Meanwhile, reporter Alexander Knox and photojournalist Vicki Vale investigate sightings of a masked vigilante called ' Batman' who is targeting the city's criminals. The film was followed by three sequels: Batman Returns (1992), with both Burton and Keaton returning Batman Forever (1995), which featured Val Kilmer in the lead role and Batman & Robin (1997), which featured George Clooney in the role.Īs Gotham City approaches its bicentennial, Mayor Borg orders district attorney Harvey Dent and police Commissioner Gordon to make the city safer by incarcerating mob boss Carl Grissom. It also inspired the equally successful Batman: The Animated Series, paving the way for the DC Animated Universe, and has influenced Hollywood's modern marketing and development techniques of the superhero film genre.

The film received several Saturn Award nominations and a Golden Globe nomination for Nicholson's performance, and won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction. It was the fifth-highest-grossing film in history at the time of its release. Critics and audiences particularly praised Nicholson and Keaton's performances, Burton's direction, the production design, and Elfman's score. Warren Skaaren did rewrites, with additional uncredited drafts done by Charles McKeown and Jonathan Gems.īatman was both critically and financially successful, earning over $400 million in box office totals. The budget escalated from $30 million to $48 million, while the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike forced Hamm to drop out. Nicholson accepted the role of the Joker under strict conditions that dictated top billing, a portion of the film's earnings (including associated merchandise), and his own shooting schedule.įilming took place at Pinewood Studios from October 1988 to January 1989. Keaton's casting was controversial since, by 1988, he had become typecast as a comedic actor and many observers doubted he could portray a serious role. Numerous A-list actors were considered for the role of Batman before Keaton was cast. Additionally, Batman creator Bob Kane worked as consultant for the film. The film primarily adapts and diverts from the ' Red Hood' origin story for the Joker, having Batman inadvertently cause gangster Jack Napier to fall into Axis Chemical acid, triggering his transformation into the psychotic Joker. The tone and themes of the film were partly influenced by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's The Killing Joke and Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns.

Batman was not greenlit until after the success of Burton's Beetlejuice (1988). The film takes place early in the title character's war on crime and depicts his conflict with his archenemy The Joker.Īfter Burton was hired as director in 1986, Steve Englehart and Julie Hickson wrote film treatments before Sam Hamm wrote the first screenplay. The film was directed by Tim Burton and stars Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, and Jack Palance.

Produced by Jon Peters and Peter Guber, it is the first installment of Warner Bros.' initial Batman film series. Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.

Batman 1989