The Batman spin-off series about Arkham Asylum has found its showrunner: The Staircase's Antonio Campos

The Batman
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Arkham Asylum, the upcoming prequel to Matt Reeves' The Batman, has announced its showrunner: Antonio Campos. According to Variety, the filmmaker will also direct and executive produce the spin-off series, taking over from Giri/Haji's Joe Barton. 

Barton had been attached to the HBO Max project when it was set to explore the inner workings of Gotham City's Police Department, but he dropped out when Warner Bros. confirmed that it will instead focus on the goings on at the titular facility. Before Barton, Boardwalk Empire's Terence Winter was involved, but he stepped down due to creative differences.

While we have yet to be given an official synopsis for Arkham Asylum, Reeves has previously promised that the outing will be almost "like a horror movie" and present Arkham as somewhat of a "haunted house". It's the second reported Batman spin-off in the pipeline, next to Colin Farrell's untitled Penguin series.

Campos previously worked with HBO Max on the critically-acclaimed true crime limited series The Staircase, which starred Colin Firth as novelist Michael Peterson, who was convicted of murdering his wife Kathleen (played by Toni Collette) in 2003. He has also helmed episodes of The Sinner and The Punisher. He has also directed movies such as Christine, Afterschool, and The Devil All The Time.  

Reeves, who penned an overall deal with WBTV earlier this year, will executive produce Arkham Asylum under his 6th & Idaho banner, along with the company's Daniel Pipski and Adam Kassan. Dylan Clark will also executive produce with 6th & Idaho's Rafi Crohn co-executive producing.

As it stands, it's unclear when we can expect Arkham Asylum to land on the streaming service, but we'll be sure to keep you updated. While we wait, check out our guide to the best new TV shows coming our way throughout the rest of 2022 and beyond.

Amy West

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.