Post by All Star Batman on Nov 2, 2006 20:49:48 GMT -5
I found something interesting about a planned Batman movie before the 1989 film. Here's what I found:
In 1979 one year after the sucsess of the first Superman movie. Warner Bros decided to make a Batman movie. With Tom Mankiewicz(one of the writers of Superman I & II)to write a script and the film was to be released in 1985.
The draft goes like this:
The Waynes are murdered, leaving young Bruce Wayne the fortune and rights to Wayne Enterprises. Joe Chill ,the man who killed them, was a thug hired by Rupert Thorne, a businessman intent on becoming mayor that he eliminated Thomas Wayne who was also running for office. The Joker was in existence by this time, and he personally kills Chill for the fun of it. The film goes over Bruce's teen years, showing into martial arts training and criminology skills. As he grows into manhood he realizes that he was meant to do something and after some inital failures he decides to become what freightened him the most:a bat. In this version Batman wears the midnight blue cape and cowl,boots and shorts along with the grey shirt and tights as seen in the comics.
His first successes as Batman make several nervous about this new vigilante, including then newly-promoted Captain Jim Gordon. However, he does dissuade many of their fears by pulling off the biggest drug bust in the histroy of Gotham severely dealing the criminal underworld a heavy blow. During this time, Bruce Wayne meets the stunningly beautiful law intern Silver St.Cloud, who is working for Thorne. She ends up dating him over a period of three months, and he is debating with himself and Alfred whether or not to propose marriage.
The Joker becomes more prominent in Gotham thanks to Thorne, who is still trying to become elected mayor. He strikes at Wayne Mayor on Bruce's 24th birthday, robbing several of their possessions, thus becoming quickly infamous in the news. Shortly afterwards, Batman meets with Jim Gordon to discuss their differences and suggests making a pact to form an alliance. At the same time, Joker talkes the Penguin into bringing Batman down, in effort to regain and wrestle control of the criminal territory away from Thorne.
Following an attempted murder on Thorne and Silver, which nearly kills the latter, the Penguin and his gang attack Batman, who has come to attend to the attempted assassination. A long and dramatic chase scene ensues with Batman emerging victorious, and Silver apparently comes to the conclusion that Batman and Bruce Wayne are one and the same. When he takes her to see Pagliacci, a fake Batman briefly warns the crowd of dark times, and during the show the Joker appears and succeeds in killing the current mayor and several other politicans in attendance. Unable to act, Bruce can only look on in horror. Later, he and Silver consumate their love for each other, and it is here that she tells him that she knows who he is.
Bruce takes Silver out to the circus to watch the Flying Graysons, the star of the act being 13-year old Dick Grayson. While wathcing the Grayson parents do their act, the Joker in disguise has a falcon fly upwards and cause them to fall to their deaths. The fake Batman then appears and tells the crowd that he feels betrayed by their lack of support and declares this is their punishment. Hell breaks loose, the Joker letting the animals loose on the crowd, everybody fleeing in area in shock. Silver leaving in horror and confusion, while Bruce remains behind to comfort yound Dick newly orphaned.
In the next few days, Thorne agrees to step in as acting mayor to replace the previously deceased one, Batman(not in court) is tried and found guilty of murder "in absentia", and Bruce offically adopts Dick as his ward. Despite Bruce and Silver's attempts to make him feel at home, he is depressed over his parents' death, and he reveals to Bruce that he intends to kill whom he believes comitted the crime:Batman. Bruce is left feeling devastated and fearful that Dick might find out that his in fact the Batman, but he cannot let the boy believe that he killed them all along. Meanwhile,Thorne and Joker, both involved in the Grayson murders, argue over the control of the city and what needs to be done about Batman. Thorne knows about Batman's soft spot for Silver, and he decides that she is to be the bait for their trap. Once Batman is caught by the police, he will personally rescue her from Batman and marry her.
Silver is kidnapped from her apartment by the Joker posing as a delivery boy. Thorne leaves a message for Batman, in which he begs the Dark Knight to save her. Bruce however is convinced that this is a set-up somehow, and he will not let Dick spend the rest of his life believing Batman killed his parents. Coincidentally, Dick uncovers the Batcave and overhears him discussing his plans with Alfred before leaving. As he tries to save Silver from the Joker and his goons, Batman is seemingly overwhelmed before Dick(who confronted Alfred and persuaded him to let him help Batman)appears to assist Batman in the rescue. During their fight with the mobsters, Thorne quietly rescues Silver and attemps to slip away with her at gunpoint. Upon Batman trying to save her, Thorne comes to the conclusion that Bruce Wayne is Batman and accidently shoots Silver when he means to kill Batman. Enraged, Batman throws him into a giant pencil sharpener and grinds him to death.
After Thorne dies, Batman comforts a dying Silver, who reveals that she knows the truth and still loves him. Gordon arrives on the scene and arrests the Joker, who is hustled off to Arkham Asylum and charged with the murder of the Flying Graysons. The film ends with Dick joining the Dark Knight as Robin the Boy Wonder with a mask,red and green shirt with an R on it and a yellow cape, now a team.
Mankewicz orginally wrote a script split into two Batman films similar to Superman I & II. Mankiewicz wanted an unknown actor to play Batman, Jack Nicholson as the Joker, William Holden as Gordon and David Niven as Alfred. His script was greenlit by Warner Bros executives and the film was to be released in 1985. But they were unable to hire a director or cast permanently. The project went into development hell for five years until Tim Burton signed as director and Sam Hamm as one of the new writers and would evolve into the 1989 Batman film.
Before filming began Robin the Boy Wonder was still to appear in the film and the studio hired a young actor named Ricky Addison Reed to play the part and even went through costume fitting but the part was dropped and Reed was fired by Burton. Reed felt he was betrayed by Tim Burton because he had the role that would have made him a star.
