George Fernandes and Batman in film: Difference between pages
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{{Infobox_Indian_politician |
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| caption = Poster for ''Batman'' (1989) |
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| name = George Fernandes |
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| birth_date ={{Birth date and age|1930|6|3|df=y}} |
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| nationality = {{flagicon|India}} [[India]]n |
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| birth_place =[[Mangalore]] |
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| residence = [[Bangalore]] |
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| distributor = [[20th Century Fox]] (1966); <br />[[Warner Bros.]] (1989-2008) |
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| office = [[Member of Parliament|MP]] |
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| released = 1966 – present |
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| constituency = [[Muzaffarpur]] |
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| signature = George fernandes sign.JPG |
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| country = {{USA}} |
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| language = [[English language|English]] |
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| gross = $2,597,560,813 |
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| party =[[Janata Dal (United)]] |
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| religion = [[Christianity]] ([[Roman Catholicism]]) |
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| date = September 26 | |
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| year = 2006 | |
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| source = http://164.100.24.208/ls/lsmember/biodata.asp?mpsno= Biographical Sketch of Current Lok Sabha members |
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The '''''Batman'' [[film series]]''' currently consists of seven [[superhero film]]s based on the fictional [[DC Comics]] [[Batman|character of the same name]], portrayed by [[Adam West]], [[Michael Keaton]], [[Val Kilmer]], [[George Clooney]] and [[Christian Bale]] respectively. |
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'''George Fernandes''' (born June 3, 1930) is a trade unionist, agriculturist, political activist, journalist<ref name="GF1">{{cite web |url=http://siafdu.tripod.com/fernandes.html |title=Defence Minister George Fernandes |publisher= Indian Airforce Down Under |accessdate=2008-03-02}}</ref> and currently a member of the [[14th Lok Sabha]] of [[India]]. He represents the [[Muzaffarpur]] constituency of [[Bihar]] and is a member of the [[Janata Dal (United)]] party. Fernandes was a defence minister in the [[National Democratic Alliance (India)|National Democratic Alliance]] Government (1998-2004). |
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The [[Batman (1966 film)|first film]], known simply as ''Batman'' or ''Batman: The Movie'', directed by [[Leslie H. Martinson]] and produced by [[20th Century Fox]], was a theatrical [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] of the [[Batman (TV series)|TV series]], produced by [[William Dozier]], that was running at the time and was a quasi-comedy rather than a serious superhero movie. [[Warner Bros.]] hired [[Tim Burton]] to direct the [[Batman (1989 film)|1989 version]], which had no connection to the 1966 movie and is often considered the first "definitive" Batman movie. The series continued with ''[[Batman Returns]]'' ([[1992 in film|1992]]). [[Joel Schumacher]] was hired to direct ''[[Batman Forever]]'' ([[1995 in film|1995]]), and ''[[Batman & Robin (film)|Batman & Robin]]'' ([[1997 in film|1997]]), with various proposals for another installment being cancelled after the critical failure of ''Batman & Robin''. [[Christopher Nolan]] rebooted the film series with ''[[Batman Begins]]'' ([[2005 in film|2005]]) and ''[[The Dark Knight (film)|The Dark Knight]]'' ([[2008 in film|2008]]), completely starting over with a new series of films that have no connection to the previous installments. Throughout the films, Batman has fought with several of [[List of Batman Family enemies|his famous villains]]. |
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==Early life== |
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George Fernandes was born in 1930, in the coastal town of [[Mangalore]]. After his schooling in [[Mangalore]], his father sent him to seminary near [[Bangalore]], to train as a [[priest]]. The rigours of priesthood did not suit him, however, and he rebelled against the authorities of the seminary.{{Fact|date=September 2007}} |
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Though the 1966 movie was the first feature length Batman film, two previous efforts had been shown in cinemas in a serial format, 1943's ''[[Batman (serial)|The Batman]]'' and 1949's ''[[Batman and Robin (serial)|Batman and Robin]]''. These were produced on extremely small budgets and featured none of the comic book series' regular villains. Batman was played by [[Lewis Wilson]] in the first serial and [[Robert Lowery]] in the sequel. |
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==Life in Mumbai== |
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George Fernandes had to endure innumerable hardships during his stay in Mumbai.{{Fact|date=October 2007}} It is said that he retained his simplicity owing to the hardships he faced there.{{Fact|date=October 2007}} Even today, he dresses modestly in a simple kurta-pyjama and leads a simple life. Nevertheless, he soon rose to prominence as a trade unionist and fought pitched battles against hotel owners, mill owners for the rights of labourers. Although this made him extremely popular among the working classes, he had to face the wrath of hotel and mill owners. |
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==Development== |
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The pivotal moment that thrust Fernandes into limelight was his decision to stand for the 1967 general elections. He was offered a party ticket by the [[Samyukta Socialist Party]] against the political heavyweight Sadashiv Kanoji Patil in Mumbai. Sadashiv Kanoji Patil, or S.K.Patil as he was popularly known, was a seasoned politician, with two decades of experience behind him. Everyone expected S.K.Patil to romp home with absolute majority against George Fernandes. But to the utter surprise of political pundits{{Fact|date=October 2007}}, Fernandes convincingly won against S.K.Patil by garnering 48.5% of the votes polled in the election. Incidentally, the shock defeat ended S.K.Patil's political career. |
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The first feature-length film based on Batman was developed by [[William Dozier]] and [[20th Century Fox]] out of the [[Batman (TV series)|television series]] that starred [[Adam West]] as Batman/Bruce Wayne and [[Burt Ward]] as Robin/Dick Grayson. Both West and Ward reprised their roles for the film. Produced between the first and second seasons, the film was just as campy as the series, with its comic relief. It was a moderate success at the box office. When the series ended, no other film based on the series was produced. However, the original ''Batman'' film has become a cult classic and has since been issued on DVD as the only incarnation of the television series to be so released. |
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==The Emergency Era== |
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The reigning Prime Minister of India, Smt. [[Indira Gandhi]] declared a [[state of emergency]] on 25th June 1975. Accordingly, all fundamental rights enjoined in the Indian Constitution were suspended. Political dissidents, newspaper reporters, opposition leaders who opposed emergency were jailed. George Fernandes, along with like-minded leaders, opposed this blatant misuse of power. A warrant was issued in Fernandes' name and subsequently he went underground to escape arrest and prosecution. When the police failed to capture him, they arrested and tortured his brother, Lawrence Fernandes, to reveal his brother's whereabouts<ref>[http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/06/26/stories/2003062600230100.htm The Hindu]</ref>. Lawrence could not reveal George's location since he was unaware of his brother's movements.{{Fact|date=October 2007}} In June 1976 he was finally arrested on charges of smuggling dynamite to blow up government establishments in protest against the imposition of emergency, in what came to be known as Baroda Dynamite conspiracy case. |
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The Warner Bros. films took a far different approach than Fox's original. [[Michael Uslan]] had recently gained fame for convincing the Dean of [[Indiana University]] to start a course on comic books. [[DC Comics]] was impressed enough with his work to invite him to their offices. Uslan, a fan of the [[Batman]] character, was able to acquire the film rights to the property in April 1979 through a newly formed partnership with Benjamin Melniker. [[CBS]] at that time was developing a ''Batman in Outer Space'' film, though DC had no intention of granting film rights for that concept. The prevailing perception of the character was still that of [[Batman (TV series)|the campy 1960s TV series]]. Uslan was always fascinated with [[Bill Finger]]'s and [[Bob Kane]]'s early stories from 1939, and wished instead to produce the film in that style. For his presentation to studios, Uslan wrote a short story titled ''Return of the Batman'' so as to show the studios what exactly he was aiming for. The treatment anticipated the tone that would later be taken in [[Frank Miller (comics)|Frank Miller]]'s ''[[Batman: The Dark Knight Returns]]''.<ref name=Uslan>{{cite news|author=Bill "Jett" Ramey|title=An Interview With Michael Uslan - Part 1| publisher=Batman-on-Film|date=[[2005-11-08]]|url= http://www.batman-on-film.com/interview_muslan_2.html| accessdate= 2007-11-22 }}</ref> |
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After the emergency was lifted, general elections were held in India. The Congress Party, led by Smt. Indira Gandhi suffered a defeat at the hands of the [[Janata Party]] coalition. The Janata Party and its allies came to power, headed by Sri. [[Morarji Desai]]. George Fernandes was appointed as the Union Minister for Industries. |
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As Uslan and Melniker unsuccessfully pitched the film to many studios,<ref name=shadowbat>{{cite video | title = Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight| format = DVD | publisher = Warner Bros. | year = 2005}}</ref> Uslan started searching for writers. He felt ''[[Superman (film)|Superman]]'', ''[[James Bond (film series)|James Bond]]'', and ''[[Star Wars]]'' were the three most successful film franchises at the time. As such he approached [[Richard Maibaum]] to write the script, with [[Guy Hamilton]] to direct. Both were well known for the various Bond films they had collaborated on, though the two would eventually turn down the opportunity. [[Tom Mankiewicz]] was settled upon, who had recently co-written ''Superman'' and in the past was involved with three James Bond films. Mankiewicz started writing his script sometime in 1980,<ref name=Uslan/> and was able to finish in June 1983, going under the simple title of ''The Batman''.<ref name=manky>{{cite news|author=[[Tom Mankiewicz]]|title=The Batman: Revised First Draft Screenplay| publisher=ScifiScripts.com |date=[[1983-06-20]]|url=http://www.scifiscripts.com/scripts/batmanscript1.txt|accessdate=2007-11-23}}</ref> |
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He continued to be uncomfortable with certain elements of the broad-based Janata coalition, especially some former Congress Party members, like [[Jagjivan Ram]], but especially with the leaders of the erstwhile [[Hindu nationalist]] [[Bharatiya Jan Sangh]] in the [[Union Cabinet]], [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] and [[Lal Krishna Advani]].{{Fact|date=October 2007}} In a debate preceding a [[vote of confidence]] two years into the government's tenure, he spoke out against the practice of permitting Vajpayee and Advani to retain connections to the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] while being in the ministry; the issue of "dual membership" caused Morarji Desai to lose the vote of confidence, and [[Charan Singh]] formed a government, supported from outside by the [[Congress Party]]. |
