23 Jun: Batman Begins
Over $750m of merchandise had already been sold on the basis of the trailer alone, when Tim Burton’s Batman was released in the USA on 23rd June, 1989. Ten days later, it became the fastest-film ever to earn $100m.
The first ‘adult’ Batman movie had been pitched as early as 1979, but, after various possible permutations – one of which would have cast Bill Murray as Batman and Eddie Murphy as Robin – it came to the big screen with Michael Keaton in the titular role ten years later.
In this episode, Olly, Rebecca and Arion marvel at a world in which comic book nerds were an untapped resource; visit the British stately homes that stood in for Wayne Manor; and ask why no-one ever just shoots Batman in the face…
Further Reading:
• The original 1989 trailer for Tim Burton’s ‘Batman’:
• ‘The Battle To Make Tim Burton’s Batman’, The Hollywood Reporter (2019):https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/batman-michael-keaton-vetoed-michelle-pfeiffer-role-1989-film-1220139/
• ‘Nike designed a pretty terrible pair of boots for Tim Burton’s 1989 ‘Batman’ movie’, Business Insider (2016):
https://www.businessinsider.com/nike-batman-boots-2016-3?r=US&IR=T