Numerousleading men were considered for the role of Batman before Keaton was cast. Keaton's casting was controversial since, by 1988, he had becometypecast as a comedic actor and many observers had doubt he could portray a serious role.[7] Nicholson accepted the role of the Joker under strict conditions that dictated topbilling, a portion of the film's earnings (including associated merchandise), and his own shooting schedule. Filming took place atPinewood Studios from October 1988 to January 1989. The budget escalated from $30 million to $48 million, while the1988 Writers Guild of America strike forced Hamm to drop out.Warren Skaaren did rewrites, with additional uncredited drafts done byCharles McKeown andJonathan Gems.
Batman was both critically and financially successful, earning over $400 million in box office totals. Critics and audiences particularly praised Nicholson and Keaton's performances, Burton's direction, the production design, and composerDanny Elfman's score. It was the sixth-highest-grossing film in history at the time of its release. The film received severalSaturn Award nominations and aGolden Globe nomination for Nicholson's performance, and won theAcademy Award for Best Art Direction.
Newspaper reporter Alexander Knox and photojournalistVicki Vale investigate sightings of "Batman", a masked vigilante targetingGotham City's criminals. Both attend a fundraiser hosted by billionaire Bruce Wayne, who is secretly Batman, having chosen this path after witnessing a mugger murder his parents when he was a child. During the event, Wayne becomes attracted to Vale.
Meanwhile, mob boss Carl Grissom sends his sociopathic second-in-commandJack Napier to break into Axis Chemicals and retrieve incriminating evidence. However, this is secretly a ploy to have Napier murdered for carrying on an affair with Grissom's mistress, Alicia Hunt. Corrupt Gotham City police lieutenant Max Eckhardt arranges the hit on Napier by conducting an unauthorized raid on Axis Chemicals. However,Commissioner James Gordon learns of the raid and takes command, ordering the officers to capture Napier alive. Batman also appears, while Napier shoots and kills Eckhardt as revenge for the double-cross. During a scuffle with Batman, Napier topples off a catwalk and falls into a vat of chemicals. Although presumed dead, Napier survives with various disfigurements including chalk white skin and emerald-green hair and nails. He undergoes surgery to repair the damage, but ends up with arictus grin. Driven insane by his hideous appearance, Napier, now calling himself "the Joker", kills Grissom, massacres Grissom's associates, and takes over his operations.
The Joker begins terrorizing Gotham by lacing various hygiene products with "Smylex" – a deadly chemical that causes victims todie laughing. Joker soon becomes obsessed with Vicki and lures her to the Flugelheim Museum, which his henchmenvandalize. Batman rescues Vicki, takes her to theBatcave, and provides her with all of his research on Smylex, which will allow Gotham's residents to escape the toxin. Conflicted with his love for her, Wayne visits her apartment intending to reveal his secret identity, only for the Joker to interrupt the meeting. Joker asks Wayne, "Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?", which Wayne recognizes as the phrase used by the mugger who murdered his parents. He shoots Wayne, who survives by hiding a serving tray underneath his shirt.
Vicki is taken to the Batcave by Wayne's butler,Alfred Pennyworth, who had been coaxing the relationship between the pair. After Vicki learns his secret, Wayne chooses to battle the Joker for the sake of the city over their relationship. He then departs to destroy the Axis plant used to create Smylex. Meanwhile, Joker lures Gotham's citizens to a parade honoring Gotham's bicentennial with the promise of free money. This turns out to be a trap designed to dose them with Smylex gas held within giant parade balloons. Batman foils his plan by using hisBatwing to remove the balloons, but Joker shoots him down. The Batwing crashes in front of a cathedral, which Joker uses to take Vicki hostage. Batman pursues the Joker, and in the ensuing fight, he identifies Napier killed his parents and thus, indirectly created Batman. Joker eventually pulls Batman and Vicki over the cathedral's roof, leaving them hanging while he calls for a helicopter piloted by his goons, who throw down a ladder for him to climb. Batman uses a grappling hook to attach Joker's leg to a crumblinggargoyle that eventually falls off the roof. Unable to bear the statue's immense weight, Joker falls to his death while Batman and Vicki make it to safety.
Sometime later, Gordon announces that the police have arrested all of Joker's men, effectively dismantling the remains of Grissom's organizations, and unveils theBat-Signal. Batman leaves the police a note, promising to defend Gotham should crime strike again, and asking them to use the Bat-Signal to summon him in times of need. Alfred takes Vicki toWayne Manor, explaining that Wayne will be a little late. She responds that she is not surprised, as Batman looks at the signal's projection from a rooftop, standing watch over the city.
