Editing Batman (1989 film) (section)

===Development===
{{quote box|width=35%|quote="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 was [[dyslexia]] or whatever, but that's why I loved ''The 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."|source=—Tim Burton<ref>Tim Burton, ''Burton on Burton: Revised Edition'' (London: Faber and Faber, 2006) 71.</ref>}}
[[File:The costumes Jack Nicholson wore in BATMAN 1989 movie as Joker.jpg|thumb|The costume worn by Jack Nicholson in the film]]
In the late 1970s, Batman's popularity was waning.<ref name=CBS/> [[CBS]] was interested in producing a ''Batman in Outer Space'' film. Producers [[Benjamin Melniker]] and [[Michael E. Uslan]] purchased the [[film rights]] of Batman from [[DC Comics]] on October 3, 1979. It was Uslan's wish "to make the definitive, dark, serious version of Batman, the way [[Bob Kane]] and [[Bill Finger]] had envisioned him in 1939. A creature of the night; stalking criminals in the shadows."<ref name=CBS>{{cite news|author = Bill "Jett" Ramey|url = http://www.batman-on-film.com/interview_muslan_2.html|title = An Interview With Michael Uslan – Part 1|work = Batman-on-Film|date = November 8, 2005|access-date = May 4, 2008|archive-date = September 27, 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130927101837/http://www.batman-on-film.com/interview_muslan_2.html|url-status = dead}}</ref> [[Richard Maibaum]] was approached to write a script with [[Guy Hamilton]] to direct, but the two turned down the offer. Uslan was unsuccessful with [[pitch (filmmaking)|pitching]] ''Batman'' to various movie studios because they wanted the film to be similar to the [[camp (style)|campy]] [[Batman (TV series)|1960s television series]]. [[Columbia Pictures]] and [[United Artists]] were among those to turn down the film.<ref name=Columbia>{{cite news|author = Bill "Jett" Ramey|url = http://www.batman-on-film.com/interview_muslan_3.html|title = An Interview With Michael Uslan – Part 2|work = Batman-on-Film|date = November 11, 2005|access-date = May 4, 2008|archive-date = September 27, 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130927101835/http://www.batman-on-film.com/interview_muslan_3.html|url-status = dead}}</ref>

A disappointed Uslan then wrote a script titled ''Return 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 book ''[[The Dark Knight Returns]]'', which his script predated by six years.<ref name=CBS/> In November 1979, producers [[Jon Peters]] and [[Peter Guber]] joined the project.<ref name=Guber>{{cite book|first1= Nancy |last1=Griffin |first2=Kim |last2=Masters|title = Hit & Run: How Jon Peters and Peter Guber Took Sony For A Ride In Hollywood|publisher = [[Simon & Schuster]]|year = 1997|pages = [https://archive.org/details/hitrunhowjonpete00grif/page/158 158–174]|isbn = 0-684-80931-1|chapter = Hit Men|chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/hitrunhowjonpete00grif/page/158}}</ref> Melniker and Uslan became executive producers. The four felt it was best to pattern the film's development after that of ''[[Superman (1978 film)|Superman]]'' (1978).<ref name=production>{{cite news|first = Alan|last = Jones|url = http://www.batman-online.com/index.php?articles;id=2|title = ''Batman'' in Production|publisher = [[Cinefantastique]]|pages = 75–88|date = November 1989|access-date = May 13, 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131204224714/http://www.batman-online.com/index.php?articles;id=2|archive-date = December 4, 2013|url-status = dead}}</ref> Uslan, Melniker and Guber pitched ''Batman'' to [[Universal Pictures]], but the studio turned it down.<ref name=road>[[Michael Uslan]], [[Benjamin Melniker]], [[Peter Guber]], [[Tom Mankiewicz]], [[Sam Hamm]], ''Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight—The Road to Gotham City'', 2005, [[Warner Home Video]]</ref> Though no movie studios were yet involved, the project was publicly announced with a budget of $15&nbsp;million in July 1980 at the [[Comic Art Convention]] in New York. [[Warner Bros.]], the studio behind the successful [[Superman in film#Salkind/Cannon film series (1978–1987)|Superman film franchise]], decided to also accept and produce ''Batman''.<ref name=Jones>{{cite news|first = Alan|last = Jones|url = http://www.1989batman.com/2013/08/vintage-magazine-article.html|title = Batman|work = [[Cinefantastique]]|pages = 55–67|date = November 1989|access-date = May 2, 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131205004312/http://www.1989batman.com/2013/08/vintage-magazine-article.html|archive-date = December 5, 2013|url-status = dead}}</ref>

