Britain is not properly prepared to defend itself in a war with Russia and cannot rely on the United States and Nato, a retired senior general has warned. Writing in The Independent , Sir Richard Shirreff, who served as Nato’s deputy supreme allied commander in Europe from 2011 to 2014, said another global conflict will only be prevented if there is a “band of deterrent steel from the Baltic to the Black Sea" – something he said the UK may have to be prepared to help realise without the support of Washington. His dramatic intervention comes alongside warnings from former defence secretary Ben Wallace and Labour peer Admiral Lord West that a failure to prioritise defence would be a grave error for the prime minister. Lord West’s warning follows a foreboding speech by Nato general secretary Mark Rutte who said the West is not ready to deal with the threat of war from Russia, declaring it is “time to shift to a wartime mindset and turbocharge our defence production”. Mr Rutte said: “Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation, with Ukraine and with us,” adding: “We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years.” There is growing concern about the strength of Donald Trump’s commitment to Nato, following repeated threats to pull out of the alliance if member states do not spend more on defence. Sir Richard warned that Britain can make “no assumptions that Trump would honour Nato’s doctrine of collective defence”, adding: “If we are to deter a third world war, Europe must step up to the mark.” A number of Nato member states do not yet meet the 2 per cent of GDP threshold for defence spending. Meanwhile, there are also concerns over the failure of Keir Starmer to specify a timescale in relation to his pledge to increase UK spending to 2.5 per cent. Sir Richard said the West will “only achieve peace for ourselves, our children and grandchildren and prevent a third world war between Nato and Russia with a band of deterrent steel from the Baltic to the Black Sea”. “This is something that we now have to be ready to do without the US lead and it means gearing up to be ready for war in every respect,” he said. Sir Richard said the UK must demonstrate “moral courage and exemplary leadership” to “make the necessary sacrifices to preserve peace by deterring war”. “We have to fight a second cold war to avoid a third world war,” he warned. “If we fail to do this the costs, in terms of blood and treasure will be appalling.” So far, he said, the new government’s approach to defence is falling far short of what is required. “While the new UK government talks of defence being the first priority, notably it did not figure in the prime minister’s recent ‘top six’ priorities,” he said. Last month, Sir Keir unveiled six milestones to measure the government’s progress – but the targets did not include defence or security. Former defence secretary Ben Wallace told The Independent that the UK has become “overdependent on the US which has limited our choices and left us vulnerable”, calling for Britain to commit to spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence. “The world is sadly getting more insecure and more anxious. Technology has enabled enemies to compete in a way that was impossible to do in the past. “Now is the time to commit to 3 per cent GDP by 2030. For Starmer to not invest in our security would be a dereliction of duty”, he warned. Lord West of Spithead, a former security adviser to Gordon Brown and a retired admiral of the Royal Navy, said Sir Keir had made a “terrible political error” in not including defence in his six milestones, saying the decision was worrying and “beyond belief”. While he expressed doubt that Mr Trump would abandon Nato, he called for European nations to spend more on defence. “There is absolutely no doubt from anyone who knows anything about the military and about defence that our forces are underfunded. “I think the fact that defence wasn’t mentioned in that list is a political error, and it’s a terrible error, full stop. It is beyond belief, really. With the world as dangerous as it is, knowing how underfunded we are, that he’s not willing to mention that as one of the priorities – I find that very worrying”, he told The Independent. Lord West added: “I don’t believe that even Trump will just suddenly pull out of Nato. But should European nations be pulling more weight in defence terms? Yes, absolutely they should.” Colonel Tim Collins, a former army officer who gave a stirring eve-of-battle speech at the start of the Iraq War, expressed concern that Labour is not taking the defence of Britain seriously enough, warning that the UK is facing a situation similar to that of the mid-1930s in the lead-up to the Second World War. While he dismissed some of Mr Trump’s remarks about Nato as rhetoric, he admitted that the UK has “very little leverage over the United States”. Speaking about the new government’s commitment to defence, he said: “I don’t think it is taken particularly seriously by Labour. To the extent that they’re threatening to pull funding from the Tempest programme.” Withdrawing from the Tempest programme, he said, would be comparable to cancelling the Spitfire programme just before the Second World War. The Tempest project, part of the Global Combat Air Programme alongside Italy and Japan, is designed to replace the ageing Eurofighter Typhoons by the mid-2030s. But its budget was slashed by 10 per cent this year. Shadow armed forces minister Mark Francois warned that Russia will not be deterred by “empty platitudes from the chancellor and the Treasury”, and called for the UK to urgently increase defence spending. “During the 1980s, at the height of the Cold War, Mrs Thatcher’s government spent around 5 per cent of GDP on defence, which helped keep the peace in Europe until the Berlin Wall fell. “With Putin’s Russia now at war in Ukraine and threatening further expansion, for instance into Nato’s Baltic states, we urgently need to increase defence spending to deter the Russians again – which we won’t do with empty platitudes from the chancellor and HM Treasury”, he said. A government spokesperson said: “This government will always do what it takes to defend this country, with threats increasing, the world becoming more volatile and technology changing the nature of warfare. “That is why the Budget increased defence spending by £2.9bn for next year and we are committed to setting a path to 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence in spring. The Strategic Defence Review is working at pace to look at the threats we face and the capabilities we need to meet the challenges, threats and opportunities of the 21st century."
