"Batman - the frightening" script

[Neil]

Just read over at Superhero Hype that Warner Bros. have registered BatmanTheFrightening.com and .net domains which has sparked rumours that this is the title for the new film.
Just reading a draft of the script that you can find here:
http://www.angelfire.com/extreme3/parallax/batman.txt
Seems pretty good so far and I've read we get some Barbara Gordon in it somewhere! Fingers crossed that Dina Meyer might get to be in this movie if it gets made - unless I get to the Barbara part and find it's like 5 year-old Barbara or something like that.
Recommend you check out the script though because it seems like a good read.

[Reese'Girl]

*continues reading* seems good so far.

[Neil]

I skipped ahead to find Barbara and she would basically be a bit part for a couple of minutes at most but it's a good intro.
I'm hoping that whatever the next movie is it will go right back to the beginning and tell the story through again properly and wipe the slate clean after Batman Forever and Batman and Robin.

[StoyBoy720]

Doubt it's real I've already seem a few typos and stuff, but it's interesting either way.

[DrayvensCrow]

Besides, Alfred would NEVER refer to BM as Bruce without Master in front of it. They may be close, but Alfred remains professional. Very few times would he refer to BM as anything else. I haven't seen an "A.P." do so yet....

[HUNTER]

i heard somewhere as well as thescarecrow. harley quinn and joker was rumured to be in this.
then it was changed to just scarcrow and harley quinn,
then the scarecrow and joker,
but i no it seems its just the scarecrow

[StoyBoy720]

DrayvensCrow-Alfred actually has called Bruce Wayne just "Bruce," once and only once. It was at the end of "Mask of the Phantasm."

Also, there was Batman Returns when he was often referred to ask "Mister Wayne"

[Neil]

finished off the script before I went to bed last night. I think I must have skim-read the last few paragraphs because the ending confused me a little.
I'm not sure if it's real or not but if you think about it the text file was probably rewritten from a hard copy so there were bound to be some errors in the rewriting.
Overall I liked this script alot more than the 1995 Catwoman draft that I recently read. It has alot of potetial to go from this supposed first draft to a final movie so I'm hoping that Warner Bros. stick with this basic idea for the next movie.

[super85]

The script itself seemed somewhat boring, the idea itself is good and its a story that could work as a grapic novel and so, but I hardly think that WB will make this type of Batman movie. True WB has registered a few domains, but whenever the next Bat-flick opens it will be very different from this.

[DrayvensCrow]

Originally posted by DrayvensCrow
Very few times would he refer to BM as anything else. I haven't seen an "A.P." do so yet....

Hence the above.....:)

[Jesse321]

Its going to be interesting to see how they handle Barbara, since they introduced Barbara (Alicia freaking Silverstone) as Alfred's neice instead of Comm. Gordon's daughter in movie continuety already.

And more importantly who the hell will play Batman this time.

No thanks to Joel Schumacer who probably single handedly RUINED the Batman movie franchise by casting George Clooney THE WORST ACTOR IN EXISTANCE to play Batman.

HEY JOEL >> THINK WITH THE HEAD ON YOUR SHOULDERS AND NOT WITH YOUR BUTT NEXT TIME !!!

Maybe we could just forget the third and forth movie were ever made and take up where the 2nd left off.

[DrayvensCrow]

FINALLY! Someone has seen the light! The anti-Batman lives and he IS the demon Clooney!

[Dark Phoenix II]

Originally posted by DrayvensCrow
FINALLY! Someone has seen the light! The anti-Batman lives and he IS the demon Clooney!

LMAO! So true, so true!

[Dick Grayson]

Lets not even speak of the more and more insane rubber suits.

Batman "Caaaaannn't Moooooove Suuuuuuit Tooo Heeeeavy...",

Robin "Holy Heavy Batcowl Batman! you need to be as strong as Superman to walk around in these crap Costumes!!"

[super85]

I dont get all the crap Clooney got from his role in Batman&Rubber, oops I mean Robin. The script was complete garbage, and WB thought the script was great, would it have been cooler if Michael Keaton was forced to play Ice-Hockey with MR Freezes thugs or use a Bat-Card Visa card??, Dont blame Clooney for it (im also quite shure that he did'nt design them nipples on his batsuit). Blame Warnerbrothers, Akiva "Hackiva" Goldsman and Joel Schumacher for it.