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The script showcased the origins of both Bruce Wayne and [[Dick Grayson]] and included the [[Joker (comics)|Joker]] and [[Rupert Thorne]] as the main villains (with a brief cameo from the [[Penguin (comics)|Penguin]]). [[Silver St. Cloud]] appeared as the love interest. Several elements from the script ended up appearing in future film installments, such as The Joker being responsible for Bruce's parents' murder (though [[Joe Chill]] was the hired gun), and Batman being framed for crimes he didn't commit (see ''[[Batman Returns]]''). Similarities for ''[[Batman Forever]]'' had Dick Grayson's origin being practically the same (as well as stumbling upon the [[Batcave]]), and Dick saving Bruce's life before becoming Robin.<ref name=manky/> |
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After the dissolution of the unstable Charan Singh ministry, he contested for the Lok Sabha in 1980 from Bangalore North against future [[Railway minister]] [[CK Jaffer Sharief]] and lost the election. He then decided to shift his base to Bihar, which was already the haunt of his political ''guru'', [[Ram Manohar Lohia]] and friend [[Madhu Limaye]]. |
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While Mankiewicz was writing the script, Uslan and Melniker were still seeking a deal with a studio. Uslan recounts many stories, "At [[Columbia Pictures|Columbia]], the head of production said to me, shaking his head after I pitched my heart out, "Come on, Batman will never be a success as a film because our movie ''[[Annie (film)|Annie]]'' didn’t do well." I looked at this guy dumbfounded. And I asked him what did the little red-headed girl who sang "Tomorrow" have to do with Batman!? And he said, "Michael, they are both out of the funny pages." At [[United Artists]], Uslan recounted a similar story. "An exec said to me that a film with Batman and Robin would never work as a film because ''[[Robin and Marian]]'' wasn’t successful. Now that was about an aging [[Robin Hood]] and [[Maid Marian]] with [[Sean Connery]]! I just picked up all my materials, didn’t say a word and walked out of the room."<ref name=Uslan2>{{cite news|author=Bill "Jett" Ramey|title=An Interview With Michael Uslan - Part 2| publisher=Batman-on-Film|date=[[2005-11-10]]|url=http://www.batman-on-film.com/interview_muslan_3.html| accessdate= 2007-11-23}}</ref> |
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==Ministerial Tenures== |
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===First Tenure=== |
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George Fernandes first ministerial tenure was marred by controversies and allegations. He clashed with multinationals like [[IBM]] and [[Coca Cola]] and ordered them to leave Indian shores, implementing FERA, the [[Foreign Exchange Regulation Act]], which had been passed under Indira Gandhi's government. |
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It was in late 1981 that Uslan announced a 1983 release date, with a budget of $15 million, though the project continued to languish in [[development hell]], causing repeated delays.<ref name=production>{{cite news|author=Alan Jones|title=Batman in Production| publisher=[[Cinefantastique]]|date=November 1989|url= http://www.batmanmovieonline.com/behindthescenes/articles/batmanproduction.htm|accessdate=2007-11-23 }}</ref> Uslan and Melniker were finally able to team with [[Peter Guber]] and [[Jon Peters]] in 1982. The four [[film producer|producers]] were able to convince Warner Bros. to finance the film after [[Universal Studios]] declined the offer.<ref name=shadowbat/> Uslan then announced in 1983, the year Mankiewicz finally completed his script, that the film would be released in 1985 and have a budget of $20 million.<ref name=production/> [[Joe Dante]] and [[Ivan Reitman]] were briefly involved as directors though both would take on other projects instead (''[[Gremlins]]'' for Dante, while Reitman opted for ''[[Ghostbusters]]'').<ref name=shadowbat/> Uslan wanted a distinguished unknown actor as Batman, with [[William Holden]] as [[Commissioner Gordon]] and [[David Niven]] as [[Alfred Pennyworth]].<ref name=production/> Even at this stage, [[Jack Nicholson]] was the choice for the role of The Joker.<ref name=Uslan2/> |
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===Second Tenure=== |
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George Fernandes' second tenure as Minister of Railways in the [[V.P. Singh]]'s government, though shortlived, was quite eventful. He was the driving force behind the [[Konkan Railway]] project, connecting coastal Karnataka with Mumbai, the first major development to [[Indian Railways]] since independence in 1947. The Konkan Railway reduced travel time between Udupi, Mangalore and Mumbai and facilitated easy movement of goods and services. Konkan Railway, hailed as a technological marvel, has contributed to the economic growth in coastal Karnataka{{Fact|date=August 2007}}. |
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In the meantime, more scripts came about that included the basic premise of The Joker, Rupert Thorne, Silver St. Cloud, and Robin. All scripts were positioned as an adaptation of [[Steve Englehart]]'s ''Dark Detective'' series.<ref>{{cite news|author=Bill "Jett" Ramey|title=Interview: Steven Englehart|publisher=Batman-on-Film|date=[[2006-11-27]]|url= http://www.batman-on-film.com/interview_steveenglehart_jett_2006.html|accessdate=2007-11-25}}</ref> Warner Bros., however, began to push for the project again to center on the campy tone of the ''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]'' TV series from the 1960s, citing [[Bill Murray]] as Batman and [[Eddie Murphy]] as [[Dick Grayson|Robin]] as their primary casting choices, over Uslan's objections. After the success of Frank Miller's ''The Dark Knight Returns'', the studio reconsidered, and decided to depict the film the way Uslan had wanted to since the beginning, though still choosing a comedy director, after the surprising success of ''[[Pee-wee's Big Adventure]]'', Warner Bros. handed the director's position to [[Tim Burton]].<ref name=shadowbat/> |
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===Third Tenure=== |
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George Fernandes broke away from the erstwhile Janata Dal and formed the [[Samata Party]] in 1994. |
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Burton took ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'' and ''[[Batman Returns]]'' as opportunities to pay homage to the classic [[German Expressionism|German Expressionist]] [[Horror film]] genre. Burton's influences included ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (1962 film)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'', ''[[The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari]]'', ''[[Dracula (1931 film)|Dracula]]'', ''[[The Bat (1926 film)|The Bat]]'', ''[[The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)|The Man Who Laughs]]'', ''[[Frankenstein (1931 film)|Frankenstein]]'', ''[[Bride of Frankenstein]]'', ''[[Nosferatu]]'', and ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923 film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]''. <ref name=Commentary>{{cite video|title=Batman (1989) Audio Commentary by Director [[Tim Burton]]|format = DVD|publisher=Warner Bros.| year=2005}}</ref> |
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In spite of being a committed socialist, who had previously always opposed the [[Sangh Parivar]] - so much so that he had been willing to end Morarji Desai's government on the question of [[Atal Behari Vajpayee]] and [[LK Advani]]'s "dual membership" of the [[Janata Party]] and the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] - his party became a key ally of the BJP. BJP formed a short lived government after 1996 General Elections along with Shivsena with outside support from Samata Party, Shiromani Akali Dal(Badal) and Haryana Vikas Party of Late Bansilal. The goverment survived only 13 days. Then Fernandes served in the opposition along with BJP during the two United Front govts led by [[H D Deve Gowda ]] and [[Inder Kumar Gujral]]. After the collapse of the UF ministry led by Gujral, BJP and its allies won a slender majority in the 1998 elections. The alliance, consisting of 24-parties, won a slender majority in the 1998 election. The government lasted only for 13 few months, due to the non-cooperation of AIADMK leader Ms. [[Jayalalitha]]. Whenever there was a difference of opinion between Jayalalitha and the NDA, George had to visit Poes Garden (Jayalalitha's Residence), to iron out the differences. This earned him the reputation of "Peace-Broker" and "Troubleshooter" of the NDA.{{Fact|date=October 2007}} |
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{{see|Batman (1989 film)#Production}} |
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After the collapse of the 2nd BJP led coalition govt, BJP and its allies formed a 24 party alliance called [[National Democratic Alliance]]. [[Jaswant Singh]] was the 1st convenor of [[NDA]] , then the responsibility was given to George Fernandes. Once again George Fernandes became the troubleshooter for Vajpayee. In the mean time, Gorge also merged his party into [[Janata Dal (United)]], a party consisting one group of the earstwhile Janata Dal. The [[National Democratic Alliance]] won a comfortable majority in the 1999 General Elections and formed the third govt led by Atal Behari Vajpayee. George Fernandes served as the Defence Minister in both the 2nd and the 3rd Vajpayee ministries. |
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==Burton/Schumacher series== |
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It was during his 1st tenure as the Defence Minister when the [[Kargil war]] over [[Kashmir]] broke out between India and Pakistan. During Winter, it is common for Indian & Pakistani Armies to vacate the icy-posts of Kashmir. But the Pakistani Forces, occupied the hills in the [[Kargil]] sector. As a result, the Indian army undertook to push back the Pakistani forces and regain the occupied territories. |
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<!-- ATTENTION! PLEASE READ BEFORE EDITING! Please help keep this section brief. Every detail about the plot of the Batman films does not need to appear here. As an example see [[Spider-Man film series#Film series]].--> |
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After this long development history, all of the Batman films were distributed by Warner Brothers. They were directed by [[Tim Burton]]. This does not count the animated film, ''[[Batman: Mask of the Phantasm]]'' (1993), released to theatres during this era--that film was based on the mythos of the [[Warner Brothers]] [[Batman: The Animated Series|animated series]], produced around this time. |
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===''Batman'' (1989)=== |
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India took a controversial decision of not crossing the Actual LOC (Line Of Control) and , Fernandes' role and the inability of the Indian intelligence and military agencies to detect the infiltration early came in for criticism, both by the opposition as well as the media. Fernandes has refused to acknowledge the [[intelligence failure|failure]] of intelligence agencies in detecting infiltration along Kargil sector.<ref>[http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/jul/18fern.htm Fernandes again denies intelligence failure], July 18, 1999</ref> |
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{{main|Batman (1989 film)}} |
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[[Image:Batman keaton.jpg|right|thumb|175px|Michael Keaton as Batman in Tim Burton's 1989 film ''Batman''.]] |
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Millionaire playboy [[Bruce Wayne]] ([[Michael Keaton]]) begins his run as the shadowy vigilante known as "The [[Batman]]." [[Gotham City]] is in the grip of mob boss [[Carl Grissom]] ([[Jack Palance]]), and is only met with worse fears with a corrupt [[Gotham City Police Department|police department]]. Reporter [[Vicki Vale]] ([[Kim Basinger]]) investigates the mysterious Batman, and is eventually taken in by Wayne's charms. The situation becomes further worse when Jack Napier ([[Jack Nicholson]]), former right hand man of Grissom, hideously transforms into the psychopathic [[Joker (comics)|Joker]]. Bruce Wayne must confront tragic moments from the past as the homicidal maniac starts his deadly plans against the citizens of Gotham. |
