Actor Gary Oldman has lifted the lid on the next Batman movie. Oldman played police Commissioner Gordon in the first two films in the series. (Dan Steinberg/Associated Press)

Gary Oldman has broken the news that the next Batman movie will start shooting next year for release in cinemas in 2011.

The British actor, 51, was speaking on a panel at Comic-Con on Friday about his new movie, The Book of Eli, a post-apocalyptic tale starring Denzel Washington that's set to open in January.

He blurted out the news about Batman 3, then quipped, "But you didn't hear it from me."

Although the second movie in director Christopher Nolan's Batman series, The Dark Knight, was a blockbuster last year and won an Oscar for Oldman's late co-star Heath Ledger, the third film has not been officially announced.

And Warner Bros. told Entertainment Weekly that it had no comments to make about Oldman's remark.

Oldman played police Commissioner Gordon in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

Comic-Con continues through Sunday at the San Diego Convention Center.

With files from The Associated Press