In 1979 one year after the sucsess of the first Superman movie. Warner Bros decided to make a Batman movie. With Tom Mankiewicz(one of the writers of Superman I & II)to write a script and the film was to be released in 1985.
The draft goes like this:
The Waynes are murdered, leaving young Bruce Wayne the fortune and rights to Wayne Enterprises. Joe Chill ,the man who killed them, was a thug hired by Rupert Thorne, a businessman intent on becoming mayor that he eliminated Thomas Wayne who was also running for office. The Joker was in existence by this time, and he personally kills Chill for the fun of it. The film goes over Bruce's teen years, showing into martial arts training and criminology skills. As he grows into manhood he realizes that he was meant to do something and after some inital failures he decides to become what freightened him the most:a bat. In this version Batman wears the midnight blue cape and cowl,boots and shorts along with the grey shirt and tights as seen in the comics.
His first successes as Batman make several nervous about this new vigilante, including then newly-promoted Captain Jim Gordon. However, he does dissuade many of their fears by pulling off the biggest drug bust in the histroy of Gotham severely dealing the criminal underworld a heavy blow. During this time, Bruce Wayne meets the stunningly beautiful law intern Silver St.Cloud, who is working for Thorne. She ends up dating him over a period of three months, and he is debating with himself and Alfred whether or not to propose marriage.
The Joker becomes more prominent in Gotham thanks to Thorne, who is still trying to become elected mayor. He strikes at Wayne Mayor on Bruce's 24th birthday, robbing several of their possessions, thus becoming quickly infamous in the news. Shortly afterwards, Batman meets with Jim Gordon to discuss their differences and suggests making a pact to form an alliance. At the same time, Joker talkes the Penguin into bringing Batman down, in effort to regain and wrestle control of the criminal territory away from Thorne.
Following an attempted murder on Thorne and Silver, which nearly kills the latter, the Penguin and his gang attack Batman, who has come to attend to the attempted assassination. A long and dramatic chase scene ensues with Batman emerging victorious, and Silver apparently comes to the conclusion that Batman and Bruce Wayne are one and the same. When he takes her to see Pagliacci, a fake Batman briefly warns the crowd of dark times, and during the show the Joker appears and succeeds in killing the current mayor and several other politicans in attendance. Unable to act, Bruce can only look on in horror. Later, he and Silver consumate their love for each other, and it is here that she tells him that she knows who he is.
Bruce takes Silver out to the circus to watch the Flying Graysons, the star of the act being 13-year old Dick Grayson. While wathcing the Grayson parents do their act, the Joker in disguise has a falcon fly upwards and cause them to fall to their deaths. The fake Batman then appears and tells the crowd that he feels betrayed by their lack of support and declares this is their punishment. Hell breaks loose, the Joker letting the animals loose on the crowd, everybody fleeing in area in shock. Silver leaving in horror and confusion, while Bruce remains behind to comfort yound Dick newly orphaned.
In the next few days, Thorne agrees to step in as acting mayor to replace the previously deceased one, Batman(not in court) is tried and found guilty of murder "in absentia", and Bruce offically adopts Dick as his ward. Despite Bruce and Silver's attempts to make him feel at home, he is depressed over his parents' death, and he reveals to Bruce that he intends to kill whom he believes comitted the crime:Batman. Bruce is left feeling devastated and fearful that Dick might find out that his in fact the Batman, but he cannot let the boy believe that he killed them all along. Meanwhile,Thorne and Joker, both involved in the Grayson murders, argue over the control of the city and what needs to be done about Batman. Thorne knows about Batman's soft spot for Silver, and he decides that she is to be the bait for their trap. Once Batman is caught by the police, he will personally rescue her from Batman and marry her.
Silver is kidnapped from her apartment by the Joker posing as a delivery boy. Thorne leaves a message for Batman, in which he begs the Dark Knight to save her. Bruce however is convinced that this is a set-up somehow, and he will not let Dick spend the rest of his life believing Batman killed his parents. Coincidentally, Dick uncovers the Batcave and overhears him discussing his plans with Alfred before leaving. As he tries to save Silver from the Joker and his goons, Batman is seemingly overwhelmed before Dick(who confronted Alfred and persuaded him to let him help Batman)appears to assist Batman in the rescue. During their fight with the mobsters, Thorne quietly rescues Silver and attemps to slip away with her at gunpoint. Upon Batman trying to save her, Thorne comes to the conclusion that Bruce Wayne is Batman and accidently shoots Silver when he means to kill Batman. Enraged, Batman throws him into a giant pencil sharpener and grinds him to death.
After Thorne dies, Batman comforts a dying Silver, who reveals that she knows the truth and still loves him. Gordon arrives on the scene and arrests the Joker, who is hustled off to Arkham Asylum and charged with the murder of the Flying Graysons. The film ends with Dick joining the Dark Knight as Robin the Boy Wonder with a mask,red and green shirt with an R on it and a yellow cape, now a team.
Mankewicz orginally wrote a script split into two Batman films similar to Superman I & II. Mankiewicz wanted an unknown actor to play Batman, Jack Nicholson as the Joker, William Holden as Gordon and David Niven as Alfred. His script was greenlit by Warner Bros executives and the film was to be released in 1985. But they were unable to hire a director or cast permanently. The project went into development hell for five years until Tim Burton signed as director and Sam Hamm as one of the new writers and would evolve into the 1989 Batman film.
Before filming began Robin the Boy Wonder was still to appear in the film and the studio hired a young actor named Ricky Addison Reed to play the part and even went through costume fitting but the part was dropped and Reed was fired by Burton. Reed felt he was betrayed by Tim Burton because he had the role that would have made him a star.