Robert Pattinson has been cleared to suit up again as Batman. After production was shut down due to his positive COVID-19 test results, shooting has resumed on THE BATMAN now that Pattinson has been cleared to return to set.
Filming at Leavesden Studios outside of London was halted on September 3, 2020, while Pattinson recuperated and cast and crew who were in close contact with the star also quarantined. Some sets continued to be constructed, but cameras effectively stopped rolling. The production halt was expected to last 14 days and it looks like that was the case as this would be about the time the quarantine would've ended. A spokesperson for Warner Bros. stated, “Following a hiatus for COVID 19 quarantine precautions, filming has now resumed on The Batman in the U.K."
When Pattinson tested positive for COVID-19, the story shined a light on what it can be like for productions that are shooting during the pandemic. The upside to all of this is that it was something that was discovered quickly and handled efficiently. This start and stop nature of filmmaking is going to be the new normal on film sets until the pandemic subsides but everything is being done to ensure safety on set, even if someone does test positive for the virus.
Pattinson’s positive test was the most high profile example of the new hazards of restarting production during the pandemic, just as Hollywood is trying to find a safe way to roll cameras on movies and television shows during the coronavirus era. THE BATMAN was only back in production on September 1 before shooting was halted on September 3 due to Pattinson's positive test results. Roughly 25% of the film had been shot at the start of the year before the industry-wide shut down in March. The delay forced Warner Bros. to push the film’s scheduled release from June to October 2021.
Hopefully, the film can stay on track and avoid anymore positive test results for COVID-19. Thankfully, no one else on set was reported to have contracted the virus and work can continue on the film.