Robert Pattinson Couldn't Read The Batman 2 Script Without One Extreme Security Measure

After more than three years of waiting, Matt Reeves and his writing partner Mattson Tomlin finally announced the script for "The Batman Part II" was complete on June 27, 2025. The first movie debuted back in March 2022, and despite the sequel being officially announced, the likelihood that such a follow-up would emerge seemed to decrease with every year that's gone by since. Now, it looks as though we will in fact be returning to Reeves' Gotham in 2027. Until then, Reeves and Warner Bros. look to be taking every precaution to keep the screenplay under wraps, with star Robert Pattinson being delivered the script in a container that required a code to unlock.

Speaking to Variety on the 2025 Emmys red carpet, Reeves confirmed that "The Batman Part II" will start shooting in spring, "probably around the end of April or beginning of May," before going on to talk about sharing the newly-completed script with Pattinson. "It's been a long journey, but I am so incredibly excited," he said. "I'm really proud of the script me and Mattson did, and we've started to share it with Robert." The director explained how exactly the script was shared with the film's star, saying, "We put [the script] into a secret pouch that literally has a lock on it with a code. [Pattinson] was in New York at the time, and everything is high security." According to Reeves, he stopped short of demanding the actor return his screenplay, confirming that the actor was able to hang onto it as long as he kept it in the locked pouch. "We really trust Rob, because he's the best," he added.

That might initially seem a tad excessive, but this is far from the first time studios and filmmakers have gone to great lengths to keep their screenplays secret. Christopher Nolan is known for printing his scripts on red paper to prevent them being easily photocopied, and actually hand-delivered his "Oppenheimer" script to eventual star Cillian Murphy (though it initially proved a challenge for the actor to read). Meanwhile, numerous productions have produced fake scripts with alternate endings to prevent the real ending from being leaked, and only one star on the set of "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" was allowed a screenplay.

Matt Reeves elaborated on his high-security script delivery in a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, revealing that it was his assistant that found the code-protected pouch, which initially proved a little too secure for Robert Pattinson. "[The assistant] goes and seeks out a very, very high security pouch that has a code on it that then we have to send separately," the director explained. "And then [Rob] was like, 'I can't open it.' I said, 'I know, here's the code.' He opened it, and then we had a FaceTime after he read. It was very exciting."

There are many things fans will likely want to see from "The Batman Part II," but as of now, it remains unclear exactly what the film's story actually is and who the villains will be. Reeves didn't provide too much of an insight on those subjects during his conversations with Variety or THR. He did, however, confirm that the detective element which was so integral to "The Batman" will remain a key part of the sequel. "The idea of trying to protect the secrets of the movie is super important because it's a mystery," Reeves continued. "It would be an extra level of heartbreak if that part of it started getting out."

Back in June 2025, DC Studios co-head James Gunn spoke to Entertainment Weekly and defended Reeves and Tomlin for taking so long with the script, saying "People should get off Matt's nuts because it's like, let the guy write the screenplay in the amount of time he needs to write it. That's just the way it is. He doesn't owe you something because you like his movie. I mean, you like his movie because of Matt. So let Matt do things the way he does." At the time, Gunn said the final screenplay was due to be delivered that very month, but it took a couple more months for it to actually materialize. Now that it has, there's the typical two-year wait for production, which means the movie should make its October 2027 release date.

Considering how long we've had to wait for Reeves and Tomlin to finish their screenplay, and how high the anticipation has become during that time, it makes sense to take every precaution necessary to protect the story — especially in an age where leaks are the norm. During filming of "The Batman," the UK paparazzi were relentless in their pursuit of photos from the set, and that will be no different with the long-awaited sequel.