President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Sebastian Gorka, a former Trump official and media commentator, to return to the White House and serve in a senior national security role in the new administration. Gorka's nomination to be deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism has drawn controversy over past comments he made and his views on and . The role does not require Senate approval to be confirmed and was announced on Friday. The son of Hungarian parents who fled to the UK after the failed uprising against the Soviet Union in 1956, Gorka immigrated to the US and became a naturalised US citizen in 2012. His political and media career eventually led him to serve a brief stint in the first Trump administration. He has previously that 98 percent of "terrorists" in the United States are Muslim, and in a Breitbart column in 2016 demonised Muslim immigrants coming to the United States, saying that Muslims are, in the best case, opposed to American values and in the worst case, "want to kill us". Former US officials Steven Simon and Daniel Benjamin, who served in national security and counterterrorism roles in the US government, previously said that Gorka believes that violence in the Middle East is inextricably linked to the "martial language" of the Quran. "Mr Gorka sees Islam as the problem, rather than the uses to which Islam has been put by violent extremists," Simon and Benjamin said in an opinion article published in The New York Times in 2017, in which they referred to Gorka as an "Islamophobic Huckster". Middle East Eye contacted Gorka for comment on his views regarding Islam and Muslims but didn't receive a response by the time of publication. In recent months, Gorka has also been vocal on the Israeli war on Gaza, where Israeli forces have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed much of the enclave's civilian infrastructure. In 2020, Trump appointed Gorka to a national security education board, a position he held for several months before resigning. In his resignation letter published in August 2020, Gorka said that certain "forces" did not support Trump's campaign promise to "Make America Great Again" and gave this as his reason for leaving the White House. However, reports at the time, citing US officials, said Gorka did not resign and that he was ousted from the administration. He currently is a political commentator who appears on Newsmax and the Salem Radio Network and is a close ally of Steve Bannon, a Trump advisor who previously described Islam as the "most radical" religion in the world. Bannon was one of the architects of Trump's immigration policy for several Muslim-majority countries, which became known as the "Muslim ban". Bannon, who was released from prison in October after four months of jail time, was convicted of not complying with subpoenas issued by the now-defunct House Select Committee that investigated the 6 January 2021 Capitol attack. Gorka has touted himself as a counterterrorism expert. But in 2017, his PhD advisor said that while Gorka was knowledgeable about some terrorism matters, "I would not call him an expert on terrorism". Trump's choice to select Gorka comes after his campaign spent time engaging with Muslim and Arab leaders in Michigan to shore up support from the community and capitalise on the outrage over the Biden administration's support for the Israeli war on Gaza. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of the leading Muslim organisations in the US, the appointment of Gorka back in 2020, referring to him as an "anti-Muslim bigot". While Trump has vowed to end the wars in the Middle East, he has also chosen several vehemently pro-Israel politicians to serve in key cabinet positions.Environment Secretary Steve Reed has been asked to review “incompetence” at the Met Office that led to a “clear underestimation” of the impact of Storm Bert. Labour MP for Cardiff West, Alex Barros-Curtis, said warnings should have been “amber or red”, as Mr Reed told MPs that more flooding is “likely”. Hundreds of homes were left under water, roads were turned into rivers and winds of more than 80mph were recorded across parts of the UK. More than 130 flood warnings and 160 alerts remained in place across the UK on Monday. In the Commons on Monday, Mr Barros-Curtis asked: “Can I ask that the Secretary of State speak to his Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) colleagues to carefully look into the role of the Met Office here? “It is clear that their response was slow and that there was a clear underestimation of the impact of Storm Bert. “They put it yellow rather than amber or red. Our constituents have been let down by this incompetence before, and it cannot keep happening.” Mr Reed said: “In most parts of the countries that were affected, warnings were given with adequate time for people to prepare and I would encourage people to sign up on the Defra website, or the Environment Agency website for warnings and alerts if they live in an area that could be affected by flooding. “I’m aware of the particular concern that he mentions regarding the Met Office, and I will indeed be speaking to colleagues in DSIT as