Cast
Jack Nicholson (in 2001), Michael Keaton (in 2002) and Kim Basinger (in 1990).
"I was never a giant comic book fan, but I've always loved the image of Batman and the Joker. The reason I've never been a comic book fan – and I think it started when I was a child – is because I could never tell which box I was supposed to read. I don't know if it wasdyslexia or whatever, but that's why I lovedThe Killing Joke, because for the first time I could tell which one to read. It's my favorite. It's the first comic I've ever loved. And the success of those graphic novels made our ideas more acceptable."
In the late 1970s, Batman's popularity was waning.[9]CBS was interested in producing aBatman in Outer Space film. ProducersBenjamin Melniker andMichael E. Uslan purchased thefilm rights of Batman fromDC Comics on October 3, 1979. It was Uslan's wish "to make the definitive, dark, serious version of Batman, the wayBob Kane andBill Finger had envisioned him in 1939. A creature of the night; stalking criminals in the shadows."[9]Richard Maibaum was approached to write a script withGuy Hamilton to direct, but the two turned down the offer. Uslan was unsuccessful withpitchingBatman to various movie studios because they wanted the film to be similar to thecampy1960s television series.Columbia Pictures andUnited Artists were among those to turn down the film.[10]
A disappointed Uslan then wrote a script titledReturn of the Batman to give the film industry a better idea of his vision for the film. Uslan later compared its dark tone to that of the successful four-part comic bookThe Dark Knight Returns, which his script predated by six years.[9] In November 1979, producersJon Peters andPeter Guber joined the project.[5] Melniker and Uslan became executive producers. The four felt it was best to pattern the film's development after that ofSuperman (1978).[11] Uslan, Melniker and Guber pitchedBatman toUniversal Pictures, but the studio turned it down.[12] Though no movie studios were yet involved, the project was publicly announced with a budget of $15 million in July 1980 at theComic Art Convention in New York.Warner Bros., the studio behind the successfulSuperman film franchise, decided to also accept and produceBatman.[13]
Tom Mankiewicz completed a script titledThe Batman in June 1983, focusing on Batman andDick Grayson's origins, with the Joker andRupert Thorne as villains andSilver St. Cloud as the romantic interest.[14] Mankiewicz took inspiration from thelimited seriesBatman: Strange Apparitions, written bySteve Englehart.[15] Comic book artistMarshall Rogers, who worked with Englehart onStrange Apparitions, was hired forconcept art.[12]The Batman was then announced in late 1983 for a mid-1985 release date on a budget of $20 million. Originally, Mankiewicz had wanted an unknown actor for Batman,William Holden forJames Gordon,David Niven asAlfred Pennyworth, andPeter O'Toole asthe Penguin, whom Mankiewicz wanted to portray as a mobster with low body temperature.[13] Holden died in 1981 and Niven in 1983, so this would never come to pass. A number of filmmakers were attached to Mankiewicz' script, includingIvan Reitman andJoe Dante. Reitman wanted to castBill Murray as Batman andEddie Murphy as Robin.[7] Nine rewrites were performed by nine separate writers. Most of them were based onStrange Apparitions. However, Mankiewicz's script was still being used to guide the project.[16] Due to the work they did together with the filmSwamp Thing (1982),Wes Craven was among the names that Melniker and Uslan considered while looking for a director.[17]Sam Raimi wanted to direct, but was unable to get the rights.[18]
After the financial success ofPee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), Warner Bros. hired Tim Burton to directBatman. Burton had then-girlfriendJulie Hickson write a new 30-pagefilm treatment, feeling the previous script by Mankiewicz wascampy. The success ofThe Dark Knight Returns and thegraphic novelBatman: The Killing Joke rekindled Warner Bros.' interest in a film adaptation. Burton was initially not a comic book fan, but he was impressed by the dark and serious tone found in bothThe Dark Knight Returns andThe Killing Joke.[7] Warner Bros. enlisted the aid of Englehart to write a new treatment in March 1986.[19] Like Mankiewicz's script, it was based on his ownStrange Apparitions and included Silver St. Cloud, Dick Grayson, the Joker, and Rupert Thorne, as well as acameo appearance bythe Penguin. Warner Bros. was impressed, but Englehart felt there were too many characters. He removed the Penguin and Dick Grayson in his second treatment, finishing in May 1986.[19]
Burton approachedSam Hamm, a comic book fan, to write the screenplay.[13] Hamm decided not to use anorigin story, feeling that flashbacks would be more suitable and that "unlocking the mystery" would become part of the storyline.[15] He reasoned, "You totally destroy your credibility if you show the literal process by which Bruce Wayne becomes Batman."[20] Hamm replaced Silver St. Cloud with Vicki Vale and Rupert Thorne with his own creation, Carl Grissom. He completed his script in October 1986, which demoted Dick Grayson to a cameo rather than a supporting character.[21] One scene in Hamm's script had a young James Gordon on duty the night of the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents. When Hamm's script was rewritten, the scene was deleted, reducing it to a photo in theGotham Globe newspaper seen in the film.[22]