[StoyBoy720]

I don't blame Clooney, either. I blame Schumacher and Akiva Goldsman for such a horrible screenplay.

I mean, Clooney looks the description of Bruce Wayne, tall, decent build, a little witty,etc. And could have done well with it.

HOWEVER

I blame the script above all else. Like how people bash Star Wars actors on their performances, some people can be great actors but not get a good performance with the material they are given.

Over on StarWarZ.com, there's a radio show calle dChrono Radio, and they interviewed the makers of the Batman:Year One fan trailer, and they mentioned that the problem was the script itself. I mean, Silverstone COULD have been Commissioner Gordon's daughter if the script had been reworked, and some of Clooney's lines would have been better if they hadn't given him such a 1960s Adam West-ish Batman to portray.

Schumacher even said himself they were getting rid of the brooding 'my parents are-dead' Batman in the official Movie Magazine back in the day. Something like "George Clooney is 35 years old. A 35-year-old Batman would be over it." Pretty much abandoning the reason Batman became Batman.

Also, a little tidbit for the Tim Burton/Michael Keaton Batman movies, Batman creator Bob Kane didn't approve of the first two movies at all. The first modern film of Batman he approved was Batman Forever because of Val Kilmer being cast.

[super85]

Well Bob Kane said in an interview back in 1990 about the first Batman movie "I absolutly Loved it, It was just like I had imagined it, the dark version, I always loved the campy version but im happy that this didn't end up like it". He also loved Batman Forever and Batman and Robin. Most of the critique from him came to BR were he hated the Penguin make-up, he also hated the nipples on the Batsuit in Batman Forever.

[DrayvensCrow]

Schumacher gets the brunt of my hate for B&R, but c'mon! George FACTS OF LIFE Clooney?!?!?! FOL was the last good thing he did! Just another sign that WB has no clue!!!! Now if they were to make the good decision and let DC handle the movie end like Marvel does, Then everything would be OK, OK?

[Dark Phoenix II]

I just didn't like the way Clooney played BM/BW...It didn't feel right...

Chris O'Donnell (as much I don't like him) did a pretty good job...

And I didn't mind the script too much...I was ten and that was the movie that got me into the whole Batman thing...So I'm kinda partial to it.

Although looking back, t'would've been best if they kept Babs as Commisioner Gordon's daughter and a redhead...And those friggin' nipples on those costumes...Xp

[DrayvensCrow]

Now nipples on Babs' costume.........mmmmm.........lol:D

[hb695]

Looking back at B&R when I was 8 years old (and stupid to understand the film),Goldsman and Schumacher really screwed me over and now DC Comics and WB are getting their asses kicked by Marvel comics and 20th century FOX.Kane's wife/widow Elizabeth Sander was in both BF and B&R as Gossip Gerty(which I stll remember that mush about).

[super85]

George Clooney would be the perfect Batman if he had a good director and scriptwritter working with him. He was great in "From Dusk till Dawn" and I dindn't like that movie, he was also great i n Ocean's Elven. Batman&Robin was so lame that I quit reading the comics as a protest, It frankly pissed me of that much, I was 12 when it premiered and I hated it then, and I still hate it.

[DrayvensCrow]

Clooney would be perfect as THOMAS Wayne! We don't have to see him that much and MOST actors know how to die on-screen, much like Clooney did in Oceans 11! LOL

[Dark Phoenix II]

Ooo...Dead Clooney...I like that idea...

And I've seen Cloooney in some of his other stuff...I don't like him...

[Dick Grayson]

The How to Make A Good Batman Film Guide For WB Execs.

Step 1. Go to your nearest cinema, and watch Daredevil, take notes!

Step 2. Go to DC Comics Offices and talk to the Batman Comics Creative teams.

Step 3. Read Frank Millers Dark Knight Return's cover to cover, followed by The Long Halloween, then watch every Batman TAS episode ever made!

Step 4. Go talk to Gough and Miller, and/or the Batman TAS crew and ask if they would do a treatment.

Step 5. Find a director and producer who understand who and what and why Batman is.

Step 6. Screentest Unknowns for Bruce Wayne, cast a unknown for Bruce Wayne.

Step 7. (Very Important!) no more bloody rubber suits and optional nipples, if they can make the Spider-Man suit work on a 40ft screen, you can find someone to make a Batsuit that looks like a bloody Batsuit.