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===''Batman Returns'' (1992)=== |
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The K Subramanyam Commission, which appointed to probe into the Kargil War, backed Mr Fernandes's Claim. |
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{{main|Batman Returns}} |
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A mysterious "[[Penguin (comics)|Penguin]]-like" man ([[Danny Devito]]) appears out of the sewers of Gotham and is intent on being accepted into Gotham society. Crooked businessman [[Max Shreck]] ([[Christopher Walken]]) is coerced into helping him become Mayor of Gotham and they both attempt to destroy the reputation of Batman ([[Michael Keaton]]) as a crime-fighter. However, the Penguin secretly schemes to kidnap the children of the wealthiest families of the City. Then, when Max's secretary [[Catwoman|Selina Kyle]] ([[Michelle Pfeiffer]]), is transformed into the mysterious and sensual [[Catwoman]] and allies herself with the Penguin, The Dark Knight must attempt to clear his name, save the children of Gotham and decide the fate of Selina/Catwoman. |
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===''Batman Forever'' (1995)=== |
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===Relationship with the Armed Forces=== |
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{{main|Batman Forever}} |
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George Fernandes always shared an excellent rapport with the armed forces.{{Fact|date=October 2007}} He became the first Defence Minister in Independent [[India]] to visit the unforgiving, treacherous, icy heights of the 6,600m [[Siachen]] glacier, which holds the record of being "the world's highest battlefield" in Jammu and Kashmir. He subsequently visited the glacier 17 more times and took necessay steps to lessen the burden on soldiers patrolling the glaciers. |
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Former [[District Attorney]] [[Two-Face|Harvey Dent]] ([[Tommy Lee Jones]]) incorrectly believes [[Batman]] ([[Val Kilmer]]) caused the courtroom accident which left him disfigured on one side. As the psychotic '[[Two-Face]]', he then unleashes a reign of terror, and assisting him is [[Riddler|Edward Nygma]] ([[Jim Carrey]]), a former employee of [[Wayne Enterprises]] looking for revenge, who becomes [[Riddler|The Riddler]]. As The Riddler perfects a device for draining information from all the brains in Gotham, including Bruce Wayne's knowledge of his other identity, Batman must stop this fight for the good of mankind with the help of his new sidekick [[Dick Grayson|Robin]] ([[Chris O'Donnell]]) and psychologist [[Dr. Chase Meridian]] ([[Nicole Kidman]]). |
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===''Batman & Robin'' (1997)=== |
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He was dragged into the infamous coffin scam and his reputation as ''Mr. Clean'' took a beating. He was also involved in skirmishes with the Navy Chief Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat over promotion of Harinder Singh, in the [[Indian Navy]]. Bhagwat was subsequently sacked over the issue. |
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{{main|Batman & Robin (film)}} |
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[[Batman]] ([[George Clooney]]) and [[Dick Grayson|Robin]] ([[Chris O'Donnell]]) must protect [[Gotham City]] from the threat of [[Mr. Freeze]] ([[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]). Meanwhile, a young woman named Pamela Isley ([[Uma Thurman]]) witnesses illegal genetic tampering and is, apparently, killed. She is resurrected as [[Poison Ivy (comics)|Poison Ivy]], a woman who has the ability to control and mutate all botanical life and a poisonous kiss that instantly kills her victims. She takes the first person to be genetically experimented on by her former employer as a bodyguard, [[Bane (comics)|Bane]] ([[Robert Swenson]]). They arrive at Gotham, and aid in Mr. Freeze's escape. Meanwhile, [[Alfred Pennyworth|Alfred]] ([[Michael Gough]]) is dying with the first stage of a disease that Mr. Freezes wife suffers from and Wayne must find a cure, while dealing with troubles with Robin, and receiving help from Alfred's niece [[Batgirl]] ([[Alicia Silverstone]]), a new hero of Gotham. |
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==Unsuccessful projects== |
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==Controversies== |
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After the critical disaster of ''[[Batman & Robin (film)|Batman & Robin]]'', Warner Bros. was still intent on delivering yet another [[Batman]] film. Since ''Batman & Robin'' did poorly (financially and critically), the next Batman film was to have an atmosphere that veered in the opposite direction. It took roughly seven years to get the fifth Batman film greenlighted, over the course of various developing titles. |
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Controversies have dogged George Fernandes ever since he entered politics. During emergency he was implicated in the infamous Baroda Dynamite Case. As a Minister for Industries in the [[Janata]] coalition government, he ordered IBM and [[Coca Cola]] to "pack their bags" and exit the Indian economy. |
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===''Batman Triumphant''=== |
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His tenure as a Defence Minister was a controversial one. Earlier a staunch supporter of [[nuclear disarmament]], George Fernandes did a volte-face and openly endorsed the NDA Government's decision to test nuclear and hydrogen bombs in [[Pokharan]], [[Rajasthan]]. He openly branded China as ''India's enemy No. 1'' and criticised Chinese policy of providing sophisticated weapons to Pakistan. He also has rapped the Chinese for strengthening their military across the Himalayas in Tibet and also consistently supported the cause of [[Tibetan people]] against Chinese occupation.<ref>[http://www.friendsoftibet.org/databank/indiageneral/indiag30.html China And India's Mutual Distrust]</ref> |
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Warner Bros. hired [[Mark Protosevich]] to write a script for the fifth [[Batman]] film, titled ''Batman Triumphant'',<ref name=proto>{{ cite news | first=Brian | last=Linder | url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/034/034018p1.html | title=Rumblings From Gotham | publisher=IGN | date[[2000-07-27]] | accessdate=2006-11-13 }}</ref> even before the theatrical release of ''Batman & Robin''. Joel Schumacher, George Clooney, and Chris O’Donnell were still contracted for another film.<ref>{{ cite news | first=Dave | last=Karger | url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,288644,00.html | title=Big Chill | publisher=Entertainment Weekly | date=[[1997-07-11]] | accessdate=2006-11-13 }}</ref> [[Scarecrow (comics)|The Scarecrow]] was to be the main villain and through the use of his fear gas, Scarecrow would cause [[Batman]] to confront his worst fear: the return of [[Joker (comics)|The Joker]]. [[Harley Quinn]] was in the script and shown as the daughter of Jack Napier.<ref name=proto/> |
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Due to poor results from ''Batman & Robin'', ''Triumphant'' was cancelled and Warner Bros. commissioned more scripts.<ref name=batV>{{ cite news | first=Bill "Jett" | last=Ramey| url=http://www.batman-on-film.com/opinion_jett_b5history.html | title=A History of BATMAN 5: What It Is and How It Came To Be | publisher=Batman-on-Film | date=[[2005-02-04]] | accessdate=2006-11-13 }}</ref> |
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George Fernandes also claimed that he was strip-searched twice at Dulles airport when he was defence minister -- once on an official visit to Washington in early 2002 and another time while en route to Brazil in mid 2003.<ref>[http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jul/14strip.htm Strip-search incident: Armitage apologises] Rediff.com, July 14, 2004</ref> The details of the strip-search were mentioned in senior US diplomat [[Strobe Talbott]]'s book. However the US embassy denied that George Fernandes was strip-searched in US airports<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3892657.stm US apologises over body search], BBC.co.uk, 14 July, 2004</ref>; subsequently the senior US state department official, [[Richard Armitage]], personally apologised to Fernandes over the incident. |
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===''Batman: DarKnight''=== |
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===Support to Secessionist Groups=== |
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In 1998, Lee Shapiro and Stephen Wise pitched the idea for a fifth Batman movie to Warner Bros. Vice President Tom Lassally. It was to be called ''Batman: DarKnight'' (not to be confused with ''[[The Dark Knight (film)|The Dark Knight]]'') and included the [[Scarecrow (comics)|Scarecrow]] and [[Man-Bat]] as the new villains, with the studio being most impressed with the characterization of Man-Bat.<ref name=shap>{{ cite news | first=Bill "Jett" | last=Ramey| url=http://batman-on-film.com/interview_lshapiro.html | title=Interview: Lee Shapiro| publisher=Batman-on-Film | date=[[2005-07-28]] | accessdate=2006-11-13 }}</ref> Fear was to be the initial theme (much like the main one for ''[[Batman Begins]]'') and according to Shapiro, with Scarecrow being true to the source material. Within three months, Lee Shapiro and Stephen Wise sent their first draft to Warner Bros. Joel Schumacher was still signed to direct but dropped out only weeks after the first draft was completed.<ref name=shap>{{ cite news | first=Bill "Jett" | last=Ramey| url=http://batman-on-film.com/interview_lshapiro.html | title=Interview: Lee Shapiro| publisher=Batman-on-Film | date=[[2005-07-28]] | accessdate=2006-11-13 }}</ref> The story went as: |
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George Fernandes has openly supported and endorsed secessionist movements and groups, irrespective of whether he was a Union Minister or a member of the Opposition. Notable among the secessionist groups supported by him include The [[LTTE|Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam]] (now designated as a terrorist group), the Tibetan refugees fighting for freedom against China and Burmese rebels group, fighting against the military government in [[Myanmar]]. |
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<blockquote> |
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===Support of Burmese separatist groups=== |
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Bruce Wayne is in self-imposed seclusion from life, because he feels he has lost his greatest weapons in the fight against crime: his mystique and his enemies' fear. Dick Grayson attends Gotham University, trying to discover who he is apart from his guardian and unwilling to return as Robin without him. Meanwhile, Dr. Jonathan Crane uses his position as professor of psychology at Gotham University and as resident psychiatrist at [[Arkham Asylum]] to conduct his experiments in fear. During a vengeful confrontation with a colleague, Dr. Kirk Langstrom, Crane unknowingly initiates Kirk's transformation into the creature known as Man-Bat. The unsuspecting denizens of Gotham scream for Batman's head, believing the Man-Bat's nightly hunts to be the Dark Knight's bloodthirsty return to action. Bruce dons cape and cowl once more to clear his name and solve the mystery behind these attacks. Eventually, Dick ends up in Arkham Asylum under Crane's unsympathetic watch, and Kirk struggles with his "man vs. monster" syndrome as he longs to both reunite with his wife and get revenge on Crane.<ref name=shap/> |
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Mr. Fernandes is a very active supporter of many Burmese anti-government movements. Quoted regularly on exiled Burmese radio stations, he often criticizes the junta and its members on a wide array of topics. He opposes the current government's drive to root out anti-Burmese insurgents along the Burmese-Indian border. During his tenures in office, gun runners were allowed to do business using Indian territories, often as stop overs en route from Thailand to Bangladesh. |