they review the circumstances of that and look at how the situation can be improved for future events of this kind.” A Met Office spokesperson said: “Storm Bert was well forecast, with first signs of disruptive weather signalled a week ahead and the first warnings issued on Wednesday November 20. “A number of warnings were in place ahead of the system reaching the UK. “We work closely with partners to assess the potential risks of extreme weather and warnings covering Wales highlighted the potential for homes and businesses to flood with fast flowing or deep floodwater possible, causing a danger to life. “Observed rainfall totals were broadly in line with the forecast and the severe weather warnings issued in advance.” During his update to the House, the Environment Secretary said that more flooding this week is “likely” but its impact “should be less severe” than has been seen. He said: “Around 28,000 properties are being protected by Environment Agency flood defences. “Unfortunately, an estimated 107 properties have flooded across England, principally from river and surface water flooding.” He added: “The Environment Agency and local responders have also been busy protecting properties elsewhere in England, including flooding from the River Teme in Tenbury Wells where around 40 properties have flooded. “The river has now peaked and local responders will be focusing on the lower reaches of rivers over the next few days.” He further stated: “Further flooding is sadly likely over the next few days as water levels rise in slower flowing rivers such as the Severn and the Ouse. “The Environment Agency anticipates that any impacts should be less severe than we have seen in recent days.” Mr Reed also described the flood defences they inherited from the previous government as being “in the worst condition on record following years of underinvestment”. He added: “Over 3,000 of our key flood defences are below an acceptable standard. “That is why we are investing £2.4 billion over the next two years to build and maintain flood defences.” Elsewhere in the session, Labour MP for Coventry South, Zarah Sultana, was among the MPs to call for a legal duty on fire services to respond to flooding. She said: “I want to express my solidarity and thanks to all of our emergency services, including firefighters on the front line. “Extreme weather events are on the rise and becoming ever more frequent due to climate change, highlighting the urgent need for proper funding and resources. “England is the only part of the UK without a statutory duty for flooding, leaving fire services underfunded and under-resourced to respond effectively. This must change, as the FBU (Fire Brigades Union) has long called for.” “When will the Government finally provide a statutory duty for Fire and Rescue authorities to respond to flooding incidents in England?” Mr Reed replied: “The fire and rescue authorities have the powers to intervene, but she’s quite right to point out there’s not a duty, and officials in my department, working with the Home Office, will review that to see that that remains appropriate.” Conservative MP for Mid Buckinghamshire Greg Smith said some communities in his constituency are flooding “for the first time in decades” as he accused the Government of wanting to “concrete over the countryside”. He said: “That is a result of some of the big infrastructure we are seeing being built, particularly HS2 where they will concrete over a field completely, it seems, unaware that that will have a knock-on effect to farmland next door. “So will the Secretary of State commit to working with the Transport Secretary (Louise Haigh) and I also suggest the Deputy Prime Minister (Angela Rayner) given their plans to concrete over the countryside to ensure that where construction takes place proper, and I really mean proper, flood mitigation measures are put into place.” Mr Reed replied: “This needs to operate across Government, and we will have those conversations and ensure that measures are put in place to support communities as much as is possible from the more severe weather events that we’re seeing as a result of climate change.”WAKE RADIOLOGY’S DR. RAJ B. GONDALIA NAMED TO INAUGURAL RADIOLOGY BUSINESS 40 UNDER 40 LIST
A former publicist for actor Justin Baldoni alleges that his current publicity team conspired to harm her and steal her clients, in conjunction with their efforts to allegedly launch a “smear campaign” against his “It Ends With Us” co-star, Blake Lively. In a lawsuit filed in New York Supreme Court on Tuesday, Stephanie Jones and her agency Jonesworks accuse Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel of breach of contract, claiming she violated her employment terms by setting up a competing firm and stealing documents and clients out from under Jones. It also accuses Abel of defamation, according to a copy of the suit . Jones’ suit, which was first reported by The New York Times, comes days after a separate complaint filed by Lively with the California Civil Rights Department against some of the same defendants, alleging Baldoni sexually harassed her on set and then engaged in a retaliatory campaign facilitated by Abel