Editing Batman (1989 film) (section)

===Casting===
[[File:MikeandJack.jpg|thumb|225px|[[Michael Keaton]] as Batman and [[Jack Nicholson]] as the Joker in the film's climactic confrontation]]
Parallel to the ''[[Superman (1978 film)|Superman]]'' casting, a variety of [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood A-listers]] were considered for the role of Batman, including [[Mel Gibson]], [[Kevin Costner]], [[Charlie Sheen]], [[Tom Selleck]], [[Bill Murray]],<ref name="Guber"/><ref name="Jones" /> [[Harrison Ford]] and [[Dennis Quaid]].<ref name=Busch>{{cite news|author=Busch, Jenna|url=http://www.superherohype.com/features/306949-exclusive-interview-batman-producer-michael-uslan-talks-the-legacy-of-superhero-cinema|title=Interview: Batman Producer Michael Uslan Talks the Legacy of Superhero Cinema|publisher=Superhero Hype!|date=July 3, 2014|access-date=July 25, 2015|archive-date=December 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191207110523/https://www.superherohype.com/features/306949-exclusive-interview-batman-producer-michael-uslan-talks-the-legacy-of-superhero-cinema|url-status=live}}</ref> Burton was pressured by Warner Bros. to cast an obvious action movie star,<ref name="Elfman" /> and had approached [[Pierce Brosnan]], but he had no interest in playing a comic book character.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/aug/21/pierce-brosnan-turned-down-tim-burton-batman | title=Pierce Brosnan: I turned down Tim Burton's Batman | newspaper=The Guardian | date=August 21, 2014 | access-date=August 22, 2014 | archive-date=December 7, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191207110505/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/aug/21/pierce-brosnan-turned-down-tim-burton-batman | url-status=live }}</ref> Burton was originally interested in casting an unknown actor,<ref name=Busch/> [[Willem Dafoe]], who was falsely reported to be considered for the Joker but had actually been considered for Batman early in development.<ref>{{cite news|first=Josh|last=Wigler|title=Exclusive: Willem Dafoe As Batman? It Almost Happened!|publisher=MTV.com|date=October 27, 2009|url=http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/10/27/exclusive-willem-dafoe-as-batman-it-almost-happened/|access-date=May 14, 2015|archive-date=September 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909044420/http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/10/27/exclusive-willem-dafoe-as-batman-it-almost-happened/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Producer Jon Peters suggested Michael Keaton, arguing he had the right "edgy, tormented quality" after having seen his dramatic performance in ''[[Clean and Sober]]''.<ref>John Peters, ''[[The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened?]]'', 2015</ref> Having directed Keaton in ''[[Beetlejuice]]'', Burton agreed.<ref name="Guber" />

The casting of Keaton caused a furor among comic book fans,<ref name=variety/>{{r|Joe}} with 50,000 protest letters sent to Warner Bros. offices.<ref name="storm">Tim 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]]</ref> Kane, Hamm, and Uslan also heavily questioned the casting.<ref name="White" /> "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 from ''[[Mr. Mom]]'' and ''[[Night Shift (1982 film)|Night Shift]]'' and stuff like that."<ref name="battle">{{cite news | author = Hilary de Vries | title = ''Batman'' Battles for Big Money | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = February 5, 1989 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/05/movies/film-batman-battles-for-big-money.html | access-date = October 26, 2008 | archive-date = December 7, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191207110506/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/05/movies/film-batman-battles-for-big-money.html | url-status = live }}</ref> Keaton studied ''The Dark Knight Returns'' for inspiration.<ref>{{cite book | first = Les | last = Daniels | title = Batman: The Complete History | isbn = 0-8118-2470-5 | publisher = [[Chronicle Books]] | page = 164 | year = 2000| author-link = Les Daniels }}</ref>

