From Gotham to Liverpool: Hollywood returns to the home of The Beatles
For the second time in a decade, the rain-slicked, atmospheric streets of Liverpool (England), have been transformed into the brooding, fictional landscape of Gotham City, with Hollywood production crews setting up across the region for the filming of The Batman Part II. Local landmarks are once again stepping into the global cinematic spotlight. The imposing, neoclassical grandeur of St George’s Hall and the towering, majestic silhouette of the Royal Liver Building provide the precise architectural grit required to ground the world’s greatest detective in a tangible reality.
To the casual observer, this transformation is a triumph of local location scouting by the Liverpool Film Office, but as we will be discussing over the next few weeks on this blog, there is more to the crossover than meets the eye. As many will point out, the 1960's was an era of 'the three Bs'....Bond, Beatles and of course, Batman. Filming begins next month.
The city of Liverpool has begun hosting preparatory production activities for The Batman Part II, following its role as the primary backdrop for Gotham City in the initial 2022 film. American-style taxi cabs and local police vehicles sporting Gotham Police branding have been spotted near St George's Hall and the Queensway Tunnel. These setups are part of a preliminary technical reconnaissance rather than official principal photography.
Main filming is projected to commence in June 2026, targeting a theatrical release in October 2027. Directed by Matt Reeves, the upcoming sequel will add Scarlett Johansson and Charles Dance to the cast alongside returning lead Robert Pattinson. Liverpool continues to see heavy use as a filming hub, recently booking a four-part Beatles cinematic biography by Sam Mendes, alongside the Batman spin-off project Clayface, which completed filming locally in 2025.