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</blockquote> |
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The script for ''Batman: DarKnight'' sat at Warner Bros. and languished in [[development hell]] up until late 2000. Shapiro stated that ''DarKnight'' was in the running the longest as the next Batman movie compared to the other Batman projects in development.<ref name=shap/> |
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He also revealed the infamous "[[Operation Leech]]" incident, which resulted in the capture of Arakan Army insurgents on one of India's islands in the Andaman Sea. He also fights for the welfare and also release of anti-Burmese rebels held by the Indian Government.{{Fact|date=October 2007}} Once, when the National United Party of Arakan complained to Mr. Fernandes of its members being captured in Indian waters, while carrying arms, he issued orders restricting Indian military movements, and all counter-terror / counter-insurgency operations conducted in the region to be asked for approval from the Central Government. |
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===''Batman Beyond''=== |
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He also claims that the several islands in the Andaman Sea, including the [[Coco Islands]], which belong to Myanmar, were gifted by the former Prime Minister of India [[Nehru]] to the Burmese, rather than part of the original territory gained at Independence. |
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In October 1999, the website ''[[Ain't It Cool News]]'' reported that Warner Bros. was seriously considering a live action ''[[Batman Beyond]]'' movie, based on the animated series. In January 2000, ''Ain't It Cool News'' reported that [[Paul Dini]] and [[Alan Burnett]] would be writing the script, both of whom are well known for their work on The DC Animated Universe. In August 2000, it was confirmed that Dini, Burnett, [[Neal Stephenson]], and [[Boaz Yakin]] were to all write the script, with Yakin to direct. A script was written and turned into Warner Bros., though the project was canceled in favor of the ''[[Batman: Year One]]'' project.<ref>{{cite news | author = Rob M. Worley| title = Batman Beyond Live Action Movie (Archives)| publisher = Comics2Film| date = [[2001-10-18]] | url =http://www.comics2film.com/BatmanBeyondLAArch.shtml| accessdate=2007-09-13}}</ref> |
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=== |
===''Batman vs Superman''=== |
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In August 2001,<ref>{{cite news|author=Brian Linder| title=More ''Batman'', ''Superman'' Insanity at WB|publisher=[[IGN]]|date=[[2001-08-09]]|url= http://movies.ign.com/articles/302/302177p1.html|accessdate=2008-02-04}}</ref> [[Andrew Kevin Walker]] pitched [[Warner Bros.]] an idea titled ''Batman vs Superman'', attaching [[Wolfgang Petersen]] as director. [[J. J. Abrams]]' ''Superman'' script was put on hold,<ref name=dynamic>{{cite news| author = Brian M. Raftery and Nancy Miller | title = Dynamic Duel | publisher= [[Entertainment Weekly]] |date = [[2002-07-22]] | url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,321972~1~0~holyfranchiseinsidebatman,00.html | accessdate=2007-10-30}}</ref> and for reasons unknown, [[Akiva Goldsman]] was hired to rewrite Walker's draft which was codenamed ''"Asylum"''.<ref>{{cite book|author=David Hughes|title=Tales From Development Hell|id=ISBN 180239914|publisher=[[Titan Books]]|pages=p.205|year=2003}}</ref> |
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George Fernandes' name figured prominently in [[Tehelka#Operation West End|Operation West End]], a [[sting operation]] in which a group of reporters, armed with hidden cameras, from an investigative journal, [[Tehelka]], posing as representatives of a fictitious arms company, appeared to bribe the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] President, [[Bangaru Laxman]], a senior officer in the [[Indian Army]] and [[Jaya Jaitley]], the General Secretary of the [[Samata Party]] and Fernandes' companion. |
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Goldsman's draft (dated June 21, 2002), had the premise of [[Bruce Wayne]] trying to shake all of the demons in his life after his five year retirement of crime fighting. Meanwhile, [[Clark Kent]] is down on his luck and in despair. [[Dick Grayson]], [[Alfred Pennyworth]] and [[Commissioner Gordon]] are all dead, as Clark just recently has divorced [[Lois Lane]]. Clark serves as Bruce's best man at his wedding to the beautiful and lovely Elizabeth Miller. After Elizabeth is killed by the Joker on the honeymoon, Bruce is forced to don the [[Batsuit]] once more, tangling a plot which involves [[Lex Luthor]], while Clark sways a romance with [[Lana Lang]] in [[Smallville (DC Comics)|Smallville]].<ref>{{cite news|author=[[Akiva Goldsman]]|title=''Batman vs Superman'' 2nd Draft|publisher=Daily Scripts|url=http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/asylum.pdf|date=[[2002-06-21]]| accessdate=2007-10-11}}</ref> |
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The scandal caused uproar all over India and Fernandes was forced to resign from his post as a Defence Minister. He was subsequently cleared by the one man commission headed by retired Justice Phukan. The Phukan Committee Report was rejected by the [[UPA]] Government headed by the [[Congress Party]] and a new committee headed by Justice K Venkataswami was appointed. The Committee, after lengthy investigation, also absolved Fernandes in the case. |
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Filming was to start in early 2003, with plans for a five to six month shoot. The release date was set for the summer of 2004.<ref>{{cite news|author= Brian Linder|title=''Batman vs. Superman'' in '04|publisher=[[IGN]]|url= http://movies.ign.com/articles/364/364349p1.html|date= [[2002-07-09]]| accessdate=2008-02-04}}</ref> ''Batman vs Superman'' was to relaunch both the ''Batman'' and ''Superman'' franchises respectively, with both sequels being [[Reboot (fiction)|reboots]].<ref name=dynamic>{{cite news| author = Brian M. Raftery and Nancy Miller | title = Dynamic Duel | publisher= [[Entertainment Weekly]] |date = [[2002-07-22]] | url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,321972~1~0~holyfranchiseinsidebatman,00.html | accessdate=2007-10-30}}</ref> Within a month of the studio green lighting the project, Petersen left in favor of ''[[Troy (film)|Troy]]'' (2004).<ref>Hughes, p.207</ref> Warner Bros. could have easily assigned a new director, but chose to cancel ''Batman vs Superman'' in favor of a recent script submitted by Abrams for ''Superman: Flyby''.<ref>Hughes, p.208</ref> |
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===Barak Anti-Missile Scam=== |
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{{main|Barak Missile Deal Scandal}} |
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===''Batman: Year One''=== |
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On October 10, 2006, the [[CBI]] registered a [[first information report]] against Fernandes, his associate [[Jaya Jaitley]], and former navy chief [[Admiral Sushil Kumar]] for alleged irregularities in purchasing the [[Barak missile]] system from Israel in 2000. |
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{{main|Batman: Year One#Film adaptation}} |
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A film based on the graphic novel of the same name by [[Frank Miller (comics)|Frank Miller]] was to be directed by [[Darren Aronofsky]] and written by both Aronofsky and Miller. The project never received the greenlight by [[Warner Bros.]] because they found it to be too violent. Ultimately the project was something of a precursor to [[Christopher Nolan]]'s ''[[Batman Begins]]''.<ref name=hughes>{{cite book | author=David Hughes | title=Tales From Development Hell | id=ISBN 1-84023-691-4 | publisher=[[Titan Books]]|year=2003|authorlink=David Hughes}}</ref> |
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After the death of his parents young Bruce Wayne remains lost on the street and is taken in by Big Al, owner of an auto repair shop with his son Little Al. We are then introduced to detective [[James Gordon (comics)|James Gordon]] as he struggles with the corruption he finds endemic among Gotham City police officers of all ranks.<ref name=script>{{cite news | author = [[Frank Miller (comics)|Frank Miller]]| title = Batman: Year One Screenplay| publisher = ''Leon Scripts''| url =http://leonscripts.users5.50megs.com/scripts/BATMANYEARONEscript.htm| accessdate=2007-10-31}}</ref> |
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George Fernandes, however, claimed that the scientific adviser to the Defence Minister in NDA Government, who later became the [[President of India]], Dr. [[APJ Abdul Kalam]] had cleared the missile deal [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2139787.cms]. |
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Bruce's first act as a vigilante is to confront a dirty cop named Campbell, but Campbell ends up dead and Bruce narrowly escapes being blamed. Realizing that he needs to operate with more methodology, he evolves his costume concept, acquires a variety of makeshift gadgets and weapons, and re-configures a black Lincoln Continental into a makeshift "bat-mobile." As "The Bat-Man," Bruce Wayne wages war on criminals from street level to the highest echelons, working his way up to Police Commissioner Loeb and Mayor Noone, even as the executors of the Wayne estate search for their missing heir. In the end, Bruce accepts his dual destiny as heir to the Wayne fortune and the city's savior, and Gordon comes to accept that, while he may not agree with "the Bat-Man"'s methods, he can't argue with the results.<ref name=script/> |
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==Books Written== |
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Though not a prolific writer, George Fernandes has penned couple of books on politics including books like "What Ails the Socialists", "Railway Strike of 1974" and his autobiography titled "George Fernandes." He is also the editor of an English monthly, "The Other side" and the Chairman on the editorial board of a Hindi monthly "Pratipaksh." |
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No casting ever took place, though [[Val Kilmer]] (who had previously played Batman in [[Joel Schumacher]]'s ''[[Batman Forever]]'' from [[1995 in film|1995]]),<ref name=kilmer>{{cite news| author = Brian Linder | title = Rumblings From Gotham | publisher= ''[[IGN]]''|date = [[2000-07-27]] | url = http://movies.ign.com/articles/034/034018p1.html | accessdate=2007-10-31}}</ref> [[Ben Affleck]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Movie Preview: The Sum of All Fears| publisher=[[Entertainment Weekly]]| date=[[2002-04-18]]|url= http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,231910,00.html| accessdate=2007-10-22}}</ref> [[Keanu Reeves]],<ref name=hughes/> and [[Christian Bale]]<ref name=bale>{{cite news|author = Michael Mason | title = Bale On Batman...vs. Superman, Year One | publisher = ''Comics2Film'' | date = [[2002-08-16]] |url = http://www.comics2film.com/index.php?a=story&b=1536| accessdate=2007-10-31}}</ref> all expressed interest for the role of Batman. Bale would end up being cast for the lead role in [[Christopher Nolan]]'s ''[[Batman Begins]]''. |
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== Current Scenario == |
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The NDA Government lost power to the Congress-led UPA in 2004. His detractors allege that Fernandes is locked in a bitter party rivalry with his one-time friend, Bihar Chief Minister, [[Nitish Kumar]] over the leadership of the Samata Party{{Fact|date=August 2007}}. |
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== |
==Nolan series == |
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===''Batman Begins (2005)''=== |
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* [http://www.daijiworld.com/chan/achievers_view.asp?a_id=24 Profile of George Fernandes] |
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{{main|Batman Begins}} |
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* [http://siafdu.tripod.com/fernandes.html Biography and pictures] |
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[[Image:Batman bale small.jpg|right|thumb|175px|Christian Bale as Batman in Christopher Nolan's 2005 film ''Batman Begins''.]] |
