Part II brings together Matt Reeves and Emmy-winner Luke Hull to redesign Gotham City with a darker, more realistic style starring Robert Pattinson.
Matt Reeves’ hotly anticipated The Batman: Part II has reached an exciting new high with the reveal of its production designer, an Emmy-winning artist whose lineages in cinematic world-building is unparalleled. As the city of Gotham prepares for another trip to the theater, the film’s scope has been expanded to include Luke Hull, known for his revolutionary work on Disney+’s Andor and HBO’s Chernobyl.
Bringing Hull Showrunner Matt Reeves on board to direct, Reeves looks to create more grounded and immersive Gotham. According to Collider, He’s known for his meticulous attention to large, practical sets. He built entire worlds for Andor using a blend of traditional Japanese designs, minimalist Nordic styles and rugged Scottish strongholds. This fusion breathed new life into the Star Wars landscapes. His acclaimed sets for Chernobyl constructed an entire power plant. He emphasized gritty, authentic details that would add substance to the story’s emotions and themes.
Fans in DC and Star Wars communities have already been singing praises of Hull’s casting. They appreciate his knack for making locations into important characters.
Gotham is at the heart of Batman’s story. It will darken and become more deeply felt inside. Hull’s previous work indicates a city that depicts Bruce Wayne’s battle against its decay and moral drop.
Besides this major offscreen change, the film also brings back the core cast: Robert Pattinson as Batman, Colin Farrell as Oz Cobblepot/The Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon, and Andy Serkis. Production is set to begin in January next year. The script is done.
The story begins immediately following the hit HBO max series The Penguin. It provides a consistent pace and intensity for fans of the original film and the complete Gotham narrative.
In comparing the look of The Batman to that of the forthcoming The Batman: Part II, there are notable differences in the production design, as well as in Gotham City’s artistic direction. Part II wants to take world-building even further and perhaps embrace more traditional comic book iconography while the first film is celebrated for its mood, desaturated, neo-noir look.
| The Batman (2022) | The Batman: Part II (2027) |
| Palette of Colors and Atmosphere: Muted/desaturated to the extreme on all levels, consisting of a very limited desaturated palette composed mainly by dusty deep tones with occasional pops of red, or orange. | Color Scheme and World-Building: There will be deeper colours, with more shades, but a dark intention. This is the plain and old-fashioned places of Hull. Gotham’s architecture will be more defined: There will be windows, and roofs on some of the buildings, as CBR says. |
| Cinematography: A close, tactile camera feel was achieved through the use of Arri ALFA lenses. It focused on harsh reality and silhouette imagery a-la Roger Deakins. | Visual Ideas: Initial discussions on Reddit are that the next movie will be even more strongly influenced by vintage Batman comics. There are also shots of him on gargoyles and grand, bold scenes. The camera is close and intimate but non-pornographic. |
| Urban Environment: The streets always appeared wet, to suggest perpetual rain and a somber mood. The city pressed down hard and felt harsh. Night scenes gave Gotham a gritty feel and Bruce Wayne’s secretive nature. | Production Designer Swap: Andor and Chernobyl’s Luke Hull takes over duties from James Chinlund. Everything He Touches Turns to Real, Physical Space He excels at creating real, tangible, physical worlds, with sets you can touch. This transformation gives a whole new perspective to the buildings, and overall feel, in Gotham. |
| Symbolism: It conveyed desolation and little optimism, at times portraying Batman as a creature of the darkness. Warm orange from the flares lightened the colors only in a few places, such as the end. This was hope arising out of loss. | Comic Tribute: Sequel looks to snatch iconic comic book panels for Batman’s look. That against the muted truth of the first film in picked classic poses. |
| Riffing: Some of your crew spots may change, but Matt Reeves keeps close-to-the-vest stories and tailspin tone. Hull’s elegant set pieces will elevate it. |
In Short, The Batman is distinguished by its muted colors, wet surfaces, and urban stress forged in shadows.
The Batman: Part II is to expand upon Gotham’s style through Luke Hull’s immersive, practical sets. It could be a tribute to vintage comic illustrations too. This gives a fresh spin which remains just as moody for the cape-wearing hero.
The fact that Matt Reeves went out and hired Luke Hull means that Matt Reeves wants literally every person in Gotham to be filled with the inner pain and dark thoughts that is at the core of Batman’s world. Hull has demonstrated that he can make locations come to life on the page in stories such as Star Wars’ Chandrila or the Chernobyl plant, where setting is integral to plot. His Gothamville is in decline and ready to roar on October 1, 2027 as the making of the film starts in 2026. The Batman: Part II holds the promise of a film trip that the long wait will make all too right.
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Welcome to FunsterWorld — your source for the latest buzz from Hollywood’s creative underworld. Here, we explore the art of filmmaking, knowing about how visionary directors, designers, and actors shape the worlds we escape into. Today we break down Matt Reeves’ ambitious direction for The Batman: Part II, Emmy-winner Luke Hull (Andor, Chernobyl) steps in to reinvent Gotham’s shadowy skyline for its next cinematic evolution.
