Robert Pattinson lied to Christopher Nolan about his Batman audition

Robert Pattinson, who’s starring in former Batman director Christopher Nolan’s film Tenet, tried to slip away and audition for a new Bat-movie. Didn’t work.

Actor Robert Pattinson recently revealed his plan to sneak off the set of Tenet, Christopher Nolan’s new spy thriller, to attend a screen test for the titular role in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. But Nolan, who directed a trilogy of Batman movies with Christian Bale, is a difficult man to fool.

“It’s funny because Chris is so secretive about everything to do with his movies,” Pattison told The Irish Times. “And then I had to be really secretive about Batman stuff.”

"So I had to lie to Chris about having to go for a screen test — I said I had a family emergency. And as soon as I said, ‘It’s a family emergency’, he said: ‘You’re doing the Batman audition, aren’t you?’"

Not only did he audition, but Pattinson got the part! He’ll be picking up the character previously played in the DCEU by Ben Affleck (Batman V Superman, Justice League).

The Batman began production earlier this year, but like most films and TV shows, it was shut down by COVID-19.

Hollywood is now getting back to work and changing the way it does business, but The Batman co-writer Mattson Tomlin told ComicBook.com that the story of The Batman, at least, will not be altered. “I mean, the movie is the movie, and I think that right now the plan is to just execute that vision,” he said. “They were quite a ways into shooting as it was. And so it really is just how do you finish safely? How do you make sure that everybody can show up for work and then go home and all be okay?”

The Batman is slated to release October 1, 2021. Fingers crossed it isn’t hit by any further delays.

And before we get to see the Dark Knight back in action, Pattinson will also play Neil in Tenet, which has also endured several delays due to the coronavirus pandemic.

If all goes well, Tenet will finally arrive in cinemas later this month. Besides Pattinson, the movie stars John David Washington, Elizabeth Debicki and Michael Caine.