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* [http://in.rediff.com/election/2004/apr/02espec1.htm Article on 1967 election] |
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Bruce Wayne ([[Christian Bale]]) begins his vigilante career as Batman. Meanwhile, [[Gotham City]], in the hands of crime boss [[Carmine Falcone]] ([[Tom Wilkinson]]), is in danger of being destroyed by hallucinogenic gases smuggled into the water supply by the [[Scarecrow (comics)|Scarecrow]] ([[Cillian Murphy]]). With the help of [[James Gordon (comics)|James Gordon]] ([[Gary Oldman]]) and [[Rachel Dawes]] ([[Katie Holmes]]), Batman fights off [[Ra's al Ghul]] ([[Liam Neeson]]), the mastermind behind the plan, and saves Gotham City. |
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* [http://www.time.com/time/asia/asia/magazine/1998/981130/fernandes1.html TimeAsia article] |
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* [http://in.rediff.com/news/defscan.htm Complete coverage of the Tehelka scandal] |
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===''The Dark Knight (2008)''=== |
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* [http://164.100.24.208/ls/lsmember/homepage.asp?mpsno=122 Home Page on the Parliament of India's Website] |
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{{main|The Dark Knight (film)}} |
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The 2008 sequel to ''Batman Begins'' has Batman ([[Christian Bale]]), Lt. Jim Gordon ([[Gary Oldman]]), and District Attorney [[Two-Face|Harvey Dent]] ([[Aaron Eckhart]]) forming an alliance to take down the rise in organized crime in Gotham City brought about by [[Carmine Falcone]]'s imprisonment in Arkham Asylum, as well as trying to battle a homicidal criminal mastermind known only as the [[Joker (comics)|Joker]] ([[Heath Ledger]]). |
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===Future=== |
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<!--DO NOT add a third film without a valid, reliable source!!!--> |
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Though news on a possible sequel has been limited, according to a Wall Street Journal article from August 22, 2008, a third Batman film is one of the four main focuses of Warner Brothers over the next three years. The article is based on information from Warner Brothers Pictures Group president Jeff Robinov.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121936107614461929.html?mod=2_1168_1 |title=Warner Bets on Fewer, Bigger Movies - WSJ.com |publisher=Online.wsj.com |author=Lauren A.E. Schuker |date=AUGUST 22, 2008 |accessdate=2008-10-09}}</ref> |
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Nolan is not committed to another sequel, explaining that he does not normally line up projects after completing a film. [[Gary Oldman]] is confident Nolan will return,<ref>{{cite news | author = Rob Allsletter | title = The Dark Knight's Future | publisher = Comics Continuum | date = 2008-06-30 | url = http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0806/30/index.htm | accessdate=2008-07-01}}</ref> and Bale said he would return if Nolan did.<ref>{{cite news | author = Charlene Chang | title = Christian Bale talks 'Dark Knight' follow-up and 'Terminator Salvation' | date = 2008-06-30 | url = http://ifmagazine.com/new.asp?article=6436 | accessdate=2008-07-01}}</ref> Oldman hinted in the third film Gordon would have to hunt down Batman.<ref>{{cite news|author=Stephanie Sanchez|title=Interview: Gary Oldman Talks THE DARK KNIGHT|work=IESB|date=2008-07-08|url=http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5175&Itemid=99|accessdate=2008-07-15}}</ref> He has also speculated that the villain of the upcoming film may be the [[Riddler]].<ref>{{cite news | title = Will Chris Nolan Recast the Joker for Batman 3 or Will the Riddler Take His Place? | publisher = MovieWeb | date = 2008-06-29 | url = http://www.movieweb.com/news/18/29618.php | accessdate=2008-07-01}}</ref> Nolan explained that as long as he is directing, he is not including [[Robin (comics)|Robin]] in the franchise because Bale is still portraying a "young Batman", which meant "Robin's not for a few films". Nolan jokingly listed [[Frankie Muniz]] as a potential choice, if the studio forced him to cast.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.superherohype.com/news/batmannews.php?id=3189 | title=Nolan on Robin in ''Batman'' Sequels | publisher=SuperHeroHype.com | date=[[2005-06-23]] | accessdate=2006-07-31 }}</ref> Bale joked "I'll be chaining myself up somewhere and refusing to go to work" if Robin is introduced.<ref>{{cite news | title = Batman Bale Says No To Robin | work = Starpulse.com | date = 2008-07-02 | url = http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2008/07/02/batman_bale_says_no_to_robin_ | accessdate=2008-07-03}}</ref> |
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In addition, Nolan considered the [[Penguin (comics)|Penguin]] difficult to portray on film, explaining, "There are certain characters that are easier to mesh with the more real take on Batman we're doing. The Penguin would be tricky."<ref>{{cite news | author=Matthew Belloni | title=Q+A: Christopher Nolan | publisher=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]] | url=http://www.esquire.com/features/qa/ESQ1106_qanolan_1 | date=November 2006 | accessdate=2006-10-13 }}</ref>. This would presumably also rule out [[Mr. Freeze]], [[Killer Croc]], [[Clayface]], and [[Man-Bat]]. [[Kate Beckinsale]] has expressed interest in playing [[Catwoman]].<ref>{{cite news | author = Jen Yamato | title = Beckinsale On Catwoman, Wonder Woman, And Her Bond Girl Offer | publisher = [[RottenTomatoes]] | date = [[2007-08-03]] | url = http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/comic_con_2007/news/1659804/}}</ref> [[Julie Newmar]], who played Catwoman in the Batman series from 1966 to 1967, has suggested [[Angelina Jolie]] for the role.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://backseatcuddler.com/2008/07/31/angelina-jolie-is-catwoman-in-dark-knight-sequel/|publisher=[[Back Seat Cuddler]]|title=Angelina Jolie is rumored to play Catwoman|accessdate=2008-10-05}}</ref> [[David Tennant]] wishes to portray [[The Riddler]].<ref>{{cite news | author = Ben Rawson-Jones | title = David Tennant craves 'Batman' villain role | publisher = [[Digital Spy]] | date = [[2007-09-26]] | url = http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a76431/david-tennant-craves-batman-villain-role.html?rss | accessdate=2007-09-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | author = Jennifer Vineyard | url = http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/08/12/from-90210-to-gotham-city-brian-austin-green-makes-pitch-for-riddler-casting/ | title = From 90210 To Gotham City? Brian Austin Green Makes Pitch For Riddler Casting | work = [[MTV]] | date = [[2008-08-12]] | accessdate = 2008-08-17}}</ref> Prior to the release of ''The Dark Knight'' in 2008, [[David S. Goyer]] said in an interview that characters like the Penguin or Catwoman will be unlikely to appear in a future film, which may instead use villains that have not been portrayed on the big screen. However, he did not rule out any characters that have been featured in previous Batman films.<ref> {{cite web|first=Erik|last= Amaya|title= Write The Dark Knight: The Writers|url= http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=17036|work= Comic Book Resources|date= [[2008-06-30]]|accessdate= 2008-07-10}}</ref> On July 23, 2008, [[Aaron Eckhart]] said he would return for a sequel to ''[[The Dark Knight (film)|The Dark Knight]]'' if asked,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0265713/|title=Eckhart Agrees To Third Batman Film|date=2008-07-23|publisher=[[IMDB]]}}</ref> although he later confirmed that he is not signed on for another Batman film and that his character is currently considered dead by Nolan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.superherohype.com/news/featuresnews.php?id=7641 |title=Aaron Eckhart on Two-Face - Superhero Hype! |publisher=Superherohype.com |date= |accessdate=2008-10-09}}</ref> [[Michael Caine]] commented that a studio executive was interested in casting [[Johnny Depp]] as the Riddler, and [[Philip Seymour Hoffman]] as the Penguin.<ref>{{cite news|author=Casey Sejias|title=Michael Caine Says Johnny Depp Is The Riddler, Philip Seymour Hoffman Is The Penguin|work=[[MTV]] Splash Page|date=2008-09-08|url=http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/09/08/exclusive-michael-caine-says-johnny-depp-is-the-riddler-philip-seymour-hoffman-is-the-penguin/|accessdate=2008-09-08}}</ref> Hoffman later denied the rumor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/09/09/dark-knight-update-philip-seymour-hoffman-responds-to-casting-rumor-i-dont-know-if-id-be-a-good-penguin/|title=‘Dark Knight’ Update: Philip Seymour Hoffman Responds To Casting Rumor, ‘I Don’t Know If I’d Be A Good Penguin’|author=Casey Seijas|date=2009-09-09|accessdate=2009-09-11|publisher=[[MTV]]}}</ref> |
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IGN listed [[Bane]] and [[Black Mask]] on its list of the best Batman villains ever.<refhttp://comics.ign.com/articles/622/622304p1.html</ref> Both are popular choices among fans, along with Hush and [[Hugo Strange]].<ref>http://www.amazon.com/tag/batman/forum/ref=cm_cd_ef_tft_tp?%5Fencoding=UTF8&cdForum=FxAUBRKAOLV1HW&cdThread=Tx3270SSM80DT73&displayType=tagsDetail</ref> |
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==Cast and characters== |
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{{main|List of Batman films cast members}} |
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==Reception== |
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===Box office performance=== |
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{| class="wikitable" width=99% border="1" |
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| rowspan="2" align="center" | '''Film''' |
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| colspan="2" align="center" | '''Release date''' |
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| colspan="3" align="center" | '''Box office revenue''' |
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| colspan="2" align="center" text="wrap" | '''Box office ranking''' |
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| rowspan="2" align="center" | '''Reference''' |
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|- |
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| align="center" | '''United States''' |
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| align="center" | '''Worldwide''' |
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| align="center" | '''United States''' |
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| align="center" | '''Outside US''' |
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| align="center" | '''Worldwide''' |
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| align="center" | '''All time US''' |
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| align="center" | '''[[List of highest-grossing films|All time worldwide]]''' |
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|- |
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| ''[[Batman (1966 film)| Batman: The Movie]]'' |
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| July 30, 1966 |
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| December 24, 1966 |
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| $1,377,800 |
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| $2,453,210 |
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| $3,831,010 |
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| align="center" | |
|||
| align="center" | |
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|- |
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| ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'' |
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| June 23, 1989 |
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| June 23, 1989 |
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| $251,188,924 |
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| $160,160,000 |
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| $411,348,924 |
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| align="center" | #44 |
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| align="center" | #92 |
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| align="center" | <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=batman.htm | title=Batman (1989) | publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