Warner Bros. was less willing to move forward on development, despite their enthusiasm for Hamm's script, which Kane greeted with positive feedback.[7] Hamm's script was then bootlegged at various comic book stores in the United States.[15]Batman was finally given thegreenlight to commence pre-production in April 1988, after the success of Burton'sBeetlejuice the same year.[7] When comic book fans found out about Burton directing the film with Michael Keaton starring in the lead role, controversy arose over the tone and directionBatman was going in.[23] Hamm explained, "They hear Tim Burton's name and they think ofPee-wee's Big Adventure. They hear Keaton's name, and they think of any number of Michael Keaton comedies. You think of the 1960s version ofBatman, and it was the complete opposite of our film. We tried to market it with a typical dark and serious tone, but the fans didn't believe us."[15] To combat negative reports on the film's production, Kane was hired as creative consultant.[11] Batman's co-creator,Bill Finger, was uncredited at the time of the film's release and his name was not added to any Batman-related media until 2016.[1]
Parallel to theSuperman casting, a variety ofHollywood A-listers were considered for the role of Batman, includingMel Gibson,Michael Biehn,[24]Steven Seagal,[25]Kevin Costner,Charlie Sheen,Tom Selleck, Bill Murray,[5][13]Harrison Ford andDennis Quaid.[26] Burton was pressured by Warner Bros. to cast an obvious action movie star,[7] and had approachedPierce Brosnan, but he had no interest in playing a comic book character.[27] Burton was originally interested in casting an unknown actor,[26]Willem Dafoe, who was falsely reported to be considered for the Joker but had actually been considered for Batman early in development.[28] Producer Jon Peters suggested Michael Keaton, arguing he had the right "edgy, tormented quality" after having seen his dramatic performance inClean and Sober (1988).[29] Having directed Keaton inBeetlejuice, Burton agreed.[5]
The casting of Keaton caused a furor among comic book fans,[23][30] with 50,000 protest letters sent to Warner Bros. offices.[21] Kane, Hamm, and Uslan also heavily questioned the casting.[15] "Obviously there was a negative response from the comic book people. I think they thought we were going to make it like the 1960s TV series, and make it campy, because they thought of Michael Keaton fromMr. Mom andNight Shift and stuff like that."[31] Keaton studiedThe Dark Knight Returns for inspiration.[32]
Tim Curry,David Bowie,John Lithgow,Brad Dourif,Ray Liotta, andJames Woods were all considered for the Joker.[20][33][34][35] Lithgow, during his audition, attempted to talk Burton out of casting him, a decision he would later publicly regret, stating, "I didn't realize it was such a big deal."[36] Burton wanted to castJohn Glover, but the studio insisted on using a movie star.[37]Robin Williams lobbied hard for the part.[21] Jack Nicholson had been the studio's top choice since 1980. Peters approached Nicholson as far back as 1986, during filming ofThe Witches of Eastwick;[38] unlike Keaton, he was a popular choice for his role.[30] Nicholson had what was known as an "off-the-clock" agreement. His contract specified the number of hours he was entitled to have off each day, from the time he left the set to the time he reported back for filming,[13] as well as being off forLos Angeles Lakers home games.[39] Nicholson demanded that all of his scenes be shot in a three-week block, but the schedule lapsed into 106 days.[38] He reduced his standard $10 million fee to $6 million in exchange for a cut of the film's earnings (including associated merchandise), which led to remuneration in excess of $50 million[40]—biographer Marc Eliot reports that Nicholson may have received as much as $90 million.[41] He also demanded topbilling on promotional materials.[42]
Sean Young was originally cast as Vicki Vale, but was injured in a horse-riding accident prior to commencement of filming.[43] Young's departure necessitated an urgent search for an actress who, besides being right for the part, could commit to the film at very short notice. Peters suggestedKim Basinger: she was able to join the production immediately and was cast.[5][43] As a fan ofMichael Gough's work in variousHammer horror films, Burton cast Gough as Bruce Wayne's mysterious butler,Alfred.[44] Reporter Alexander Knox was portrayed byRobert Wuhl. In the original script, Knox was killed by the Joker's poison gas during the climax, but the filmmakers "liked [my] character so much," Wuhl said, "that they decided to let me live."[45] Burton choseBilly Dee Williams asHarvey Dent because he wanted to include the villainTwo-Face in a future film using the concept of an African-American Two-Face for the black and white concept,[46] butTommy Lee Jones was later cast in the role forBatman Forever (1995), which disappointed Williams.[45] Nicholson convinced the filmmakers to cast his close friendTracey Walter as the Joker's henchman Bob.[47] Irish child actor Ricky Addison Reed was cast as Dick Grayson before the character was removed by Warren Skarren for the revised shooting script.[48] The rest of the cast includedPat Hingle asCommissioner Gordon,Jerry Hall as Alicia,Lee Wallace as Mayor Borg,William Hootkins as Lt. Eckhardt, andJack Palance as crime boss Carl Grissom.