[[Tim Curry]], [[David Bowie]], [[John Lithgow]], [[Brad Dourif]], [[Ray Liotta]], and [[James Woods]] were all considered for the Joker.<ref name="Hamm" /><ref>{{cite news|first=Todd|last=Gilchrist|title=Ray Liotta Says Tim Burton Wanted To Meet With Him For 'Batman'|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/ray_liotta_says_tim_burton_wanted_to_meet_with_him_for_batman|work=[[Indiewire]]|date=November 4, 2011|access-date=August 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903111351/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/ray_liotta_says_tim_burton_wanted_to_meet_with_him_for_batman|archive-date=September 3, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="reboot">{{cite book | first=David | last=Hughes | title =Comic Book Movies | publisher =[[Virgin Books]] | year =2003 | pages =33–46 | isbn = 0-7535-0767-6| chapter = Batman}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Ben|last=Child|title= Batman's Joker was originally Brad Dourif, not Jack Nicholson, says Dourif|url= https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/oct/15/batman-joker-brad-dourif-jack-nicholson|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=October 15, 2013|access-date=October 27, 2021}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Van Syckle|first1=Katie|title=John Lithgow Still Regrets Passing on Playing the Joker in Tim Burton's Batman|url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/06/john-lithgow-could-have-played-the-joker-but-turned-it-down.html|website=Vulture|date=June 13, 2017 |access-date=14 June 2017|archive-date=November 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191121192027/https://www.vulture.com/2017/06/john-lithgow-could-have-played-the-joker-but-turned-it-down.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Burton wanted to cast [[John Glover (actor)|John Glover]], but the studio insisted on using a movie star.<ref>{{cite podcast |host=Joe Stuber |title=Episode 261: Special Guest Robert Whul! |website=Comic Book Central |publisher=Joe Stuber |date=June 18, 2019 |url=http://comicbookcentral.net/tag/robert-wuhl/ |access-date=February 16, 2019 |archive-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230195238/http://comicbookcentral.net/tag/robert-wuhl/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Robin Williams]] lobbied hard for the part.<ref name="storm" /> Jack Nicholson had been the studio's top choice since 1980. Peters approached Nicholson as far back as 1986, during filming of ''[[The Witches of Eastwick (film)|The Witches of Eastwick]]'';<ref name="empire" /> unlike Keaton, he was a popular choice for his role.{{r|Joe}} 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,<ref name="Jones" /> as well as being off for [[Los Angeles Lakers]] home games.<ref name="celfans">{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/features/lakers_celebs_070309.html |title=Top 10 Celebrity Lakers Fans |work=NBA.com |access-date=September 6, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212070350/http://www.nba.com/features/lakers_celebs_070309.html |archive-date=December 12, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Nicholson demanded that all of his scenes be shot in a three-week block, but the schedule lapsed into 106 days.<ref name="empire" /> He reduced his standard $10&nbsp;million fee to $6&nbsp;million in exchange for a cut of the film's earnings (including associated merchandise), which led to remuneration in excess of $50&nbsp;million<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2000/03/03/biggest-movie-payoffs/|title=The biggest movie payoffs|last=Hochman|first=David|date=March 3, 2000|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=December 30, 2019|archive-date=December 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222151019/https://ew.com/article/2000/03/03/biggest-movie-payoffs/|url-status=live}}</ref>—biographer Marc Eliot reports that Nicholson may have received as much as $90&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/08/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/jack-nicholson-you-dont-know-jack/ |date= November 8, 2013 |access-date= December 22, 2013 |publisher= CNN |title= You don't know Jack (Nicholson) |first= Matt |last= Carey |archive-date= November 14, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131114025419/http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/08/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/jack-nicholson-you-dont-know-jack |url-status= live }}</ref> He also demanded top [[Billing (filmmaking)|billing]] on promotional materials.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/top-ten-batman-villains-on-screen-c9xwz76jg6q|title=Top ten Batman villains on screen|date=July 17, 2012|website=[[The Times]]|access-date=July 12, 2019|quote=Nicholson... demanded top-billing and a deal that gave him royalties on merchandise.|archive-date=July 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190712171429/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/top-ten-batman-villains-on-screen-c9xwz76jg6q|url-status=live}}{{Subscription required}}</ref>

[[Sean Young]] was originally cast as Vicki Vale, but was injured in a horse-riding accident prior to commencement of filming.<ref name="shadows">''Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight'', "Part 2: The Gathering Storm", DVD documentary, 2005</ref> 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 suggested [[Kim Basinger]]: she was able to join the production immediately and was cast.<ref name="Guber" /><ref name="shadows" /> As a fan of [[Michael Gough]]'s work in various [[Hammer Film Productions]], Burton cast Gough as Bruce Wayne's mysterious butler, [[Alfred Pennyworth|Alfred]].<ref name="audio">[[Tim Burton]], DVD [[audio commentary]], 2005, [[Warner Home Video]]</ref>  Reporter Alexander Knox was portrayed by [[Robert 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."<ref name="heroes">[[Robert Wuhl]], [[Billy Dee Williams]], [[Pat Hingle]], ''Batman: The Heroes'', 2005, [[Warner Home Video]]</ref> Burton chose [[Billy Dee Williams]] as [[Two-Face|Harvey Dent]] because he wanted to include the villain [[Two-Face]] in a future film using the concept of an African-American Two-Face for the black and white concept,<ref>''Batman'' Special Edition DVD/Blu-ray, Tim Burton Commentary</ref> but [[Tommy Lee Jones]] was later cast in the role for ''[[Batman Forever]]'', which disappointed Williams.<ref name="heroes" /> Nicholson convinced the filmmakers to cast his close friend [[Tracey Walter]] as the Joker's henchman Bob.<ref>[[Jack Nicholson]], [[Tracey Walter]], ''Batman: The Villains'', 2005, [[Warner Home Video]]</ref> Irish child actor Ricky Addison Reed was cast as Dick Grayson before the character was removed by Warren Skarren for the revised shooting script.<ref>Comics Scene magazine, #14, August 1990, page 51</ref> The rest of the cast included [[Pat Hingle]] as [[Jim Gordon (character)|Commissioner Gordon]], [[Jerry Hall]] as Alicia, [[Lee Wallace (actor)|Lee Wallace]] as Mayor Borg, [[William Hootkins]] as Lt. Eckhardt, and [[Jack Palance]] as crime boss Carl Grissom.