Step 8. We wanna see ol Batsy kick some martial arts ass damn it!

Step 9. Get somebody to design a Batmobile, that does not look like a neon space ship crossed with a coke cola electronic billboard, failing that use the one from 1989 ;)

Step 10. Pssssh wait a year or two and make a ton of money from finished movie.

[Dark Phoenix II]

LOL You forgot "Bring back Tim Burton."

Unless he's dead...Is he dead? I haven't seen anything by him lately...

[Dick Grayson]

don't think he would want to have his name next to Batman movie project again. sadly... :( maybe he's off planning Planet of the Apes 2?

[hb695]

Originally posted by Dick Grayson
The How to Make A Good Batman Film Guide For WB Execs.

Step 1. Go to your nearest cinema, and watch Daredevil, take notes!

Step 2. Go to DC Comics Offices and talk to the Batman Comics Creative teams.

Step 3. Read Frank Millers Dark Knight Return's cover to cover, followed by The Long Halloween, then watch every Batman TAS episode ever made!

Step 4. Go talk to Gough and Miller, and/or the Batman TAS crew and ask if they would do a treatment.

Step 5. Find a director and producer who understand who and what and why Batman is.

Step 6. Screentest Unknowns for Bruce Wayne, cast a unknown for Bruce Wayne.

Step 7. (Very Important!) no more bloody rubber suits and optional nipples, if they can make the Spider-Man suit work on a 40ft screen, you can find someone to make a Batsuit that looks like a bloody Batsuit.

Step 8. We wanna see ol Batsy kick some martial arts ass damn it!

Step 9. Get somebody to design a Batmobile, that does not look like a neon space ship crossed with a coke cola electronic billboard, failing that use the one from 1989 ;)

Step 10. Pssssh wait a year or two and make a ton of money from finished movie. And step 11.Include Robin(a 12 year old this time,plus the original costume)/Dick Grayson for the next film after Year Two(if it's possible).

[hb695]

Originally posted by Dick Grayson
don't think he would want to have his name next to Batman movie project again. sadly... :( maybe he's off planning Planet of the Apes 2? Tim Burton is currently working on a Batman musical for Broadway.

[Dick Grayson]

Step 11. Grown men running around as Robin does not Float, Possible solution start at Film 1 Batman Solo if succesful at box office, Film 2 Possible Robin if abridged Year 2 again if top doller at box office proceed to Film 3 Possible fast forward to Nightwing era, skip over Jason Todd, unless Flashbacks, Bring in new young Robin in form of Tim Drake, possible Batgirl flashbacks and present day Oracle, needless to say a Batman Vs. Joker Film :D

Slightly condensed character introduction but that do you HB? ;)

[Dick Grayson]

Originally posted by hb695
Tim Burton is currently working on a Batman musical for Broadway.

Ah Yes now I remember :) what a bizarre idea lol... :D

[Neil]

if they are going back to the start of the franchise then I think they really do need to have Batman fly solo again.
Have him fly solo for a couple of movies again but introduce the other characters (eg Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon) before they become the characters they become so we are used to them, rather than introduce them at the beginning of a movie and have them has hero's by the end of it.
That way the audience will have seen some previous character development from previous films and understand why they become who them become rather than have an hour to see the entire character development.
Hope that makes sense.

[Dark Phoenix II]

Originally posted by hb695
Tim Burton is currently working on a Batman musical for Broadway.

WTF? I'm sorry...But by a show of hands, can anyone see Batman dancing and singing like Mary Poppins? Or even Spike from "Buffy," for that matter? I sure can't...

[Neil]

I remeber reading about the Batman musical in SFX, sounds intriguing and I'm not sure how they would pull it off.
Kind of have an image of Batman, Robin, Batgirl and Alfred singing "Walk Through The Fire" from the Buffy musical in my head.

[Dick Grayson]

Imagines it....

"oooooooooh Acccccccrrrrrrosss the Rooftops of Gotham I swwwwwwwwwiiiiing like a Bat out of heeeeeeel, I swing throuuuuugh the night, bringing my ooooown personal brand of justice tooooo the fight, I am Vengence, I am the Night, I am Batmaaaaaaan, I am shadow, I am fright, buuuuuut by theeeee time the sun rises all will beeeeee quiet for I am Justice, I am the night, I'm Batman!"