Design
"OnBatman, our vision of Gotham City was influenced by the tone of the'Dark Knight' comics, and alsoAndreas Feininger's photographs of New York buildings and the work of Japanese architectShin Takamatsu. (Blade Runner was consciously avoided as a reference; no one was allowed to watch it while we were designing the film andneon was shunned altogether!)"
Burton had been impressed with the design ofNeil Jordan'sThe Company of Wolves (1984), but was unable to hire its production designerAnton Furst forBeetlejuice[30] as he had instead committed to Jordan's London-filmed ghost comedyHigh Spirits (1988), a choice he later regretted.[13] A year later Burton successfully hired Furst forBatman, and they enjoyed working with each other. "I don't think I've ever felt so naturally in tune with a director," Furst said. "Conceptually, spiritually, visually, or artistically. There was never any problem because we never fought over anything. Texture, attitude and feelings are what Burton is a master at."[11]
Furst and theart department deliberately mixed clashing architectural styles to "make Gotham City the ugliest and bleakestmetropolis imaginable".[50] Furst continued, "[W]e imagined what New York City might have become without aplanning commission. A city run by crime, with a riot of architectural styles. An essay in ugliness. As if hell erupted through the pavement and kept on going".[51] The 1985 filmBrazil byTerry Gilliam was also a notable influence upon the film's production design, as both Burton and Furst studied it as a reference.[11] Black and whitecharcoal drawings of key locations and sets were created by Furst's longtime draftsman,Nigel Phelps.Derek Meddings served as thevisual effects supervisor, overseeing the miniatures and animation. Conceptual illustrator Julian Caldow designed the Batmobile, Batwing and assorted bat-gadgets that were later constructed by prop builder John Evans.Keith Short sculpted the final body of theBatmobile,[52] adding twoBrowning machine guns.[53] On designing the Batmobile, Furst explained, "We looked at jet aircraft components, we looked at war machines, we looked at all sorts of things. In the end, we went into pure expressionism, taking theSalt Flat Racers of the 30s and theSting Ray macho machines of the 50s". The car was built upon aChevrolet Impala when previous development with aJaguar andFord Mustang failed.[38] The car itself was later purchased by standup comedian/ventriloquistJeff Dunham, who had it outfitted with a Corvette engine to make it street legal.[54]
Nicholson's makeup appliances were sculpted and applied by Nick Dudman
Costume designerBob Ringwood turned down the chance to work onLicence to Kill (1989) in favor ofBatman. Ringwood found it difficult designing theBatsuit because "the image of Batman in the comics is this huge, big six-foot-four hunk with a dimpled chin. Michael Keaton is a guy with average build", he stated. "The problem was to make somebody who was average-sized and ordinary-looking into this bigger-than-life creature."[55] Burton commented, "Michael is a bitclaustrophobic, which made it worse for him. The costume put him in a dark, Batman-like mood though, so he was able to use it to his advantage".[55] Burton's idea was to use an all-black suit, and was met with positive feedback by Bob Kane.Vin Burnham was tasked with sculpting the Batsuit, in association with Alli Eynon. Jon Peters wanted to use aNikeproduct placement with the Batsuit.[56][57] Ringwood studied over 200 comic book issues for inspiration. 28 sculpted latex designs were created; 25 different cape looks and 6 different heads were made, accumulating a total cost of $250,000.[58] Comic book fans initially expressed negative feedback against the Batsuit.[30] Burton opted not to use tights, spandex, or underpants as seen in the comic book, feeling it was not intimidating.[7]Prosthetic makeup designer Nick Dudman used acrylic-based makeup paint called PAX for Nicholson's chalk-white face. Part of Nicholson's contract was approval over the makeup designer.[59]
Filming
The filmmakers considered filmingBatman entirely on theWarner Bros. backlot inBurbank, California, but media interest in the film made them change the location. It was shot atPinewood Studios inEngland from October 10, 1988, to February 14, 1989, with 80 days of main shooting and 86 days of second unit shooting.[60] 18sound stages were used, with seven stages occupied, including the 51 acre backlot for the Gotham City set, one of the biggest ever built at the studio.[60][11] Locations includedKnebworth House andHatfield House doubling forWayne Manor, plusActon Lane Power Station andLittle Barford Power Station.[61][62] For the production at Acton Lane Power Station, the power plant and alien nest sets fromAliens (1986) were reused as interiors for Axis Chemicals.[63] The original production budget escalated from $30 million to $48 million.[5]
