Batman 89
>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. In the original script, Rupert Thorne hires Joe Chill to murder Thomas Wayne because he is running against Thorne for city council.
>Originally, Mankiewicz had wanted an unknown actor for Batman, William Holden for James Gordon, David Niven as Alfred Pennyworth, and Peter O'Toole as the Penguin, whom Mankiewicz wanted to portray as a mobster with low body temperature. 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.
>Burton stated in an interview that he had initially wanted Adam West and Julie Newmar to play Thomas and Martha Wayne in the flashback, symbolizing the "death" of the old Batman. Script rewrites caused this to be scrapped, and West later said he wasn't even offered the role (and even if he was, he wouldn't have taken it).
>Parallel to the Superman casting, a who's who of Hollywood top stars were considered for the role of Batman, including. Burton was pressured by Warner Bros. to cast an obvious action movie star, and approached Pierce Brosnan, but he had no interest in playing a comic book character. Burton was originally interested in casting an unknown actor, and offered Ray Liotta a chance to audition after having completed Something Wild, but Liotta declined, a decision he regrets.
>Also considered for the role of Batman: Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner, Charlie Sheen, Tom Selleck, Bill Murray, Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin, Jeff Bridges, Emilio Estevez, Matthew Broderick, Tom Cruise, Michael J. Fox, Harrison Ford, Robert Downey, Jr., Kevin Spacey, Patrick Swayze, Kurt Russell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Daniel Day-Lewis, Tom Hanks, Kevin Kline and Bruce Willis.
>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. In the original script, Rupert Thorne hires Joe Chill to murder Thomas Wayne because he is running against Thorne for city council.
>Originally, Mankiewicz had wanted an unknown actor for Batman, William Holden for James Gordon, David Niven as Alfred Pennyworth, and Peter O'Toole as the Penguin, whom Mankiewicz wanted to portray as a mobster with low body temperature. 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.
>Burton stated in an interview that he had initially wanted Adam West and Julie Newmar to play Thomas and Martha Wayne in the flashback, symbolizing the "death" of the old Batman. Script rewrites caused this to be scrapped, and West later said he wasn't even offered the role (and even if he was, he wouldn't have taken it).
>Parallel to the Superman casting, a who's who of Hollywood top stars were considered for the role of Batman, including. Burton was pressured by Warner Bros. to cast an obvious action movie star, and approached Pierce Brosnan, but he had no interest in playing a comic book character. Burton was originally interested in casting an unknown actor, and offered Ray Liotta a chance to audition after having completed Something Wild, but Liotta declined, a decision he regrets.
>Also considered for the role of Batman: Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner, Charlie Sheen, Tom Selleck, Bill Murray, Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin, Jeff Bridges, Emilio Estevez, Matthew Broderick, Tom Cruise, Michael J. Fox, Harrison Ford, Robert Downey, Jr., Kevin Spacey, Patrick Swayze, Kurt Russell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Daniel Day-Lewis, Tom Hanks, Kevin Kline and Bruce Willis.