[[Tom Mankiewicz]] completed a script titled ''The Batman'' in June 1983, focusing on Batman and [[Dick Grayson]]'s origins, with the Joker and [[Rupert Thorne]] as villains and [[Silver St. Cloud]] as the romantic interest.<ref>{{cite news|author = Stax|title = The Stax Report Special Edition: Script Review of ''The Batman''|work = [[IGN]]|date = December 1, 2001|url = http://movies.ign.com/articles/036/036038p1.html|access-date =October 24, 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081206080334/http://movies.ign.com/articles/036/036038p1.html| archive-date= December 6, 2008 | url-status=live}}</ref> Mankiewicz took inspiration from the [[Limited series (comics)|limited series]] ''Batman: Strange Apparitions'', written by [[Steve Englehart]].<ref name=White>{{cite news|first = Taylor L.|last = White|title = Batman|work = [[Cinefantastique]]|pages=33–40|date = July 1989}}</ref> Comic book artist [[Marshall Rogers]], who worked with Englehart on ''Strange Apparitions'', was hired for [[concept art]].<ref name=road/> ''The Batman'' was then announced in late 1983 for a mid-1985 release date on a budget of $20&nbsp;million. Originally, Mankiewicz had wanted an unknown actor for Batman, [[William Holden]] for [[Jim Gordon (character)|James Gordon]], [[David Niven]] as [[Alfred Pennyworth]], and [[Peter O'Toole]] as [[Penguin (character)|the Penguin]], whom Mankiewicz wanted to portray as a mobster with low body temperature.<ref name=Jones/> Holden died in 1981 and Niven in 1983, so this would never come to pass. A number of filmmakers were attached to Mankiewicz' script, including [[Ivan Reitman]] and [[Joe Dante]]. Reitman wanted to cast [[Bill Murray]] as Batman and [[Eddie Murphy]] as Robin.<ref name=Elfman/> Nine rewrites were performed by nine separate writers. Most of them were based on ''Strange Apparitions''. However, it was Mankiewicz's script that was still being used to guide the project.<ref name=forever/> Due to the work they did together with the film ''[[Swamp Thing (1982 film)|Swamp Thing]]'' (1982), [[Wes Craven]] was among the directors that Melniker and Uslan considered while looking for a director.<ref>{{cite magazine | magazine=[[Fangoria]] | issue=57 | author=[[Lee Goldberg]] & David McDonnell | others=[[Wes Craven]] (interviewed) | title=Wes Craven's Double Doubleheader | date=September 1986 | pages=50–53, 64 | issn=0164-2111}}</ref>

After the financial success of ''[[Pee-wee's Big Adventure]]'' (1985), Warner Bros. hired Tim Burton to direct ''Batman''. Burton had then-girlfriend [[Julie Hickson]] write a new 30-page [[film treatment]], feeling the previous script by Mankiewicz was [[camp (style)|campy]]. The success of ''The Dark Knight Returns'' and the [[graphic novel]] ''[[Batman: 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 both ''The Dark Knight Returns'' and ''The Killing Joke''.<ref name="Elfman" /> Warner Bros. enlisted the aid of Englehart to write a new treatment in March 1986.<ref name="Steve">{{cite web | title = Batman | work = [[Steve Englehart]].com | url = http://www.steveenglehart.com/Film/Batman%20movie.html | access-date = November 25, 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071214111803/http://www.steveenglehart.com/Film/Batman%20movie.html| archive-date= December 14, 2007 | url-status=live}}</ref> Like Mankiewicz's script, it was based on his own ''Strange Apparitions'' and included Silver St. Cloud, Dick Grayson, the Joker, and Rupert Thorne, as well as a [[cameo appearance]] by the [[Penguin (comics)|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.<ref name="Steve" />

Burton approached [[Sam Hamm]], a comic book fan, to write the screenplay.<ref name="Jones"/> Hamm decided not to use an [[origin story]], feeling that flashbacks would be more suitable and that "unlocking the mystery" would become part of the storyline.<ref name="White"/> He reasoned, "You totally destroy your credibility if you show the literal process by which Bruce Wayne becomes Batman."<ref name="Hamm">{{cite news | first = Stephen | last = Rebello | title = Sam Hamm – Screenwriter | work = [[Cinefantastique]] | pages=34–41 | date = November 1989 }}</ref> 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.<ref name="storm" /> 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 the ''Gotham Globe'' newspaper seen in the film.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/batmananthology/images/f/f4/GordonBeat.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140217042511 |title=Archived copy |access-date=January 29, 2016 |archive-date=February 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160213011956/http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/batmananthology/images/f/f4/GordonBeat.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140217042511 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Warner Bros. was less willing to move forward on development, despite their enthusiasm for Hamm's script, which Kane greeted with positive feedback.<ref name="Elfman" /> Hamm's script was then bootlegged at various comic book stores in the United States.<ref name="White" /> ''Batman'' was finally given the [[Green-light|greenlight]] to commence pre-production in April 1988, after the success of Burton's ''[[Beetlejuice]]'' the same year.<ref name="Elfman" /> 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 direction ''Batman'' was going in.<ref name=variety>{{cite web|last=Lowry|first=Brian|title=Batman Backlash: Ben Affleck Has Nothing on Michael Keaton|url=https://variety.com/2013/voices/columns/batman-backlash-ben-affleck-has-nothing-on-michael-keaton-1200587317/|work=Variety|access-date=August 24, 2013|date=August 23, 2013|archive-date=November 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191121060333/https://variety.com/2013/voices/columns/batman-backlash-ben-affleck-has-nothing-on-michael-keaton-1200587317/|url-status=live}}</ref> Hamm explained, "They hear Tim Burton's name and they think of ''Pee-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 of ''Batman'', 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."<ref name="White" /> To combat negative reports on the film's production, Kane was hired as creative consultant.<ref name="production"/> 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.<ref name="Fingercredit">{{Cite web |title=DC Will Finally Credit Bill Finger As Co-Creator Of Batman |date=September 20, 2015 |url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/dc-will-finally-credit-bill-finger-as-co-creator-of-bat-1731947676 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831223843/https://io9.gizmodo.com/dc-will-finally-credit-bill-finger-as-co-creator-of-bat-1731947676 |archive-date=August 31, 2019 |access-date=August 31, 2019 |publisher=[[Gizmodo]]}}</ref>