Filming was highly secretive. The unitpublicist was offered and refused£10,000 for the first pictures of Nicholson as the Joker. The police were later called in when two reels of footage (about 20 minutes' worth) were stolen.[38] With various problems during filming, Burton called it "Torture. The worst period of my life!"[5]
Hamm was not allowed to perform rewrites during the1988 Writers Guild of America strike.[13]Warren Skaaren, who had also worked on Burton'sBeetlejuice, did rewrites.Jonathan Gems andCharles McKeown rewrote the script during filming.[64] Only Skaaren received screenplay credit with Hamm. Hamm criticized the rewrites, but blamed the changes on Warner Bros.[15] Burton explained, "I don't understand why that became such a problem. We started out with a script that everyone liked, although we recognized it needed a little work."[7] Dick Grayson appeared in the shooting script but was deleted because the filmmakers felt he was irrelevant to the plot;[13] Kane supported this decision.[44]
Keaton used his comedic experience for scenes such as Bruce and Vicki's Wayne Manor dinner.[30] He called himself a "logic freak" and was concerned that Batman's secret identity would in reality be fairly easy to uncover. Keaton discussed ideas with Burton to better disguise the character, including the use ofcontact lenses. Ultimately, Keaton decided to perform Batman's voice at a lower register than when he was portraying Bruce Wayne, which became a hallmark of the film version of the character, withChristian Bale later using the same technique.[65]
Originally in the climax, the Joker was meant to kill Vicki Vale, sending Batman into a vengeful fury. Jon Peters reworked the climax without telling Burton and commissioned production designer Anton Furst to create a 38-foot (12 m) model of the cathedral.[66] This cost $100,000 when the film was already well over budget. Burton disliked the idea, having no clue how the scene would end: "Here were Jack Nicholson and Kim Basinger walking up this cathedral, and halfway up Jack turns around and says, 'Why am I walking up all these stairs? Where am I going?' 'We'll talk about it when you get to the top!' I had to tell him that I didn't know."[66]
Burton hiredDanny Elfman ofOingo Boingo, his collaborator onPee-wee's Big Adventure andBeetlejuice, to compose the music score. For inspiration, Elfman was givenThe Dark Knight Returns. Elfman was worried, as he had never worked on a production this large in budget and scale.[67] In addition, producer Jon Peters was skeptical of hiring Elfman, but was later convinced when he heard the opening number.[68] Peters and Peter Guber wantedPrince to write music for the Joker andMichael Jackson to do the romance songs. Elfman would then combine the style of Prince and Jackson's songs together for the entire film score.[7] At the encouragement of Prince's then-managerAlbert Magnoli, it was agreed that Prince himself would write and sing thefilm's songs.[69]
Burton protested the ideas, citing "my movies aren't commercial likeTop Gun."[7] Elfman enlisted the help of composerShirley Walker and Oingo Boingo lead guitaristSteve Bartek to arrange the compositions for the orchestra.[70][71] Elfman was later displeased with theaudio mixing of his film score. "Batman was done in England by technicians who didn't care, and the non-caring showed," he stated. "I'm not putting down England because they've done gorgeousdubs there, but this particular crew elected not to."[72]Batman was one of the first films to spawn two soundtracks. One of them featured songs written by Prince while the other showcased Elfman's score. Both were successful,[73] and compilations of Elfman'sopening credits were used in thetitle sequence theme forBatman: The Animated Series (1992–1995), also composed by Walker.[34]
Themes
When discussing the centraltheme ofBatman, director Tim Burton explained, "the whole film and mythology of the character is a complete duel of the freaks. It's a fight between two disturbed people", adding, "The Joker is such a great character because there's a complete freedom to him. Any character who operates on the outside of society and is deemed a freak and an outcast then has the freedom to do what they want... They are the darker sides of freedom. Insanity is in some scary way the most freedom you can have, because you're not bound by the laws of society".[7]
Burton saw Bruce Wayne as the bearer of a double identity, exposing one while hiding the reality from the world.[7] Burton biographer Ken Hanke wrote that Bruce Wayne, struggling with his alter-ego as Batman, is depicted as anantihero. Hanke felt that Batman has to push the boundaries of civil justice to deal with certain criminals, such as the Joker.[16]Kim Newman theorized that "Burton and the writers saw Batman and the Joker as a dramatic antithesis, and the film deals with their intertwined origins and fates to an even greater extent".[74]
