The Batman: Bret Easton Ellis mildly diffuses rumours he started that Ben Affleck's solo film is in serious trouble

'They were just telling me that there are serious problems with the script'

Earlier this week, Less Than Zero author Bret Easton Ellis inadvertently started a rumour that Ben Affleck’s Batman film was not doing well.

“I was having dinner with a couple of executives who know other executives who are working on the [forthcoming] Batman movie, The Batman,” Ellis told The Ringer in an extended piece on the future of film. “And they were just telling me that there are serious problems with the script.

“They just said they went to the studio and they said, ‘Look, the script is … Here’s 30 things that are wrong with it that we can fix.’ And [the executives] said, ‘We don’t care. We don’t really care. The amount of money we’re going to make globally, I mean 70 percent of our audience is not going to be seeing this in English. And it doesn’t really matter, these things that you’re bringing up about the flaws of the script.’”

Publications across the internet jumped on the reports, retelling of how Warner Bros. executives don’t care about the quality of The Batman because it is going to make lots of money no matter what. Of course, this is bad news for fans of DC comics who were likely hoping the film would not follow in the footsteps of Suicide Squad and Batman v Superman in being a critical flop.

Since the report was published, Ellis has reacted on Twitter, clarifying that he was having dinner with two executives who had nothing to do with the project but had heard rumours about it. Read the full statement below.

Meanwhile, comic book veteran Frank Miller has revealed just how he would like to see the Caped Crusader on the big screen, saying: “lose the toys and focus more on the mission, and to use the city a great deal more.” He also commented on Batman v Superman, merely saying: "I'll just say: ‘Thanks.' What can I say? No, actually I'll withdraw that; I'll say 'You're welcome!'"