Greig Fraser Will Be the Cinematographer for Sam Mendes’ 4 ‘Beatles’ Films — Won’t Return for ‘The Batman 2’

A major update concerning—and connecting—two big projects and a cinematographer.

Greig Fraser had stepped away from Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Three” as cinematographer because of his prior commitment to lens Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” sequel. However, with the latter film facing repeated delays, Fraser has ultimately decided to jump ship and sign on to another project instead.

During an interview on the Kevin McCarthy Podcast, Josh Brolin casually revealed that Fraser will serve as cinematographer on Sam Mendes’ four planned Beatles films, starring Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson, Barry Keoghan, and Joseph Quinn. Mendes’ longtime collaborator, Roger Deakins, had been offered the role but ultimately declined.

As a result, Fraser will not be returning for Reeves’ ‘Batman’ sequel. That raises the question: who will take over behind the camera? Could it even be Deakins?

Back in March 2023, when asked to name his pick for the Cinematography Oscar, Deakins said: “The best cinematography [of 2022] wasn’t Oscar-nominated. It’s The Batman. That’s the best work in my view.” He went on to add: “The reason it wasn’t [nominated] is pure and simple: snobbery. There’s this unfair tendency to avoid the Marvel/DC universe and the other popular universes.”

Fraser shot the hell out of that film, it was quite possibly the best-looking Batman movie ever made. His other notable credits include “Dune,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Foxcatcher,” “Killing Them Softly,” “Zero Dark Thirty” and “Vice.”

“The Batman: Part Two” is supposed to start production in spring 2026, whereas Mendes plans to shoot his four Beatles movies back-to-back, and although a shoot was planned for this summer, it’s since been pushed back to the fall.