The B.D. Foxad agency created hundreds of unused logos and posters for promotion, many byJohn Alvin. In the end Burton and producers decided on only using a gold and black logo that Julian Caldow had sketched in the art department. The final logo was airbrushed by Bill Garland, with no other key art variation, to keep an air of mystery about the film.[78] The logo is also anambiguous image, which can be read either as Batman's symbol or as a gaping mouth.[79] Earlier designs "had the word 'Batman' spelled inRoboCop orConan the Barbarian-type font".[5] Jon Peters unified all the film'stie-ins, even turning down $6 million fromGeneral Motors to build theBatmobile because the car company would not relinquish creative control.[5]
During production, Peters read inThe Wall Street Journal that comic book fans were unsatisfied with the casting of Michael Keaton. In response, Peters rushed the firstfilm trailer that played in thousands of theaters during Christmas. It was simply an assemblage of scenes without music, but created enormous anticipation for the film, with audiences clapping and cheering.[5][30]DC Comics allowed screenwriter Sam Hamm to write his owncomic book miniseries. Hamm's stories were collected in thegraphic novelBatman: Blind Justice (ISBN978-1563890475).Denys Cowan andDick Giordano illustrated the artwork.[20]Blind Justice tells the story of Bruce Wayne trying to solve a series of murders connected toWayneTech. It also marks the first appearance ofHenri Ducard, who was later used in therebootedBatman Begins (2005), albeit as an alias for the more notableRa's al Ghul.[20]
In the months leading up toBatman's release in June 1989, apopular culture phenomenon known as "Batmania" began. Over $750 million worth of merchandise was sold.[34]Cult filmmaker and comic book writerKevin Smith remembered: "That summer was huge. You couldn't turn around without seeing the Bat-Signal somewhere. People were cutting it into their fucking heads. It was just the summer of Batman and if you were a comic book fan it was pretty hot."[80]Hachette Book Group USA published a novelization,Batman, written byCraig Shaw Gardner.[81] It remained onThe New York Times Best Seller list throughout June 1989.[82] Burton admitted he was annoyed by the publicity. David Handelman ofThe New York Observer categorizedBatman as ahigh concept film. He believed "it is less movie than a corporatebehemoth".[77]
Reception
Box office
Batman grossed $2.2 million in late night previews on June 22, 1989, on 1,215 screens and grossed $40.49 million in 2,194 theaters during its opening weekend.[83] This broke the opening weekend records held byIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade (which had a 4-dayMemorial Day weekend gross of $37.0 million the previous month)[84] andGhostbusters II (which had a $29.4 million 3-day weekend the previous weekend).[85][86] Upon opening, the film would go on to reach the number one spot aboveHoney, I Shrunk the Kids.[87] Additionally, it had the largest opening weekend for a Jack Nicholson film for 14 years until it was dethroned byAnger Management in 2003.[88]Batman also set a record for a second weekend gross with $30 million (also the second biggest 3-day weekend of all time)[84] and became the fastest film to earn $100 million, reaching it in 11 days (10 days plus late night previews).[85][89] The film closed on December 14, 1989, with a final gross of $251.4 million in North America and $160.2 million internationally, totaling $411.6 million.[90] The film would hold the record for being the highest-grossing Warner Bros. film until 1996 whenTwister surpassed it.[91] It was the highest-grossingfilm based on a DC comic book untilThe Dark Knight (2008).[92] Furthermore,Batman held the record for being thehighest-grossing superhero film of all time until it was taken bySpider-Man in 2002.[93] The film's gross is the 143rd highest ever in North American ranks.[94] AlthoughIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade made the most money worldwide in 1989,[95]Batman was able to beatThe Last Crusade inNorth America,[96] and made a further $150 million inhome video sales.[97]Box Office Mojo estimates that the film sold more than 60 million tickets in the US.[98]
Despite the film's box office – over $400 million against a budget of no more than $48 million – Warner Bros. claimed it ended up losing $35.8 million and "not likely to ever show a profit," which has been attributed to a case ofHollywood accounting.[99]
Critical response
