American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis inadvertently started a tidal wave not even Aquaman could withstand, after he commented through the grapevine that Warner Bros. executives don’t care that the next Batman script sucks. Well, it looks like he’s trying to walk it back.
Ellis posted a sort-of apology online about his comments on the ongoing Batman behind-the-scenes script drama. In the statement, Ellis said he was sharing one conversation he’d had as an example of the larger impact international audiences have on domestic films, and that he didn’t know his comments about Batman would be taken as news by themselves. He added that he regrets bringing up Batman during his interview and that he doesn’t want to sound as if he’s disparaging the movie.
“The two executives I was having dinner with were relating the problems they had heard about the script from people working on the Batman project—that’s all. I know no one involved with the Batman movie and I didn’t realize that my comments would make it into The Ringer piece or else I wouldn’t have cited that particular movie—I have no idea what the Batman script is like and I regret that it came off as if I was disparaging the project. Another reason to be careful during interviews.”
During his earlier interview with The Ringer, released Friday, Ellis shared a conversation he’d reportedly had with a couple of executives about their concerns with the upcoming Batfleck film, tentatively titled The Batman. According to these movie executives, other movie executives have been warned that the Batman script is sub par, but they don’t want to fix it because international audiences will see the movie anyway.
It caused an uproar online, because if true, it would show how Warner Bros. doesn’t care to make the DC Cinematic Universe good, so long as the movies are making a profit. Given how the previous films have been critically received, and the high hopes surrounding the upcoming Wonder Woman film, hearing that Warner Bros. might not give a shit whether The Batman gets an Oscar or a Razzie is certainly cause for alarm.
A few journalists have cast doubt on the rumors Ellis helped spread, including The Wrap’s Umberto Gonzales and Forbes writer Mark Hughes. Hughes also reported on the Batman movie rumor-mill a few weeks ago, and his stance was largely “don’t believe what you read” about the negative stuff that’s come out so far, so take that as you will. In the end, it’s all hearsay anyway.
[Twitter]