Alex Carter
It’s a sad day for fans of the Arkham Asylum series, as it’s been confirmed that the show will no longer be produced at Max.
Back in 2020, HBO Max excitedly announced that Matt Reeves, the man behind The Batman, was working on a TV series centered around the Gotham Police Department. However, in a surprising turn of events in 2022, Reeves revealed that the project was on hold. Instead, he was shifting his focus to a series about Arkham Asylum.
But now, according to a recent scoop from Variety, the series has hit a roadblock and won’t be moving forward at Max.
As per Variety’s report, “[showrunner Antonio] Campos’ version will not proceed,” but there’s a glimmer of hope. “It is still possible, though, that a new project set within the infamous Gotham City asylum could be developed in the future,” the report added.
So, what exactly went wrong with the Arkham Asylum series?
Originally, when the series was supposed to revolve around the Gotham Police Department, Terrence Winter and Joe Barton were on board as writers. However, they both eventually parted ways with the project.
When Reeves announced the shift in focus to Arkham Asylum, he painted a picture of a “horror movie or a haunted house that is Arkham.” Antonio Campos was then officially brought on board as the series’ showrunner in October 2022, wearing multiple hats as a director, writer, and executive producer.
Initially, the series was expected to be set in the same universe as 2022’s The Batman. But DC Studios’ James Gunn threw a curveball in December 2023, revealing that it would instead be set in the upcoming DCU, which officially launches later this year with Creature Commandos.
While the Arkham Asylum series may be on hold for now, Batman fans have something to look forward to. The upcoming Batman spin-off starring Colin Farrell, The Penguin, is set to hit the screens on September 8, 2024. Plus, a sequel to The Batman is also in the pipeline, with a tentative release date of October 2, 2026.