Batman was criticized by some for being too dark, but nonetheless received a generally positive response from critics.[7] Onreview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 77% based on 142 reviews, with an average score of 7.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "An eerie, haunting spectacle,Batman succeeds as dark entertainment, even if Jack Nicholson's Joker too often overshadows the title character."[100] OnMetacritic, the film received aweighted average score of 69 based on 21 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[101] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[102]
Many observed that Burton was more interested in the Joker and the art and set production design than Batman or anything else in terms of characterization and screentime.[7] Comic book fans reacted negatively over the Joker murderingThomas andMartha Wayne; in the comic book,Joe Chill is responsible. Writer Sam Hamm said it was Burton's idea to have the Joker murder Wayne's parents. "The Writer's Strike was going on, and Tim had the other writers do that. I also hold innocent to Alfred letting Vicki Vale into theBatcave. Fans were ticked off with that, and I agree. That would have been Alfred's last day of employment atWayne Manor," Hamm said.[68]
The songs written by Prince were criticized for being "too out of place".[13] While Burton stated he had no problem with the Prince songs, he was less enthusiastic with their use in the film.[16] On the film, Burton remarked, "I liked parts of it, but the whole movie is mainly boring to me. It's OK, but it was more of a cultural phenomenon than a great movie."[97]
Despite initial negative reactions from comics fans prior to the film's release, Keaton's portrayal of Batman was generally praised.[77][103]James Berardinelli called the film entertaining, with the highlight being the production design. However, he concluded, "the best thing that can be said aboutBatman is that it led toBatman Returns, which was a far superior effort."[104]Variety felt "Jack Nicholson stole every scene" but still greeted the film with positive feedback.[105]Roger Ebert was highly impressed with the production design, but claimed "Batman is a triumph of design over story, style over substance, a great-looking movie with a plot you can't care much about." He also called the film "a depressing experience".[106] On the syndicated television seriesSiskel & Ebert, his reviewing partnerGene Siskel disagreed, describing the film as having a "refreshingly adult" approach with performances, direction and set design that "draws you into a psychological world".[107]
The success ofBatman promptedWarner Bros. Animation to create the acclaimedBatman: The Animated Series, as a result beginning the long-runningDC Animated Universe[113] and helped establish the modern daysuperhero film genre. Series co-creatorBruce Timm stated the television show'sArt Deco design was inspired from the film. Timm commented, "our show would never have gotten made if it hadn't been for that firstBatman movie."[114] Burton joked, "ever since I didBatman, it was like the first dark comic book movie. Now everyone wants to do a dark and serious superhero movie. I guess I'm the one responsible for that trend."[115]
Executive producersBenjamin Melniker andMichael E. Uslan filed abreach of contract lawsuit inLos Angeles County Superior Court on March 26, 1992. Melniker and Uslan claimed to be "the victims of a sinister campaign of fraud and coercion that has cheated them out of continuing involvement in the production ofBatman and its sequels. We were denied proper credits, and deprived of any financial rewards for our indispensable creative contribution to the success ofBatman."[5] Asuperior court judge rejected the lawsuit. Total revenues ofBatman have topped $2 billion, with Uslan claiming to have "not seen a penny more than that since ournet profit participation has proved worthless."[5] Warner Bros. offered the pair an out-of-court settlement, a sum described by Melniker and Uslan's attorney as "two popcorns and twoCokes".[116]
Reflecting on the twentieth anniversary of its release in a retrospective article onSalon.com, film commentator Scott Mendelson noted the continuing impact thatBatman has had on the motion film industry, including the increasing importance of opening weekend box office receipts; the narrowing window between a film's debut and its video release that caused the demise of second-run movie theaters; the accelerated acquisition of pre-existing, pre-sold properties for film adaptations that can be readily leveraged for merchandizing tie-ins; the primacy of theMPAAPG-13 as the target rating for film producers; and more off-beat, non-traditional casting opportunities for genre films.[117] The film was responsible for theBritish Board of Film Classification introducing its "12" age rating, as its content fell between what was expected for a "PG" or "15" certificate.[118][119]
In March 2016, artist Joe Quinones revealed several art designs he andKate Leth had created to pitch a comic book continuation set in the 1989Batman universe to DC Comics. The pitch, which was rejected, would have included the story of Billy Dee Williams' Harvey Dent turning into Two-Face as well as the inclusion of characters such as Batgirl in a story that took place following the events ofBatman Returns.[133] In 2021, DC announced it would be releasing a comic book continuation of the film titledBatman '89. The series would be written bySam Hamm and illustrated by Joe Quinones. The comic's synopsis revealed that it would include the return of Selina Kyle/Catwoman, an introduction of a new Robin, and the transformation of Williams' Harvey Dent into Two-Face.[134]
A follow-up series was later announced by DC Comics on August 17, 2023. The first issue of the new series was released on November 28, 2023. It was written again by Sam Hamm, with art by Joe Quinones. In the series, Batman has mysteriously disappeared after Dent's death, leading Gotham citizens to take to the streets to fight in his place, including Barbara Gordon, who becomesBatgirl.Scarecrow andHarley Quinn will be featured as the main antagonists,[135] seemingly referencing the unproduced fifth film in the Burton and Schumacher series,Batman Unchained.[136]
On April 11, 2024, it was announced that a new novel would be released which would tie-in to the film. Announced with the titleBatman: Resurrection, the novel was written by authorJohn Jackson Miller, and acts as a direct sequel to the film, being set between the events ofBatman and its sequelBatman Returns, with Batman focusing on dismantling the remnants of Joker's organization, while contemplating on the idea that Joker might not actually be dead. The novel also includes certain characters introduced in the sequel, with one example being Max Shreck.[137] It was released on October 15, 2024, byPenguin Random House; a sequel, titledBatman: Revolution, was later revealed by Miller and was released in October 2025.[138][139][140]
Home media
Batman has been released on various formats, includingVHS,LaserDisc,DVD andBlu-ray. In an unprecedented move at the time, it was made available to buy on VHS in the United States on November 15, 1989, less than six months after its theatrical release, at a suggested retail price of only $24.95 although most sellers sold it for less.[141][142] It was first released on DVD on March 25, 1997, as a double sided disc containing bothWidescreen (1.85:1) andFull Screen (1.33:1) versions of the film. The 2005Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology 1989–1997 included 2-disc special edition DVDs of the film and all three of its sequels. The anthology was also released as a 4-disc Blu-ray set in 2009, with each film and its previous extras contained on a single disc. Other Blu-ray reissues include a "30th Anniversary" Digibook with 50-page booklet, and a steelcase edition; both also include aDigital Copy. Most recently the "25th Anniversary" Diamond Luxe reissue contained the same disc as before and on a second disc, a new 25-minute featurette: "Batman: The Birth of the Modern Blockbuster".
The film was also included inThe Tim Burton Collection DVD and Blu-ray set in 2012, alongside its first sequel,Batman Returns.
^Bill Finger, co-creator of Batman, the Penguin, and Catwoman, was uncredited at the time of the film's release and his name was not added to any Batman related media until 2016.[1]
^abcdRebello, Stephen (November 1989). "Sam Hamm – Screenwriter".Cinefantastique. pp. 34–41.
^abcTim Burton, Sam Hamm, Mark Canton, Michael Keaton,Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight—The Gathering Storm, 2005,Warner Home Video
^"Archived copy".Archived from the original on February 13, 2016. RetrievedJanuary 29, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Top ten Batman villains on screen".The Times. July 17, 2012.Archived from the original on July 12, 2019. RetrievedJuly 12, 2019.Nicholson... demanded top-billing and a deal that gave him royalties on merchandise.(subscription required)
^abShadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight, "Part 2: The Gathering Storm", DVD documentary, 2005
^abcMcMahan, Alison (2005). "Burton's Batman: Myth, Marketing, and Merchandising".The Films of Tim Burton: Animating Live Action in Contemporary Hollywood.Farmington Hills, Michigan:Gale. pp. 121–156.ISBN0-8264-1566-0.
Halfyard, Janet K. (October 28, 2004).Danny Elfman's Batman: A Film Score Guide (Paperback). A careful study of Elfman's scoring technique with a detailed analysis of the film itself. Scarecrow Press.ISBN0-8108-5126-1.
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