Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Directed by Tim Burton, it marks the first installment of Warner Bros.’ initial Batman film series. Produced by Jon Peters and Peter Guber, the film stars Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, and Jack Palance. Set early in Batman’s crime-fighting career, the story focuses on his battle with his arch-nemesis, The Joker.
Tim Burton was hired as director in 1986, and after the success of his film Beetlejuice (1988), Batman was greenlit. The film’s tone and themes were influenced by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s The Killing Joke and Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. The plot primarily adapts and diverges from the “Red Hood” origin story of The Joker, depicting Batman inadvertently causing gangster Jack Napier to fall into a vat of acid at Axis Chemicals, transforming him into the psychotic Joker. Batman co-creator Bob Kane served as a consultant for the film.
The casting of Michael Keaton as Batman was controversial due to his comedic background, but he ultimately delivered a praised performance. Jack Nicholson took on the role of The Joker under specific conditions, including top billing, a share of the film’s profits, and control over his shooting schedule.
Filming occurred at Pinewood Studios from October 1988 to January 1989, with the budget increasing from $30 million to $48 million. The 1988 Writers Guild of America strike led to rewrites by Warren Skaaren, with additional drafts by Charles McKeown and Jonathan Gems.
Batman was a critical and financial success, earning over $400 million at the box office. It received acclaim for Nicholson and Keaton’s performances, Burton’s direction, the production design, and Danny Elfman’s score. It was the fifth-highest-grossing film in history at the time of its release and won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction.