When the Batman television show left the airwaves in the late 1960s the public's appetite for the caped crusader did not disappear with it. After years of being unsuccessfully pitched to studios, the idea of a new Batman movie finally struck a chord with Warner Brothers in 1982. The movie was scheduled to be released in 1985 but was delayed as the studio could not decide on a script or a director. They went through several writers and considered a handful of directors before handing the directorial duties to a young and promising man named Tim Burton. Burton hired writers Sam Hamm and Warren Skaaren to complete the script based on a 30-page treatment he had done. Well, they now had a script and a director but still had to answer the most important question: Who would play the role of Batman?
Burton's Decision on Lead Actor Condemned, then Praised
Mel Gibson was the first actor considered for the role of Batman but was already involved with Lethal Weapon 2. Charlie Sheen and Pierce Brosnan were also looked at by the studio. But Burton had another actor in mind. Believing him to be the only actor who could convincingly portray the dark and complex personality of the Bruce Wayne/Batman character, Burton cast Michael Keaton. Burton had worked with Keaton on Beetlejuice and was confident that he was the one for the job. The public had a different opinion. When Keaton was announced as the lead role Warner Brothers was flooded with complaint letters from fans declaring that he was the wrong choice while Jack Nicholson's casting as The Joker received no backlash. In reaction to the outcry, Warner Brothers released a teaser trailer to show fans that Keaton was the one destined to play the crime fighter. Fans reacted positively to the trailer and when the film was released it became the highest grossing film of 1989 and Keaton was praised by critics and fans for his performance.
After the success of the 1989 Batman film a sequel was immediately planned. Burton returned as director and Keaton again donned the Batsuit to protect Gotham City from a new cast of villains in Batman Returns. Keaton received a significant increase in his salary, and the sequel, while not as successful as the first, became the third-highest grossing film of 1992.
The Franchise Takes Step in the Wrong Direction
Keaton was scheduled to play Batman for the next sequel in the franchise in 1995 but decided against it after reading the script that the new director, Joel Schumacher, had scheduled for filming. Warner Brothers had dropped Burton as director and, in order to try to keep Keaton, reportedly offered him a colossal 35-million-dollar salary, but he refused. Many fans were upset that Burton and Keaton would not be returning for Batman Forever. Val Kilmer was announced as the replacement for Keaton. The big-budget sequel became the second-highest grossing film of that year but was not as critically successful as the first two Batman films.
The Franchise Implodes with Fourth Film
Schumacher returned in 1997 to direct Batman & Robin, the campy fourth film in the franchise. For reasons unknown, Kilmer did not return as Batman and George Clooney was cast in his place. This film was both a critical and commercial failure and both its director and lead actor admitted to its shortcomings. In response to the failure of the film, Warner Brothers shelved the franchise indefinitely. It would take eight years - the same length of time between Burton's original Batman and Batman & Robin - before a new Batman installment would be released.
The Franchise Takes New Direction and Introduces New Lead
After the failure of Batman & Robin, Requiem for a Dream director Darren Aronofsky was rumored to be considering filming a new, darker Batman film and had slated American Psycho actor Christian Bale to play the lead role. But the project stalled in 2002. This is when Memento director Christopher Nolan stepped in and, with the assistance of Blade writer David S. Goyer, developed Batman Begins. The film would explore the true origins of the Batman character and act as a prequel in order to revive the franchise that was all but dead. After considering such actors as Billy Crudup and Jake Gyllenhaal, Nolan hired Bale to play Batman. Production of the anticipated film began in January 2004 and it was released during the summer of 2005. It was a critical and commercial success and became the second highest grossing Batman film after Burton's 1989 original.
Nolan's sequel, The Dark Knight, has begun filming and is slated to be released in the summer of 2008. It will feature Bale returning as Batman and Heath Ledger playing the role of The Joker, a role perfected by Jack Nicholson in 1989. Now perhaps the casting discussion will revolve around Ledger and Nicholson.
Batman films in order of box office success:
1. The Dark Knight (2008; Christian Bale)
2. Batman Begins (2005; Christian Bale)
3. Batman (1989; Michael Keaton)
4. Batman Forever (1995; Val Kilmer)
5. Batman Returns (1992; Michael Keaton)
6. Batman & Robin (1997; George Clooney)
 |