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|- |
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| ''[[Batman Returns]]'' |
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| June 19, 1992 |
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| June 19, 1992 |
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| $162,831,698 |
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| $104,000,000 |
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| $266,831,698 |
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| align="center" | #143 |
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| align="center" | #224 |
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| align="center" | <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=batmanreturns.htm | title=Batman Returns (1992) | publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
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|- |
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| ''[[Batman Forever]]'' |
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| June 16, 1995 |
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| June 16, 1995 |
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| $184,031,112 |
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| $152,500,000 |
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| $336,531,112 |
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| align="center" | #101 |
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| align="center" | #150 |
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| align="center" | <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=batmanforever.htm | title=Batman Forever (1995) | publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
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|- |
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| ''[[Batman & Robin (film)|Batman & Robin]]'' |
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| June 20, 1997 |
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| June 20, 1997 |
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| $107,325,195 |
|||
| $130,881,927 |
|||
| $238,207,122 |
|||
| align="center" | #340 |
|||
| align="center" | #268 |
|||
| align="center" | <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=batmanrobin.htm | title=Batman and Robin (1997) | publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
|- |
|||
| ''[[Batman Begins]]'' |
|||
| June 15, 2005 |
|||
| June 15, 2005 |
|||
| $205,343,774 |
|||
| $166,510,009 |
|||
| $371,853,783 |
|||
| align="center" | #81 |
|||
| align="center" | #111 |
|||
| align="center" | <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=batmanbegins.htm | title=Batman Begins (2005) | publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
|- |
|||
| ''[[The Dark Knight (film)|The Dark Knight]]'' |
|||
| July 18, 2008 |
|||
| July 16, 2008 |
|||
| $525,003,174 |
|||
| $460,000,000 |
|||
| $985,003,174 |
|||
| align="center" | #2 |
|||
| align="center" | #4 |
|||
| align="center" | <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=darkknight.htm | title=The Dark Knight (2008) | publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]] | accessdate=2008-07-29 }}</ref> |
|||
|- |
|||
| ''Batman'' film series |
|||
| |
|||
| |
|||
| '''$1,901,635,877''' |
|||
| '''$1,185,751,936''' |
|||
| '''$2,597,560,813''' |
|||
| |
|||
| |
|||
| |
|||
|} |
|||
===Critical reaction=== |
|||
{| class="wikitable" width=99% border="1" |
|||
| rowspan="2" align="center" | '''Film''' |
|||
| colspan="2" align="center" | '''[[Rotten Tomatoes]]''' |
|||
| rowspan="2" align="center" | '''[[Metacritic]]''' |
|||
| rowspan="2" align="center" | '''[[Yahoo!|Yahoo! Movies]]''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| align="center" | '''Overall''' |
|||
| align="center" | '''Cream of the Crop''' |
|||
|- |
|||
| ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'' |
|||
| 69% (49 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1001781-batman/ | title=Batman | publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
| 57% (7 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1001781-batman/?critic=creamcrop | title=Batman (Cream of the Crop) | publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
| 66% (17 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/batman | title=Batman (1989): Reviews | publisher=[[Metacritic]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
| B- (5 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800340927/critic | title=Batman - Critics Reviews | publisher=[[Yahoo!|Yahoo! Movies]] | accessdate=2007-05-17 }}</ref> |
|||
|- |
|||
| ''[[Batman Returns]]'' |
|||
| 79% (43 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/batman_returns/ | title=Batman Returns | publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
| 57% (7 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/batman_returns/?critic=creamcrop| title=Batman Returns (Cream of the Crop) | publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
| |
|||
| B (5 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800174173/critic | title=Batman Returns - Critics Reviews | publisher=[[Yahoo!|Yahoo! Movies]] | accessdate=2007-05-17 }}</ref> |
|||
|- |
|||
| ''[[Batman Forever]]'' |
|||
| 43% (49 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/batman_forever/ | title=Batman Forever | publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
| 69% (13 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/batman_forever/?critic=creamcrop | title=Batman Forever (Cream of the Crop) | publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
| 51% (23 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/batmanforever | title=Batman Forever (1995): Reviews | publisher=[[Metacritic]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
| B- (9 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800238182/critic| title=Batman Forever - Critics Reviews | publisher=[[Yahoo!|Yahoo! Movies]] | accessdate=2007-05-17 }}</ref> |
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|- |
|||
| ''[[Batman & Robin (film)|Batman & Robin]]'' |
|||
| 12% (58 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1077027-batman_and_robin/ | title=Batman & Robin | publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
| 20% (15 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1077027-batman_and_robin/?critic=creamcrop | title=Batman & Robin (Cream of the Crop) | publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
| 28% (21 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/batmanandrobin | title=Batman & Robin (1997): Reviews | publisher=[[Metacritic]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
| C- (9 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800283691/critic | title=Batman & Robin - Critics Reviews | publisher=[[Yahoo!|Yahoo! Movies]] | accessdate=2007-05-17 }}</ref> |
|||
|- |
|||
| ''[[Batman Begins]]'' |
|||
| 84% (249 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/batman_begins/ | title=Batman Begins | publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
| 62% (42 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/batman_begins/?critic=creamcrop | title=Batman Begins (Cream of the Crop) | publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
| 70% (41 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/batmanbegins | title=Batman Begins (2005): Reviews | publisher=[[Metacritic]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
| B+ (15 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808490910/critic | title=Batman Begins - Critics Reviews | publisher=[[Yahoo!|Yahoo! Movies]] | accessdate=2007-05-17 }}</ref> |
|||
|- |
|||
| ''[[The Dark Knight (film)|The Dark Knight]]'' |
|||
| 95% (257 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_dark_knight/ | title=The Dark Knight | publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
| 90% (40 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_dark_knight/?critic=creamcrop | title=The Dark Knight(Cream of the Crop) | publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
| 82% (36 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/darkknight?q=the%20dark%20knight| title=The Dark Knight (2008): Reviews | publisher=[[Metacritic]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
| A- (14 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809271891/critic| title=The Dark Knight - Critics Reviews | publisher=[[Yahoo!|Yahoo! Movies]] | accessdate=2008-07-18 }}</ref> |
|||
|} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist|2}} |
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==External links== |
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*[http://current.com/items/89113724_timeline_batman Humorous look at the history of Batman] by [[Current TV|Current TV's]] [[Infomania (TV Series)|infoMania]] |
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*[http://movies.ign.com/articles/036/036038p1.html Script review of ''The Batman''] at [[IGN]] |
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*[http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/asylum.pdf ''Batman vs. Superman'' script draft] by [[Akiva Goldsman]] |
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{{DC Comics films}} |
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{{1989-1997 Batman film series}} |
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{{Christopher Nolan Batman film series}} |
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[[Category:Batman films| ]] |
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[[Category:Indian trade unionists]] |
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[[Category:14th Lok Sabha Members]] |
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[[es:Serie fílmica de Batman]] |
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[[it:Batman (serie di film)]] |
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Revision as of 08:17, 11 October 2008
| Batman in film | |
|---|---|
_theatrical_poster.jpg) Poster for Batman (1989) | |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox (1966); Warner Bros. (1989-2008) |
Release date | 1966 – present |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2,597,560,813 |
The Batman film series currently consists of seven superhero films based on the fictional DC Comics character of the same name, portrayed by Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney and Christian Bale respectively.
The first film, known simply as Batman or Batman: The Movie, directed by Leslie H. Martinson and produced by 20th Century Fox, was a theatrical spin-off of the TV series, produced by William Dozier, that was running at the time and was a quasi-comedy rather than a serious superhero movie. Warner Bros. hired Tim Burton to direct the 1989 version, which had no connection to the 1966 movie and is often considered the first "definitive" Batman movie. The series continued with Batman Returns (1992). Joel Schumacher was hired to direct Batman Forever (1995), and Batman & Robin (1997), with various proposals for another installment being cancelled after the critical failure of Batman & Robin. Christopher Nolan rebooted the film series with Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008), completely starting over with a new series of films that have no connection to the previous installments. Throughout the films, Batman has fought with several of his famous villains.
Though the 1966 movie was the first feature length Batman film, two previous efforts had been shown in cinemas in a serial format, 1943's The Batman and 1949's Batman and Robin. These were produced on extremely small budgets and featured none of the comic book series' regular villains. Batman was played by Lewis Wilson in the first serial and Robert Lowery in the sequel.
Development
The first feature-length film based on Batman was developed by William Dozier and 20th Century Fox out of the television series that starred Adam West as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Burt Ward as Robin/Dick Grayson. Both West and Ward reprised their roles for the film. Produced between the first and second seasons, the film was just as campy as the series, with its comic relief. It was a moderate success at the box office. When the series ended, no other film based on the series was produced. However, the original Batman film has become a cult classic and has since been issued on DVD as the only incarnation of the television series to be so released.
