The Art Of The Batman Author James Field Details The Importance Of Matt Reeves Writing The Book's Foreword - Exclusive
While the main function of James Field on "The Batman" was to chronicle the making of the epic film for his new book, "The Art of The Batman" (Abrams Books), the job also afforded the author a rare, front-row seat to the production that very few outside the group of core creatives got to see. That meant Field had access to the DC film's script, sets, costumes, actors, and behind-the-scenes personnel — most notably writer-director Matt Reeves.
Luckily for Field, his interactions with Reeves weren't just limited to what transpired on set. He was there before the production period began and after.
"I was incredibly fortunate to be there in person when Matt took us through the whole story — from the very start, I've heard, first-hand, the incredible detail and passion to which he speaks about his take on the character, his vision for the world and the story he's created," Field told Looper in an exclusive email interview. "Then, during post-production, as the book began to take shape, I conducted interviews with him where we could drill down into specific areas — and he was so generous with his time, especially considering how busy he was!"
Perhaps the greatest honor, though, was that Reeves also lent his own words to the book by writing the foreword, which revealed his true passion as a movie fan and his appreciation for movie books.
Field says 'making of' books were part of Reeves' education as a filmmaker
New on HBO Max after its blockbuster run in theaters, "The Batman" examines Batman's (Robert Pattinson) second year of crime-fighting in Gotham City, where a mysterious criminal revealed as the Riddler (Paul Dano) is terrorizing the city with a string of high-profile murders. When it came to James Field's work, the writer said Matt Reeves felt just as much responsibility to the book about the making of the film as the film itself — especially since books about how his favorite films came together helped fuel his desire to become a filmmaker.
In fact, Field noted, Reeves used part of his foreword to explain how important the literature about films meant to him growing up as a fan of film.
"Something I felt particularly inspired by was his understanding of, and care for, the film-loving audience — he's a filmmaker who wears his inspiration and passion for the art form on his sleeve," Field explained. "Matt talks about this at greater length in his foreword, but it was clear how important these types of behind-the-scenes/making-of books had been for him growing up and were a key part in his own journey to becoming a filmmaker, exploring and gaining insight into how all of these brilliant elements come together to create a movie that you love as a fan."
"The Art of The Batman" is now available online and in stores, and "The Batman" is streaming exclusively on HBO Max.