and crisis communications representative Melissa Nathan. Nathan is also named as a defendant in Jones’ complaint, along with Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios. Lively’s allegations have sent shock waves across the industry. Her complaint has also put the role that crisis PR firms play in the spotlight, with many online reexamining some of the negative headlines surrounding Lively during the promotional tour for “It Ends With Us.” Jones represented Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios from 2017 to August of this year. Abel worked for Jonesworks from 2020 to August. Several of Abel’s text messages and emails, which the suit said were obtained via a subpoena of Jonesworks, were cited heavily in Lively’s complaint. The film “It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of the popular Colleen Hoover novel, was released in theaters in August. Lively portrays heroine Lily Bloom, while Baldoni plays her abusive romantic partner, Ryle Kincaid. Baldoni also adapted and directed the project. According to Jones’ suit, in August Baldoni “began to fear that the increased attention being paid to him and the Film would cause reports of allegations about his on-set misbehavior to come out.” Nathan and Abel subsequently began “to formulate a no-holds-barred strategy to discredit and suppress any potential revelations about Baldoni’s on-set behavior” without Jones’ knowledge or approval, the suit alleges. “Behind Jones’s back, they secretly coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to implement an aggressive media smear campaign against Baldoni’s film co-star, and then used the crisis as an opportunity to drive a wedge between Jones and Baldoni, and to publicly pin blame for this smear campaign on Jones — when Jones had no knowledge or involvement in it,” the lawsuit states. Abel and Nathan “leveraged their teams to create and perpetuate negative content about Lively on social media platforms such as Reddit and TikTok,” according to the suit. “At the same time as Abel and Nathan were working to protect Baldoni from negative press attention, they were actively working their media contacts to plant negative stories about Jones and Jonesworks,” Jones’ suit states. They used “more than a dozen fake social media accounts and dark web accounts that defamed Jones and Jonesworks.” Bryan Freedman, a lawyer representing Baldoni, Wayfarer, Abel and Nathan, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about Jones’ suit on Tuesday. In a previous response to Lively’s complaint, Freedman wrote that Nathan’s company, The Agency Group PR, “operated as any crisis management firm would when hired by a client experiencing threats by two extremely powerful people with unlimited resources,” referring to Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds. Freedman also referred to Lively’s claims as “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious.” In her suit, Jones cited some text messages she said she obtained from Abel’s work phone after terminating Abel in August. Some of the texts Jones included in her own suit were previously unpublished, including one allegedly sent by Abel that called Baldoni “unlikeable and unrealistic as a leading man.” “I can’t stand him. He’s so pompous. A men’s retreat during release, is he crazy?!” one of the texts from Abel’s phone said. “He doesn’t need a retreat. He needs to be humbled.” In the wake of on-set demands from Lively asking Baldoni and Wayfarer CEO Jamey Heath to stop certain behaviors , including entering her trailer while she was in a state of undress and adding unscripted sexual scenes into the film, Jones alleged that she had originally planned to counter the emerging media narrative around tensions between the stars with “a positive press strategy.” Instead, Jones alleges that Abel and Nathan implemented “an aggressive media smear campaign” against her and Lively at the same time on behalf of Baldoni and Wayfarer, amid their own plans to establish a competing PR business. Jones’ “lawsuit seeks to finally put a stop to their continued misconduct and to compensate Jones and Jonesworks for the damage Defendants’ conduct and scheme has inflicted,” it states. She is requesting a jury trial. In the days since Lively’s complaint was filed, many in Hollywood — including the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA and Sony Pictures Entertainment, the studio behind “It Ends With Us” — have issued their support for Lively. Baldoni was dropped by his talent agency WME. He has not publicly addressed Lively’s complaint or Jones’ lawsuit.Sports on TV for Nov. 23 - 24
Democrats plan to elect new party leader just days after Trump's inauguration
