- Trump rallies at site of failed assassination: 'Never quit'
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- Is music finally reckoning with #MeToo?
- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says 'very violent' Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Guardians maul Tigers, miracle Mets rally in MLB series openers
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Madrid beat Villarreal but Carvajal suffers knee injury
- Madrid beat Villarreal to move level with Liga leaders Barcelona
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- French rugby player on rape charge whistled but 'serene' on return
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Toddler among 3 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Kovacic stars as Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
- Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- France's Auradou whistled on Pau return in Perpignan loss amid ongoing rape case
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
- Thousands march for Palestinians ahead of Oct 7 anniversary
- Hezbollah heir apparent Safieddine out of contact after strikes
- Liverpool stay top of Premier League as Arsenal, Man City win
- In dank Tour of Emilia, Pogacar shines in rainbow jersey
- DR Congo launches mpox vaccination drive, hoping to curb outbreak
- Trump returns to site of failed assassination
- Careless Leverkusen held to Bundesliga draw
- O'Brien's 'superstar' Kyprios posts landmark win on Arc weekend
- Toddler crushed to death in migrant Channel crossing
- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
- Habosi helps Racing beat Vannes before Auradou's playing return
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestinians, 1 year after Oct 7
- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
- 'Imperfect' PSG fighting on all fronts - Luis Enrique
- Struggling Pakistan look to thwart adaptable England
- Child 'trampled to death' in asylum seekers' Channel crossing: minister
Pattinson suits up for macabre new 'Batman'
Robert Pattinson had never been interested in playing a superhero -- until Ben Affleck quit his role as Batman, leaving the famous cape unexpectedly up for grabs.
Having spent the past decade mainly working on critically acclaimed arthouse movies, former "Twilight" actor Pattinson requested a meeting with the filmmakers entrusted by Warner Bros. to revitalize the beloved franchise.
"He sought me out... and somewhere in that meeting, he brought up Batman," producer Dylan Clark told AFP.
Although Pattinson, now 35, appeared to feel "a little bit suspiciously" about fronting a "giant big studio movie" again, he was "genuinely interested in the character of Batman and Bruce Wayne," said Clark.
"And he has that jawline, so that was very helpful!" added Clark.
The result is "The Batman," out in US theaters on March 4, starring Pattinson and directed by Clark's "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" collaborator Matt Reeves.
It finds Bruce Wayne in only his second year as Batman, when his nocturnal detective work has not yet earned him the trust of Gotham's police or public.
Pattinson's vigilante is still figuring out his tactics and his motivations for stalking the dystopian city's criminals, and his famous villain-busting gadgets are still rough prototypes.
Even compared to Christopher Nolan's gritty trilogy starring Christian Bale, "The Batman" is notable for its macabre, noirish tone.
Batman himself cuts a forlorn, almost depressive figure, partially inspired by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, whose music also features prominently in the soundtrack.
Pattinson, fresh from a supporting role in Nolan's mega-budget sci-fi film "Tenet," "wanted to play a part that was physical," recalled Clark.
"What he didn't know was that Matt's script was going to take that character on an emotional-physical ride, and that he was going to really have to put himself through the wringer."
- 'Disgruntled' -
This Batman, Clark added, "is a dark hero and he can sometimes come across as an antihero. Vengeance definitely fuels his drive."
The film finds Batman on the heels of the Riddler (Paul Dano) -- a serial killer in the sinister style of the real-life Zodiac Killer, or the recent Netflix true-crime series "Mindhunter."
The Riddler claims to be impelled by a sense of justice against Gotham's corrupt elite, and his crimes -- broadcast on social media -- attract a cult-like following among the city's disaffected and disenfranchised.
"Matt wrote this script two years before we went into production (in 2020). I think it was just looking at our world and our landscape and the things that were going on," said Clark.
"The best part about Gotham is it's a mirror to our societies. And I think it was a representation of these people that are feeling on the fringes, and they're disgruntled."
While Clark insists "we're certainly not trying to be political" or "sensational," the movie carries the message that "the world needs faith in their elected officials."
- 'Terrifying' -
Pattinson takes over the role from Affleck, whose appearances as Batman in two DC Comics-based ensemble superhero movies -- "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Justice League" -- were poorly received by fans.
Affleck had written, and was also due to direct, a standalone Batman movie, but ultimately withdrew entirely from the franchise at a turbulent time in his personal life, including renewed struggles with alcoholism and his divorce from Jennifer Garner.
"We had come in at a time of transition," said Clark.
"DC had to have some transition. And Ben, I think, was looking at his life, and reflected on where he wanted to be, and made that decision on his own."
Recasting Batman allowed the filmmakers to attempt a "fresh new take" on a franchise that has existed in some form for eight decades.
"Matt's idea was 'Let's try to introduce this new Batman in a place where we have never seen before,'" said Clark.
"It's the most exciting proposition but it's also one of the most terrifying," he added.
"You have to set out with great ambition, because the title, the character, the history is so large.
"The demand is, 'You'd better try to make a great Batman or we're going to hate you.'"
Ch.Kahalev--AMWN