History Trivia / Batman1989

** Tom Mankiewicz completed a script titled ''The Batman'' in June 1983. Taking inspiration from ''Batman: Strange Apparitions'', it focused on Batman and Dick Grayson's origins, with the Joker and Rupert Thorne as villains, and Silver St. Cloud as the romantic interest. Comic book artist Marshall Rogers, who worked on ''Strange Apparitions'', was hired for concept art. The film was then announced in late 1983 for a mid-1985 release date on a budget of $20 million. Originally, Mankiewicz had wanted an unknown actor for Batman, Creator/WilliamHolden for James Gordon, Creator/DavidNiven as Alfred Pennyworth, and Creator/PeterOToole as the Penguin, whom Mankiewicz wanted to portray as a mobster with low body temperature. Holden died in 1981 and Niven in 1983, so this would never come to pass. Among those attached to the script were Creator/JoeDante and Creator/IvanReitman, who wanted to cast Creator/BillMurray as Batman and Creator/EddieMurphy as Robin. Nine rewrites were performed by nine separate writers, most of them being based on ''Strange Apparitions''. However, it was Mankiewicz's script that was still being used to guide the project. Creator/WesCraven was among the directors that Melniker and Uslan considered, due to their working together on ''Film/SwampThing''.

** A spate of "[[DarkerAndEdgier dark and gritty]]" and '30s-'40s pulp-inspired superhero/comic book movies followed, including ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1990'', ''Film/TheCrow'', ''Film/TheShadow'', ''Film/ThePhantom1996'', ''Film/{{Darkman}}'' and ''Film/DickTracy'', the latter two having Danny Elfman providing a rather ''Batman''-y score.

** In what would sadly be his only convention appearance in 1994 due to his near-fatal injury the following year, Creator/ChristopherReeve [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_eMXVbsiuw&ab_channel=ReeveChristopher revealed]] that he pitched an idea for the film in which he would've reprised his role as Clark Kent from the [[Film/SupermanTheMovie Donnerverse]] films in a cameo that would've made the film being set in the same universe as the 1978-1987 films but Warner Bros. execs said no. Interestingly enough, there would be another attempt at introducing Superman to the Burtonverse films with ''Superman Lives'' as Creator/MichaelKeaton was set to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne before the film was cancelled prior to start of production but the Donnerverse/Burtonverse stuff would become a reality when the twelfth issue of the 2019 ''ComicBook/DialHForHero'' comic book series confirmed that both film series are set in Earth 789.

** In what would sadly be his only convention appearance in 1994 due to his near-fatal injury the following year, Creator/ChristopherReeve [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_eMXVbsiuw&ab_channel=ReeveChristopher revealed]] that he pitched an idea for the film in which he would've reprised his role as Clark Kent from the [[Film/Superman1978 Donnerverse]] films in a cameo that would've made the film being in the same universe as the 1978-1987 films but Warner Bros. execs said no. Interestingly enough, there would be another attempt at introducing Superman to the Burtonverse films with ''Superman Lives'' as Creator/MichaelKeaton was set to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne before the film was cancelled prior to start of production but the Donnerverse/Burtonverse stuff would become a reality when the twelfth issue of the 2019 ''ComicBook/DialHForHero'' comic book series confirmed that both film series are set in Earth 789.

* PredecessorCastingGag: In an interview, Tim Burton said there were plans to have Creator/AdamWest and Creator/JulieNewmar as Thomas and Martha. In a separate interview, West said he was never contacted, implying this idea [[WhatCouldHaveBeen didn't get very far]] (West also said if they did offer him, he probably would have refused). That said, he did finally get to be Thomas Wayne in an animated adaptation decades later.

** Creator/TheCoenBrothers, Creator/DavidCronenberg and Creator/JoeDante were approached to direct the movie before Creator/TimBurton was hired. The Coen Brothers reportedly turned down the offer as they didn't want to do a film that wasn't theirs.
*** Creator/SamRaimi was also in the running to direct the movie, but was overlooked as he was not a big enough name. Raimi was later brought up again as a potential replacement for Burton on ''Film/BatmanForever'', but was turned down in favor of Creator/JoelSchumacher.

