The best superhero movies are the ones with an authorial stamp from the director. This can be seen in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies, Joss Whedon’s Avengers movies, and Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight movies. Director-driven comic book fare can be traced back to Richard Donner’s Superman movies and, of course, Tim Burton’s Batman movies.
Burton was the perfect filmmaker to bring Gotham City to life, with influences from German expressionist directors like Fritz Lang. The Caped Crusader’s rogues gallery is filled with weird and wonderful characters that Burton relished the chance to bring to life on the big screen. Here are 10 behind-the-scenes details from the making of Tim Burton’s Batman films.
The Original Script For Batman Returns Involved A Treasure Hunt
Sam Hamm’s original script for Batman Returns revolved around a treasure hunt. The Penguin and Catwoman would be brought together by a quest to find some hidden treasure. However, Tim Burton didn’t like that storyline, and recruited Heathers writer Daniel Waters to come up with a new story.
It was Waters’ idea for a ruthless business tycoon to back the Penguin’s run for the Mayor’s office. In the original script, the members of the Red Triangle Gang were more rounded, fleshed-out characters, too.
Robin Williams Was Offered The Role Of The Joker
When Jack Nicholson hesitated to accept the role of the Joker, the producers offered the role to Robin Williams and he accepted. However, they didn’t really want Williams; they just signed him on so that they could go to Nicholson and say that if he didn’t take the part, Williams would play it.
For obvious reasons, Williams resented the fact that Warner Bros. used him as leverage to manipulate another actor, and rejected every subsequent offer from the studio (including an offer to play the Riddler in Batman Forever) until they apologized.
Dustin Hoffman Turned Down The Role Of The Penguin
It might seem like Danny DeVito was the most obvious choice to play the Penguin in Batman Returns, but the producers’ first choice for the role was actually Dustin Hoffman.
And after Hoffman turned down the part, the producers offered it to Marlon Brando, Alan Rickman, John Goodman, Joe Pesci, Dean Martin, John Candy, Ray Liotta, Christopher Lloyd, Ben Kingsley, Charles Grodin, Bob Hoskins, Gabriel Byrne, Dudley Moore, Phil Collins, and Christopher Lee before DeVito took the role.
The Famous “I’m Batman” Line Was Michael Keaton’s Idea
The famous “I’m Batman” line was written by Michael Keaton. In the script, the line was “I am the night,” but Keaton decided to change it, and his replacement line is infinitely cooler. Keaton has said that he obsessives over story logic, so he spoke to Tim Burton about his concerns that Batman’s secret identity would be easy to figure out if Bruce Wayne was such a high-profile public figure.
So, they decided that Bruce would speak in a lower register when he wore the Batman cowl. This has gone on to become a staple of on-screen portrayals of Batman, from Christian Bale to Kevin Conroy.
Danny DeVito Remained In Character As The Penguin Between Takes
During the filming of Batman Returns, Danny DeVito reportedly remained in character as the Penguin between takes. He had to spent two hours in the makeup chair every morning as his Penguin makeup was applied.
Burgess Meredith, who memorably played the Penguin in the ‘60s Batman TV series and its big-screen adaptation, was invited to cameo as Oswald Cobblepot’s father in Batman Returns, but unfortunately, illness stopped him from making the shoot.
Jack Nicholson’s Partying Interfered With Filming
When the producers of Batman were negotiating Jack Nicholson’s contract, the actor made sure to stipulate in his contract that he would arrive on set later than the other cast members. He apparently went out to dinner every night and partied until three in the morning.
While Michael Keaton was expected to come onto set early, Nicholson could roll in at around 10am and snooze in the makeup chair while the makeup team applied Joker makeup to his sleeping face.
The Studio Went To Extreme Lengths To Keep Batman Returns Shrouded In Secrecy
In these days of franchises ruling supreme, studios shrouding their productions in secrecy is commonplace. But when Batman Returns was being made as a highly anticipated sequel to a surprise hit, Warner Bros. really pushed the boat out to prevent leaks. Even Kevin Costner was denied the chance to visit the set.
When some photos of Danny DeVito in costume got out, Warner Bros. hired a private eye to get to the bottom of it. DeVito’s contract banned him from describing the Penguin’s makeup to anyone — even his own family.
Billy Dee Williams Expected To Play Two-Face In A Sequel
When Billy Dee Williams took the role of Harvey Dent in Batman, he expected to play Two-Face in a sequel. He even added a clause in his contract to stipulate this. However, the writers of Batman Returns decided to cut Dent’s role and replace him with Max Schreck.
When Two-Face was chosen as a villain for Batman Forever, Warner Bros. chose not to cast Williams and instead bought out his contract so they could cast Tommy Lee Jones. Williams did eventually get to play Two-Face (albeit in voice only) in The Lego Batman Movie.
Annette Bening Was Initially Cast As Catwoman
Annette Bening was the first choice to play Catwoman in Batman Returns, and even accepted the role. However, she got pregnant and therefore couldn’t play Selina Kyle when filming was slated to take place, so she was replaced by Michelle Pfeiffer.
Pfeiffer was paid $3 million for the role, which is triple the $1 million that was offered to Bening. Each Catwoman costume cost approximately $1,000, and throughout the six-month production, Pfeiffer went through 60 costumes.
Warner Bros. Received 50,000 Complaint Letters About Michael Keaton’s Casting
When Michael Keaton was cast to play Batman, there was an uproar from fans, who didn’t think that Keaton — who was then best known for his comedic work — could do the role of the Dark Knight justice. There were a whopping 50,000 complaint letters sent to Warner Bros., asking them to replace him with another actor.
Keaton ended up being praised as arguably the definitive on-screen Batman. Ironically, Keaton believed that his background in comedy was helpful when he was playing Batman because his comic instincts allowed him to play up the character’s weird, dark side.