An efficient and multi-functional chocolate, candy machine:Table Top Chocolate Depositor-SMD10-SBiden opens final White House holiday season with turkey pardons and first lady gets Christmas tree WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has kicked off his final holiday season at the White House, issuing the traditional reprieve to two turkeys who will bypass the Thanksgiving table to live out their days in Minnesota. The president welcomed 2,500 guests under sunny skies as he cracked jokes about the fates of “Peach” and “Blossom.” He also sounded wistful tones about the last weeks of his presidency. Separately, first lady Jill Biden received the delivery of the official White House Christmas tree. And the Bidens are traveling to New York later Monday for an early holiday celebration with members of the Coast Guard. Formula 1 expands grid to add General Motors' Cadillac brand and new American team for 2026 season LAS VEGAS (AP) — Formula 1 will expand the grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a federal investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti, who has since stepped aside. The 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer. Naeher is on the team’s roster for a pair of upcoming matches in Europe but those will be her last after a full 11 years playing for the United States. Naeher was on the U.S. team that won the Women’s World Cup in 2019 and the gold medal at this year's Olympics in France. She’s the only U.S. goalkeeper to earn a shutout in both a World Cup and an Olympic final. Bah, humbug! Vandal smashes Ebenezer Scrooge's tombstone used in 'A Christmas Carol' movie LONDON (AP) — If life imitates art, a vandal in the English countryside may be haunted by The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Police in the town of Shrewsbury are investigating how a tombstone at the fictional grave of Ebenezer Scrooge was destroyed. The movie prop used in the 1984 adaption of Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol” had become a tourist attraction. The film starred George C. Scott as the cold-hearted curmudgeon who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who show him what will become of his life if he doesn’t become a better person. West Mercia Police say the stone was vandalized in the past week. Megachurch founder T.D. Jakes suffers health incident during sermon at Dallas church DALLAS (AP) — The founder of Dallas-based megachurch The Potter's House, Bishop T.D. Jakes, was hospitalized after suffering what the church called a “slight health incident.” Jakes was speaking to churchgoers after he sat down and began trembling as several people gathered around him Sunday at the church. Jakes' daughter Sarah Jakes Roberts and her husband Touré Roberts said in a statement on social media late Sunday that Jakes was improving. The 67-year-old Jakes founded the non-denominational The Potter's House in 1996 and his website says it now has more than 30,000 members with campuses in Fort Worth and Frisco, Texas; and in Denver. At the crossroads of news and opinion, 'Morning Joe' hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting The reaction of those who defended “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for meeting with President-elect Trump sounds almost quaint in the days of opinionated journalism. Doesn't it makes sense, they said, for hosts of a political news show to meet with such an important figure? But given how “Morning Joe” has attacked Trump, its viewers felt insulted. Many reacted quickly by staying away. It all reflects the broader trend of opinion crowding out traditional journalist in today's marketplace, and the expectations that creates among consumers. By mid-week, the show's audience was less than two-thirds what it has typically been this year. Pilot dies in plane crash in remote woods of New York, puppy found alive WINDHAM, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say a pilot and at least one dog he was transporting died when a small plane crashed in the snowy woods of the Catskill Mountains, though a puppy on the flight was found alive with two broken legs. The Greene County sheriff’s office says Seuk Kim of Springfield, Virginia, was flying from Maryland to Albany, New York, when the plane crashed at about 6:10 p.m. Sunday in a remote area. Officials believe the pilot died from the impact. The surviving dog was hospitalized, while a third dog was not located. The flight was connected with a not-for-profit group that transports rescue animals. Warren Buffett gives away another $1.1B and plans for distributing his $147B fortune after his death OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by handing out more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations Monday, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has said previously that his three kids will distribute his remaining $147.4 billion fortune in the 10 years after his death, but now he has also designated successors for them because it’s possible that Buffett’s children could die before giving it all away. Buffett said he has no regrets about his decision to start giving away his fortune in 2006. Pop star Ed Sheeran apologizes to Man United boss Ruben Amorim for crashing interview MANCHESTER, England (AP) — British pop star Ed Sheeran has apologized to Ruben Amorim after inadvertently interrupting the new Manchester United head coach during a live television interview. Amorim was talking on Sky Sports after United’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich on Sunday when Sheeran walked up to embrace analyst Jamie Redknapp. The interview was paused before Redknapp told