The Warner Bros. films took a far different approach than Fox's original. Michael Uslan had recently gained fame for convincing the Dean of Indiana University to start a course on comic books. DC Comics was impressed enough with his work to invite him to their offices. Uslan, a fan of the Batman character, was able to acquire the film rights to the property in April 1979 through a newly formed partnership with Benjamin Melniker. CBS at that time was developing a Batman in Outer Space film, though DC had no intention of granting film rights for that concept. The prevailing perception of the character was still that of the campy 1960s TV series. Uslan was always fascinated with Bill Finger's and Bob Kane's early stories from 1939, and wished instead to produce the film in that style. For his presentation to studios, Uslan wrote a short story titled Return of the Batman so as to show the studios what exactly he was aiming for. The treatment anticipated the tone that would later be taken in Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.[1]
As Uslan and Melniker unsuccessfully pitched the film to many studios,[2] Uslan started searching for writers. He felt Superman, James Bond, and Star Wars were the three most successful film franchises at the time. As such he approached Richard Maibaum to write the script, with Guy Hamilton to direct. Both were well known for the various Bond films they had collaborated on, though the two would eventually turn down the opportunity. Tom Mankiewicz was settled upon, who had recently co-written Superman and in the past was involved with three James Bond films. Mankiewicz started writing his script sometime in 1980,[1] and was able to finish in June 1983, going under the simple title of The Batman.[3]
The script showcased the origins of both Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson and included the Joker and Rupert Thorne as the main villains (with a brief cameo from the Penguin). Silver St. Cloud appeared as the love interest. Several elements from the script ended up appearing in future film installments, such as The Joker being responsible for Bruce's parents' murder (though Joe Chill was the hired gun), and Batman being framed for crimes he didn't commit (see Batman Returns). Similarities for Batman Forever had Dick Grayson's origin being practically the same (as well as stumbling upon the Batcave), and Dick saving Bruce's life before becoming Robin.[3]
While Mankiewicz was writing the script, Uslan and Melniker were still seeking a deal with a studio. Uslan recounts many stories, "At Columbia, the head of production said to me, shaking his head after I pitched my heart out, "Come on, Batman will never be a success as a film because our movie Annie didn’t do well." I looked at this guy dumbfounded. And I asked him what did the little red-headed girl who sang "Tomorrow" have to do with Batman!? And he said, "Michael, they are both out of the funny pages." At United Artists, Uslan recounted a similar story. "An exec said to me that a film with Batman and Robin would never work as a film because Robin and Marian wasn’t successful. Now that was about an aging Robin Hood and Maid Marian with Sean Connery! I just picked up all my materials, didn’t say a word and walked out of the room."[4]
It was in late 1981 that Uslan announced a 1983 release date, with a budget of $15 million, though the project continued to languish in development hell, causing repeated delays.[5] Uslan and Melniker were finally able to team with Peter Guber and Jon Peters in 1982. The four producers were able to convince Warner Bros. to finance the film after Universal Studios declined the offer.[2] Uslan then announced in 1983, the year Mankiewicz finally completed his script, that the film would be released in 1985 and have a budget of $20 million.[5] Joe Dante and Ivan Reitman were briefly involved as directors though both would take on other projects instead (Gremlins for Dante, while Reitman opted for Ghostbusters).[2] Uslan wanted a distinguished unknown actor as Batman, with William Holden as Commissioner Gordon and David Niven as Alfred Pennyworth.[5] Even at this stage, Jack Nicholson was the choice for the role of The Joker.[4]
In the meantime, more scripts came about that included the basic premise of The Joker, Rupert Thorne, Silver St. Cloud, and Robin. All scripts were positioned as an adaptation of Steve Englehart's Dark Detective series.[6] Warner Bros., however, began to push for the project again to center on the campy tone of the Batman TV series from the 1960s, citing Bill Murray as Batman and Eddie Murphy as Robin as their primary casting choices, over Uslan's objections. After the success of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, the studio reconsidered, and decided to depict the film the way Uslan had wanted to since the beginning, though still choosing a comedy director, after the surprising success of Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Warner Bros. handed the director's position to Tim Burton.[2]
Burton took Batman and Batman Returns as opportunities to pay homage to the classic German Expressionist Horror film genre. Burton's influences included The Phantom of the Opera, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Dracula, The Bat, The Man Who Laughs, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Nosferatu, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. [7]
Burton/Schumacher series
After this long development history, all of the Batman films were distributed by Warner Brothers. They were directed by Tim Burton. This does not count the animated film, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993), released to theatres during this era--that film was based on the mythos of the Warner Brothers animated series, produced around this time.
Batman (1989)
Millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) begins his run as the shadowy vigilante known as "The Batman." Gotham City is in the grip of mob boss Carl Grissom (Jack Palance), and is only met with worse fears with a corrupt police department. Reporter Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) investigates the mysterious Batman, and is eventually taken in by Wayne's charms. The situation becomes further worse when Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson), former right hand man of Grissom, hideously transforms into the psychopathic Joker. Bruce Wayne must confront tragic moments from the past as the homicidal maniac starts his deadly plans against the citizens of Gotham.
Batman Returns (1992)
A mysterious "Penguin-like" man (Danny Devito) appears out of the sewers of Gotham and is intent on being accepted into Gotham society. Crooked businessman Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) is coerced into helping him become Mayor of Gotham and they both attempt to destroy the reputation of Batman (Michael Keaton) as a crime-fighter. However, the Penguin secretly schemes to kidnap the children of the wealthiest families of the City. Then, when Max's secretary Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer), is transformed into the mysterious and sensual Catwoman and allies herself with the Penguin, The Dark Knight must attempt to clear his name, save the children of Gotham and decide the fate of Selina/Catwoman.
Batman Forever (1995)
Former District Attorney Harvey Dent (Tommy Lee Jones) incorrectly believes Batman (Val Kilmer) caused the courtroom accident which left him disfigured on one side. As the psychotic 'Two-Face', he then unleashes a reign of terror, and assisting him is Edward Nygma (Jim Carrey), a former employee of Wayne Enterprises looking for revenge, who becomes The Riddler. As The Riddler perfects a device for draining information from all the brains in Gotham, including Bruce Wayne's knowledge of his other identity, Batman must stop this fight for the good of mankind with the help of his new sidekick Robin (Chris O'Donnell) and psychologist Dr. Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman).
Batman & Robin (1997)
Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O'Donnell) must protect Gotham City from the threat of Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Meanwhile, a young woman named Pamela Isley (Uma Thurman) witnesses illegal genetic tampering and is, apparently, killed. She is resurrected as Poison Ivy, a woman who has the ability to control and mutate all botanical life and a poisonous kiss that instantly kills her victims. She takes the first person to be genetically experimented on by her former employer as a bodyguard, Bane (Robert Swenson). They arrive at Gotham, and aid in Mr. Freeze's escape. Meanwhile, Alfred (Michael Gough) is dying with the first stage of a disease that Mr. Freezes wife suffers from and Wayne must find a cure, while dealing with troubles with Robin, and receiving help from Alfred's niece Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone), a new hero of Gotham.
Unsuccessful projects
After the critical disaster of Batman & Robin, Warner Bros. was still intent on delivering yet another Batman film. Since Batman & Robin did poorly (financially and critically), the next Batman film was to have an atmosphere that veered in the opposite direction. It took roughly seven years to get the fifth Batman film greenlighted, over the course of various developing titles.
Batman Triumphant
Warner Bros. hired Mark Protosevich to write a script for the fifth Batman film, titled Batman Triumphant,[8] even before the theatrical release of Batman & Robin. Joel Schumacher, George Clooney, and Chris O’Donnell were still contracted for another film.[9] The Scarecrow was to be the main villain and through the use of his fear gas, Scarecrow would cause Batman to confront his worst fear: the return of The Joker. Harley Quinn was in the script and shown as the daughter of Jack Napier.[8]
Due to poor results from Batman & Robin, Triumphant was cancelled and Warner Bros. commissioned more scripts.[10]
Batman: DarKnight
In 1998, Lee Shapiro and Stephen Wise pitched the idea for a fifth Batman movie to Warner Bros. Vice President Tom Lassally. It was to be called Batman: DarKnight (not to be confused with The Dark Knight) and included the Scarecrow and Man-Bat as the new villains, with the studio being most impressed with the characterization of Man-Bat.[11] Fear was to be the initial theme (much like the main one for Batman Begins) and according to Shapiro, with Scarecrow being true to the source material. Within three months, Lee Shapiro and Stephen Wise sent their first draft to Warner Bros. Joel Schumacher was still signed to direct but dropped out only weeks after the first draft was completed.[11] The story went as:
Bruce Wayne is in self-imposed seclusion from life, because he feels he has lost his greatest weapons in the fight against crime: his mystique and his enemies' fear. Dick Grayson attends Gotham University, trying to discover who he is apart from his guardian and unwilling to return as Robin without him. Meanwhile, Dr. Jonathan Crane uses his position as professor of psychology at Gotham University and as resident psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum to conduct his experiments in fear. During a vengeful confrontation with a colleague, Dr. Kirk Langstrom, Crane unknowingly initiates Kirk's transformation into the creature known as Man-Bat. The unsuspecting denizens of Gotham scream for Batman's head, believing the Man-Bat's nightly hunts to be the Dark Knight's bloodthirsty return to action. Bruce dons cape and cowl once more to clear his name and solve the mystery behind these attacks. Eventually, Dick ends up in Arkham Asylum under Crane's unsympathetic watch, and Kirk struggles with his "man vs. monster" syndrome as he longs to both reunite with his wife and get revenge on Crane.[11]
The script for Batman: DarKnight sat at Warner Bros. and languished in development hell up until late 2000. Shapiro stated that DarKnight was in the running the longest as the next Batman movie compared to the other Batman projects in development.[11]
Batman Beyond
In October 1999, the website Ain't It Cool News reported that Warner Bros. was seriously considering a live action Batman Beyond movie, based on the animated series. In January 2000, Ain't It Cool News reported that Paul Dini and Alan Burnett would be writing the script, both of whom are well known for their work on The DC Animated Universe. In August 2000, it was confirmed that Dini, Burnett, Neal Stephenson, and Boaz Yakin were to all write the script, with Yakin to direct. A script was written and turned into Warner Bros., though the project was canceled in favor of the Batman: Year One project.[12]
Batman vs Superman
In August 2001,[13] Andrew Kevin Walker pitched Warner Bros. an idea titled Batman vs Superman, attaching Wolfgang Petersen as director. J. J. Abrams' Superman script was put on hold,[14] and for reasons unknown, Akiva Goldsman was hired to rewrite Walker's draft which was codenamed "Asylum".[15]
Goldsman's draft (dated June 21, 2002), had the premise of Bruce Wayne trying to shake all of the demons in his life after his five year retirement of crime fighting. Meanwhile, Clark Kent is down on his luck and in despair. Dick Grayson, Alfred Pennyworth and Commissioner Gordon are all dead, as Clark just recently has divorced Lois Lane. Clark serves as Bruce's best man at his wedding to the beautiful and lovely Elizabeth Miller. After Elizabeth is killed by the Joker on the honeymoon, Bruce is forced to don the Batsuit once more, tangling a plot which involves Lex Luthor, while Clark sways a romance with Lana Lang in Smallville.[16]
Filming was to start in early 2003, with plans for a five to six month shoot. The release date was set for the summer of 2004.[17] Batman vs Superman was to relaunch both the Batman and Superman franchises respectively, with both sequels being reboots.[14] Within a month of the studio green lighting the project, Petersen left in favor of Troy (2004).[18] Warner Bros. could have easily assigned a new director, but chose to cancel Batman vs Superman in favor of a recent script submitted by Abrams for Superman: Flyby.[19]
Batman: Year One
A film based on the graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller was to be directed by Darren Aronofsky and written by both Aronofsky and Miller. The project never received the greenlight by Warner Bros. because they found it to be too violent. Ultimately the project was something of a precursor to Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins.[20]
After the death of his parents young Bruce Wayne remains lost on the street and is taken in by Big Al, owner of an auto repair shop with his son Little Al. We are then introduced to detective James Gordon as he struggles with the corruption he finds endemic among Gotham City police officers of all ranks.[21]
Bruce's first act as a vigilante is to confront a dirty cop named Campbell, but Campbell ends up dead and Bruce narrowly escapes being blamed. Realizing that he needs to operate with more methodology, he evolves his costume concept, acquires a variety of makeshift gadgets and weapons, and re-configures a black Lincoln Continental into a makeshift "bat-mobile." As "The Bat-Man," Bruce Wayne wages war on criminals from street level to the highest echelons, working his way up to Police Commissioner Loeb and Mayor Noone, even as the executors of the Wayne estate search for their missing heir. In the end, Bruce accepts his dual destiny as heir to the Wayne fortune and the city's savior, and Gordon comes to accept that, while he may not agree with "the Bat-Man"'s methods, he can't argue with the results.[21]
No casting ever took place, though Val Kilmer (who had previously played Batman in Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever from 1995),[22] Ben Affleck,[23] Keanu Reeves,[20] and Christian Bale[24] all expressed interest for the role of Batman. Bale would end up being cast for the lead role in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins.