** Creator/TheCoenBrothers, Creator/DavidCronenberg and Creator/JoeDante were approached to direct the movie before Creator/TimBurton was hired. The Coen Brothers reportedly turned down the offer as they didn't want to do a film that wasn't theirs. Creator/SamRaimi was also in the running to direct the movie, but was overlooked as he was not a big enough name. Raimi was later brought up again as a potential replacement for Burton on ''Film/BatmanForever'', but was turned down in favor of Creator/JoelSchumacher.

* ApprovalOfGod: Creator/BobKane approved of the twist of The Joker being the one who killed Batman's parents, saying that he wished he'd thought of it himself.
* AwesomeDearBoy: Creator/JackNicholson has said that The Joker might have been his favorite role of all, because it was the "least limiting" creation he did (read: lots of freedom to go LargeHam) and the character's CrossesTheLineTwice behavior mirrored his own sense of humour. The fact that he negotiated such a sweet back-end deal that ended up paying him more than any actor had received for a role before probably didn't hurt.

** Creator/MelGibson was also approached for the part of Bruce Wayne, but turned it down due to scheduling commitments to ''Film/LethalWeapon2''.
** Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/KevinCostner, Creator/CharlieSheen, Creator/TomSelleck and Creator/DennisQuaid were considered for the role of Batman as well before the casting of Keaton.

** Creator/JohnLithgow read for the role of the Joker as well, but personally believed that he was not right for the part and persuaded the director not to cast him.

** Music/DavidBowie, Creator/WillemDafoe, Creator/BradDourif, Creator/JamesWoods and Creator/TimCurry were also considered for the Joker before the casting of Nicholson. Curry would later go on to be cast as the character in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', but was replaced by Creator/MarkHamill due to him coming down with bronchitis, his voice being too similar to Captain Hook in ''WesternAnimation/PeterPanAndThePirates'', and being considered '''TOO''' scary for younger viewers.

* GodDoesNotOwnThisWorld: [[Music/Batman1989 The movie's soundtrack]] is the one and ''only'' album Music/{{Prince}} recorded under Warner Records he wasn't able to secure the rights of the master tapes to. As part of the contractual agreement to create the soundtrack, Prince had to sign over the rights to the album over to Creator/WarnerBros directly. And though he was allowed to perform them live at his concerts, Prince was forbidden to include any of the movie's tracks on his greatest hits compilations; a restriction that would stick until almost immediately after his death, when "Batdance" was included on the posthumous compilation ''4 Ever''.

** A spate of "[[DarkerAndEdgier dark and gritty]]" and '30s-'40s pulp-inspired superhero/comic book movies followed, including ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1990'', ''Film/TheShadow'', ''Film/ThePhantom1996'', ''Film/{{Darkman}}'' and ''Film/DickTracy'', the latter two having Danny Elfman providing a rather ''Batman''-y score.

* {{Blooper}}: Look very closely during the shot where the camera slowly zooms in on the Joker’s broken and bloody corpse. He blinks.

*** Creator/MelGibson was also approached for the part of Bruce Wayne, but turned it down due to scheduling commitments to ''Film/LethalWeapon2''.
*** Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/KevinCostner, Creator/CharlieSheen, Creator/TomSelleck and Creator/DennisQuaid were considered for the role of Batman as well before the casting of Keaton.

*** Creator/JohnLithgow read for the role of the Joker as well, but personally believed that he was not right for the part and persuaded the director not to cast him.

*** Music/DavidBowie, Creator/WillemDafoe, Creator/BradDourif, Creator/JamesWoods and Creator/TimCurry were also considered for the Joker before the casting of Nicholson. Curry would later go on to be cast as the character in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', but was replaced by Creator/MarkHamill due to him coming down with bronchitis, his voice being too similar to Captain Hook in ''WesternAnimation/PeterPanAndThePirates'', and being considered '''TOO''' scary for younger viewers.

** Creator/TheCoenBrothers, Creator/DavidCronenberg and Creator/JoeDante were approached to direct the movie before Creator/TimBurton was hired. The Coen Brothers reportedly turned down the offer as they didn't want to do a film that wasn't theirs.
*** Creator/SamRaimi was also in the running to direct the movie, but was overlooked as he was not a big enough name. Raimi was later brought up again as a potential replacement for Burton on ''Film/BatmanForever'', but was turned down in favor of Creator/JoelSchumacher.