Now Playing On Broadway :D j/k

[Neil]

Maybe Ashley Scott could guest star and sing her version of Rock A Bye (possibly By) Baby

[DrayvensCrow]

Amendment to Steps For A Good Bat-Movie:

Step 1: add "....and for God's sake don't cast Ben Affleck!"

Step 5: add "(and it had better be Kevin Smith!)"

Step 7: amend to say "no more rubber suits with optional nipples for male characters only." (gotta leave something in for SGH and Babs lovers everywhere. Maybe entirely LEATHER for BG????)

Step 11: add Jason Todd death scene for fanboys. Then bring in Tim Drake.

[DrayvensCrow]

Originally posted by Dick Grayson
Imagines it....

"oooooooooh Acccccccrrrrrrosss the Rooftops of Gotham I swwwwwwwwwiiiiing like a Bat out of heeeeeeel, I swing throuuuuugh the night, bringing my ooooown personal brand of justice tooooo the fight, I am Vengence, I am the Night, I am Batmaaaaaaan, I am shadow, I am fright, buuuuuut by theeeee time the sun rises all will beeeeee quiet for I am Justice, I am the night, I'm Batman!"

Now Playing On Broadway :D j/k

Starring Donnie Osmond as Batman, Deborah Gibson as Batgirl, Yul Brenner as Mr. Freeze and Introducing.....John Cleese as Alfred! LOL

[Dark Phoenix II]

Uhhh...Yul Brenner's dead...Unless you know of a way to re-animate a corpse...Although, it's been twenty years, so all you'd have is a skeleton...LOL

And I don't like step seven's amendment! We women reserve the right to have some dignity, too!

[Dick Grayson]

Batman on Film reports that David Goyer has been brought on board to rewrite the frightening script to reboot the continuity and ignore the 4 previous films, instead of being a prequel to them. Goyer was the lead writer for Blade 2 which suggests he is good choice to take on the dark knight's scripting.

[Neil]

I read about that somewhere, Batman could work VERY well as a Blade style film aslong as they didn't over do the CGI-work.

[Dick Grayson]

well the digital stuntman CGI is useful for things beyond the realms of wirework like bloody great leaps into the sky ;) but you can have too much and its very off putting if its not done right, in another couple of years rendering will be good enough that it won't be noticable but right now, if they don't get things like body weight right and gravity then the effect just goes out the window...

[DrayvensCrow]

Originally posted by Dark Phoenix II
Uhhh...Yul Brenner's dead...Unless you know of a way to re-animate a corpse...Although, it's been twenty years, so all you'd have is a skeleton...LOL

And I don't like step seven's amendment! We women reserve the right to have some dignity, too!

Yeah, I know he's dead. And step seven was for funny haha.

[hb695]

Here are my steps to make a bat-movie.

Step 1.Get DC penciller(s) Jim Lee and/or Paul Gulacy to design the batsuit(Kill off the nipples)

Step 2.Go ahead with Batman:Year One,use Catwoman/Selina Kyle(with black hair this time).

Step 3.Cast an unknown(who should be 6.5)as Batman/Bruce Wayne,with our dear friend Mr. Abercrombie as Alfred.

Step 4.If Year One is a boxoffice smash,go ahead with Year Two;Use Reaper & Scarecrow.

Step 5.If Year Two did better,Robin/Dick Grayson(cast a 13 year old boy as Dick)Use the original Robin suit Dick wore in the comics;Use Joker,Catwoman,Zucco(early in the film),and Hugo Strange in the third movie.

Step 6.Use Babs Gordon for the forth film;plus use Killer Moth,Riddler, & Penguin.

Step 7.Send Dick to Hudson University(he can appear also),Make Babs congresswoman;Use Ra's Al Ghul,Talia,Ubu(Al Ghul's assistant),Deadshot,Man-Bat,Silver St. Cloud,and Rupert Thorne in film #5.



Step 8.Dick quits the role of Robin(in between early and midway through the film),Revamp Jason Todd as a son of a famous photographer(I hate the street kid/reckless version)make Jason Robin;Use Two-Face,Night-Slayer,Nocturna,and Cormorant in film six.

Step 9.Babs gets shot by Joker,He kills Jason,Use Anarky/Lonnie Machin for the seventh film.