the pop star to “come and say hello in a minute.” Sheeran is a lifelong Ipswich fan and holds a minority stake in the club. He was pictured celebrating after Omari Hutchinson’s equalizing goal in the game at Portman Road. A desert oasis outside of Dubai draws a new caravan: A family of rodents from Argentina AL QUDRA LAKES, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A desert oasis hidden away in the dunes in the far reaches of skyscraper-studded Dubai has drawn a surprising new set of weary world travelers: a pack of Argentinian rodents. A number of Patagonian mara, a rabbit-like mammal with long legs, big ears and a body like a hoofed animal, now roam the grounds of Al Qudra Lakes, typically home to gazelle and other desert creatures of the United Arab Emirates. How they got there remains a mystery in the UAE, a country where exotic animals have ended up in the private homes and farms of the wealthy. But the pack appears to be thriving there and likely have survived several years already in a network of warrens among the dunes.Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II Receives Commencement of Delisting Notice from NYSE American
There are several highly anticipated upcoming DC movies , but there’s one that fans have really been hyping up for a while now. I’m talking about Matt Reeves’ The Batman sequel , which will continue the journey of Robert Pattinson ’s titular vigilante. Unfortunately, it was just revealed that the film had been delayed again , as it shifted from a 2026 release date to one marked for 2027. As fans express their disappointment on social media, DC Studios’ James Gunn is addressing their concerns about a long gap between films. Originally referred to as The Batman – Part II , the film was originally set to hit theaters sometime in 2025, before Warner Bros. slotted it for October 2, 2026. Reports that dropped at the end of this past week, however, revealed that the film wouldn’t hit cinemas until October 1, 2027 as part of a larger schedule shakeup for WB. With this, by the time the film is released, over five and a half years will have passed since its 2022 predecessor. Eventually, a number of fans took to social media to express their displeasure. Some seemed particularly concerned about the large gap of time between the two major releases. That may be partially due to the fact that Matt Reeves ’ franchise has seemingly relied on a tight timeline, with the events of The Penguin kicking off only a week after The Batman and its sequel set to take place shortly after the aforementioned TV spinoff. Still, James Gunn took to Threads to share some points in response to the chatter: To be fair, a 5 year gap or more is fairly common in sequels. 7 years between Alien and Aliens. 14 years between Incredibles. 7 years between the first two Terminators. 13 years between Avatars. 36 years between Top Guns. And, of course, 6 years between Guardians Vol 2 and Vol 3. ‘There’s A Lot More Grey’: The Batman’s Matt Reeves Shares How Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader Will Struggle In Part II Following The Riddler’s Attack It’s true that the sequels mentioned above did indeed have major gaps in between releases. Of course, good films also take immense time to percolate. However, as a fan, even I have to admit that the gap between the Caped Crusader films is quite significant. Also, in regard to James Gunn ’s assessment, one could argue that what makes this situation different is that The Batman 2 was announced over a month after the first film debuted. On the other hand, the statuses of some of those legacy sequels remained unclear for years before they were formally confirmed to the public. This wasn’t the only statement that the Belko Experiment scribe shared about Matt Reeves’ much-discussed film, which was recently subject to production rumors regarding Robert Pattinson’s availability . Before sharing his comments on sequels, the DC Studios co-head also took to Threads to confirm the delay report and issue a statement about the status of the film’s script: Sure. Yes, it is true. The only reason for the delay is there isn’t a full script (those of you who follow me here probably know that already). Matt is committed to making the best film he possibly can, and no one can accurately guess exactly how long a script will take to write. Once there is a finished script, there is around two years for pre-production, shooting and post-production on big films. Regardless of how you’re feeling about the news, the general public is indeed going to have to wait a few more years to see Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader take to the skies on the big screen again. I’m hopeful that lightning will strike twice, and Matt Reeves will deliver another stellar film. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go sit in a chair and wait patiently for the moment I can buy my ticket for the film. While you wait for the movie, check out both The Batman and The Penguin using a Max subscription . You can also read up on other upcoming superhero movies . CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News
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