Nolan series
Batman Begins (2005)
Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) begins his vigilante career as Batman. Meanwhile, Gotham City, in the hands of crime boss Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson), is in danger of being destroyed by hallucinogenic gases smuggled into the water supply by the Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy). With the help of James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes), Batman fights off Ra's al Ghul (Liam Neeson), the mastermind behind the plan, and saves Gotham City.
The Dark Knight (2008)
The 2008 sequel to Batman Begins has Batman (Christian Bale), Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) forming an alliance to take down the rise in organized crime in Gotham City brought about by Carmine Falcone's imprisonment in Arkham Asylum, as well as trying to battle a homicidal criminal mastermind known only as the Joker (Heath Ledger).
Future
Though news on a possible sequel has been limited, according to a Wall Street Journal article from August 22, 2008, a third Batman film is one of the four main focuses of Warner Brothers over the next three years. The article is based on information from Warner Brothers Pictures Group president Jeff Robinov.[25]
Nolan is not committed to another sequel, explaining that he does not normally line up projects after completing a film. Gary Oldman is confident Nolan will return,[26] and Bale said he would return if Nolan did.[27] Oldman hinted in the third film Gordon would have to hunt down Batman.[28] He has also speculated that the villain of the upcoming film may be the Riddler.[29] Nolan explained that as long as he is directing, he is not including Robin in the franchise because Bale is still portraying a "young Batman", which meant "Robin's not for a few films". Nolan jokingly listed Frankie Muniz as a potential choice, if the studio forced him to cast.[30] Bale joked "I'll be chaining myself up somewhere and refusing to go to work" if Robin is introduced.[31]
In addition, Nolan considered the Penguin difficult to portray on film, explaining, "There are certain characters that are easier to mesh with the more real take on Batman we're doing. The Penguin would be tricky."[32]. This would presumably also rule out Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc, Clayface, and Man-Bat. Kate Beckinsale has expressed interest in playing Catwoman.[33] Julie Newmar, who played Catwoman in the Batman series from 1966 to 1967, has suggested Angelina Jolie for the role.[34] David Tennant wishes to portray The Riddler.[35][36] Prior to the release of The Dark Knight in 2008, David S. Goyer said in an interview that characters like the Penguin or Catwoman will be unlikely to appear in a future film, which may instead use villains that have not been portrayed on the big screen. However, he did not rule out any characters that have been featured in previous Batman films.[37] On July 23, 2008, Aaron Eckhart said he would return for a sequel to The Dark Knight if asked,[38] although he later confirmed that he is not signed on for another Batman film and that his character is currently considered dead by Nolan.[39] Michael Caine commented that a studio executive was interested in casting Johnny Depp as the Riddler, and Philip Seymour Hoffman as the Penguin.[40] Hoffman later denied the rumor.[41]
IGN listed Bane and Black Mask on its list of the best Batman villains ever.<refhttp://comics.ign.com/articles/622/622304p1.html</ref> Both are popular choices among fans, along with Hush and Hugo Strange.[42]
Cast and characters
Reception
Box office performance
| Film | Release date | Box office revenue | Box office ranking | Reference | ||||
| United States | Worldwide | United States | Outside US | Worldwide | All time US | All time worldwide | ||
| Batman: The Movie | July 30, 1966 | December 24, 1966 | $1,377,800 | $2,453,210 | $3,831,010 | |||
| Batman | June 23, 1989 | June 23, 1989 | $251,188,924 | $160,160,000 | $411,348,924 | #44 | #92 | [43] |
| Batman Returns | June 19, 1992 | June 19, 1992 | $162,831,698 | $104,000,000 | $266,831,698 | #143 | #224 | [44] |
| Batman Forever | June 16, 1995 | June 16, 1995 | $184,031,112 | $152,500,000 | $336,531,112 | #101 | #150 | [45] |
| Batman & Robin | June 20, 1997 | June 20, 1997 | $107,325,195 | $130,881,927 | $238,207,122 | #340 | #268 | [46] |
| Batman Begins | June 15, 2005 | June 15, 2005 | $205,343,774 | $166,510,009 | $371,853,783 | #81 | #111 | [47] |
| The Dark Knight | July 18, 2008 | July 16, 2008 | $525,003,174 | $460,000,000 | $985,003,174 | #2 | #4 | [48] |
| Batman film series | $1,901,635,877 | $1,185,751,936 | $2,597,560,813 | |||||
Critical reaction
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | Yahoo! Movies | |
| Overall | Cream of the Crop | |||
| Batman | 69% (49 reviews)[49] | 57% (7 reviews)[50] | 66% (17 reviews)[51] | B- (5 reviews)[52] |
| Batman Returns | 79% (43 reviews)[53] | 57% (7 reviews)[54] | B (5 reviews)[55] | |
| Batman Forever | 43% (49 reviews)[56] | 69% (13 reviews)[57] | 51% (23 reviews)[58] | B- (9 reviews)[59] |
| Batman & Robin | 12% (58 reviews)[60] | 20% (15 reviews)[61] | 28% (21 reviews)[62] | C- (9 reviews)[63] |
| Batman Begins | 84% (249 reviews)[64] | 62% (42 reviews)[65] | 70% (41 reviews)[66] | B+ (15 reviews)[67] |
| The Dark Knight | 95% (257 reviews)[68] | 90% (40 reviews)[69] | 82% (36 reviews)[70] | A- (14 reviews)[71] |
References
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{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight. Warner Bros. 2005.
{{cite AV media}}:|format=requires|url=(help) - ^ a b Tom Mankiewicz (1983-06-20). "The Batman: Revised First Draft Screenplay". ScifiScripts.com. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Bill "Jett" Ramey (2005-11-10). "An Interview With Michael Uslan - Part 2". Batman-on-Film. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c Alan Jones (November 1989). "Batman in Production". Cinefantastique. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
- ^ Bill "Jett" Ramey (2006-11-27). "Interview: Steven Englehart". Batman-on-Film. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Batman (1989) Audio Commentary by Director Tim Burton. Warner Bros. 2005.
{{cite AV media}}:|format=requires|url=(help) - ^ a b Linder, Brian. "Rumblings From Gotham". IGN. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
{{cite news}}: Text "date2000-07-27" ignored (help) - ^ Karger, Dave (1997-07-11). "Big Chill". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Ramey, Bill "Jett" (2005-02-04). "A History of BATMAN 5: What It Is and How It Came To Be". Batman-on-Film. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d Ramey, Bill "Jett" (2005-07-28). "Interview: Lee Shapiro". Batman-on-Film. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Rob M. Worley (2001-10-18). "Batman Beyond Live Action Movie (Archives)". Comics2Film. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
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{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ David Hughes (2003). Tales From Development Hell. Titan Books. pp. p.205. ISBN 180239914.
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- ^ a b Frank Miller. "Batman: Year One Screenplay". Leon Scripts. Retrieved 2007-10-31.
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{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Movie Preview: The Sum of All Fears". Entertainment Weekly. 2002-04-18. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Michael Mason (2002-08-16). "Bale On Batman...vs. Superman, Year One". Comics2Film. Retrieved 2007-10-31.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Lauren A.E. Schuker (AUGUST 22, 2008). "Warner Bets on Fewer, Bigger Movies - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Rob Allsletter (2008-06-30). "The Dark Knight's Future". Comics Continuum. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
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- ^ "Nolan on Robin in Batman Sequels". SuperHeroHype.com. 2005-06-23. Retrieved 2006-07-31.
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- ^ Matthew Belloni (November 2006). "Q+A: Christopher Nolan". Esquire. Retrieved 2006-10-13.
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- ^ Ben Rawson-Jones (2007-09-26). "David Tennant craves 'Batman' villain role". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2007-09-27.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Jennifer Vineyard (2008-08-12). "From 90210 To Gotham City? Brian Austin Green Makes Pitch For Riddler Casting". MTV. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Amaya, Erik (2008-06-30). "Write The Dark Knight: The Writers". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Eckhart Agrees To Third Batman Film". IMDB. 2008-07-23.
- ^ "Aaron Eckhart on Two-Face - Superhero Hype!". Superherohype.com. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
- ^ Casey Sejias (2008-09-08). "Michael Caine Says Johnny Depp Is The Riddler, Philip Seymour Hoffman Is The Penguin". MTV Splash Page. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ Casey Seijas (2009-09-09). "'Dark Knight' Update: Philip Seymour Hoffman Responds To Casting Rumor, 'I Don't Know If I'd Be A Good Penguin'". MTV. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
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