Step 10.Nightwing comes back;Tim Drake becomes Robin III;Babs becomes Oracle;Jean Paul Valley becomes Azrael;Use Two-Face,Scarecrow,and Bane.

[Dark Phoenix II]

HB, hon? With all those characters, you'd have too many subplots that would need explaining. Each movie would end up an 7-10 hour flick and Hollywood just doesn't do that.

Nice ideas, though...

[hb695]

Originally posted by Dark Phoenix II
HB, hon? With all those characters, you'd have too many subplots that would need explaining. Sorry.

[Jesse321]

JESUS !!!!! HB ... what your asking for would take 14 movies to tell .. much less just a couple LOL !!

Honestly though, as much as I would LOVE to see a Batman:Year One Project, I don't think it will fly simply because it won't appeal to the masses as opposed to the hardcore comics fans. And god forbid it was done wrong the fans would rip it to shreads and bad word of mouth would kill it just like it did the last 2 Batman films.

I think the best route for the next Batman movie would be to just get back to basics ... 86 Robin altogether ... focus more on Batman's Detective skills and maybe not even have a "Super-Villain" whats wrong with just having Batman against the Gotham Mob scene. And having him relate more to Comm. Gordon and the rest of Gotham City

If you MUST have a super-villain, would suggest Ras over Scarecrow. I can see where Scarecrow would be a better visually though.

And most DEFINATELY bring back Catwoman, but as a good guy this time, like they are using her in the books now. I's also like to see Leslie Tompkins introduce to give Ian more to do playing Alfred.

Don't worry Ian ... I didn't forget you.

[hb695]

Originally posted by Jesse321


And most DEFINATELY bring back Catwoman, but as a good guy this time, like they are using her in the books now.
Only if the WB get a good director.

[Jesse321]

God yes ... Get rid of Joel S. ... get Tim Burton back !!

[DrayvensCrow]

Here's an idea....How about Kevin Smith?

[Jesse321]

I'm drawing a blank ... what has Kevin Smith directed ???

Actually Frank Miller would be cool ... I'm pretty sure he directed Robocop II.

[Sxygrrl Huntress]

Kevin Smith a la "Jay and Silent Bob" adventures, Good Will Hunting, etc. I believe he named his daughter Harley, is a Batman fan.

[Jesse321]

I never saw Jay and Silent Bob .. not my cup of tea .. Good Will Hunting was good .. but what I was getting at is .. what experience does Kevin have directing high budget / special effects intensive features ??

Unless your REALLY good or have alot of experience shots could be ruined if you don't set them up properly.

[Sxygrrl Huntress]

I thought you were wondering who he was, sorry. I don't think he's done anything with huge special effects at all. Not his bigger budget movies anyhow.

[Jesse321]

According to my better half (Eric) who is a TOTAL entertainment fantic, Kevin's directorial credits include:

Clerks
Mall Rats
Dogma
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Chasing Amy

None of which are even in the comicbook genre, if I were an exec at WB, I would be very leary of giving him a huge project on the level of Batman, mind you not that he could do ANY worse than Joel S. but they can't gamble with the next film if they expect to keep the franchise going .. there have been too many flops associated with Batman in shows and feature films to date, they need it to be a BLOCKBUSTER !!

I think Kevin would be a kick ass screen writer or creative consultant though as he is so intrenched in the comic book charactors and the story telling aspect of it.

[Dark Phoenix II]

What about the directors and writers that did the Marvel Films? I mean...It wasn't until "X-Men" that Comic Book Adaptations became a hit...

[Jesse321]

DP .. Brian Singer was the director for the 2 X-men films and he is tentatively slated to direct the third.

And actually comic book adaptations became hits WAY before X-men ... on the screen as well as TV.

To name a few:

Movies:

Superman
Batman
The Shadow (not really a big hit but an adaptation none the less)
Conan
Red Sonja (again not a big hit, but you get the point)

TV Projects:

Batman
Wonder Woman
Superboy
Lois and Clark
The Hulk
Dr. Strange

Animated Series:

WAY TOO MANY to name.

Those are just the ones that I can think of right off the top of my head.

[Thanatos]

...That's impressive...

[DBZ_EXP]

you know I have seen scripts before, for a few dif tv shows, and that did not look like one. Maybe a short story version to sell people on and get the movie rolling!