Ok folks, this appeared over at Kevin Smith's View Askew WWWBoard earlier tonight. It was called to my attention by Captain TV, a frequent reader of both AICN and View Askew. I don't know if an ounce of it is true. Take a look at it, then read my commentary beneath. What this 'rumor' is about to do is inject fans around the globe with a hope and a prayer of greatness concerning the Batman franchise. After the last film the sentiment was for the series to die. I never felt that way, in the entire 'Batman & Robin' debate, I never cried for the death of the Batman franchise, but rather a radical change in direction. Well more on this after the report. Be prepared to hold your breath, sit on pins and needles, clench your mouse, pray to your (gods, crystals, animal spirit, etc), and click your heels three times and say, "Please make this so, please make this so, please make this so" I know there are a lot of 'Batman/Superman' animated series types that read this site, please contact me to confirm and/or deny the following. All of us will be charged and energized by this news till the day it is realized. Once again, thanks goes out to Captain TV, if this is true, you have delivered the best news, my email box has received.
A couple of weeks ago I tipped you guys about Warner brothers reavaluating their approach to the Batman franchise and that the ultra-talented Paul Dini has been tapped to at least write a brief synopsis and later a possible script for Warner.
Well guess what I found out. First off, I'll just say that I'm VERY close to the source that gave me this info and it's reliable. In a meeting held last week between Warner's top brass, Paul Dini, Mark Protosevich, and George Clooney via his cell phone (the guys been working like a (use your imagination for some four-lettered words)), a very interesting idea has been thrown around the table. Paul Dini has proposed to restart the Bat-franchise from scratch, an idea that has the ear of both Warner Bros. and George Clooney (who never liked the idea of taking over a role that Micheal Keaton created and Val Kilmer wrecked). Paul Dini has written a 10 page treatment on the plot, characters, as well as a ton of notes and diagrams he and production pal, the ass-kicking artist Bruce Timm from the Batman cartoon, that has inspired a big hoo-haw (no, I'm not a hick) with Warner.
The basic premise would feature a new film version of Bats to be played by Clooney, which has been described as the "Archictypcal, Ultimate, Dark Night". The story was been centered around Batman's vow never to take a life as he goes after the homicidal Joker. The movie would also feature Harley Quin and Robin (described in the treatment as 12 year-old Tim Drake). Dini, who loved the treatment Protosevich did on I AM LEGEND, said he would love to write the script with him. Protosevich, who is a Warner's favorite, is just happy to be involved in the movie somewhere and relishes the chance to start with a clean slate. This is incidentally the big reason why Joel Schumacher is no longer involved in any Bat-projects. He's angry with Warner that they want to drop the old franchise, when he wanted to continue with it, adopting a darker style for the next film while still continuing his homage to the 1960's show.
My eyes are peeled back, my heart racing, my hopes on my sleeves. For two years I've said Paul Dini and Bruce Timm should be directing the future of the Batman franchise. You have read about it in many many rants. Probably the most famous of these began about a year ago, as I began to lay into 'Batman & Robin'.
It has been my belief that the top grossing Batman film was at least half of it's potential gross. That the franchise was and has never been exactly where it needed to be. I feel that the Tim Burton Batmans were good, but in the way that Dr.No and From Russia With Love were good. I had not seen a Goldfinger level of perfection from the franchise. Warners has just tapped the surface of what the franchise could be.
For one, you could make films with that character that could easily surpass Raiders of the Lost Ark, if the right people with the right vision were given the reins. In all this time, I (and many fans) have felt that Paul Dini and Bruce Timm were THE people.
Last year at the Heart of Texas ScreenWriter's Conference, I met and talked with Dini for HOURS. We had that fevered sort of conversation where we would finish each others sentences, mirroring each others opinions of the state of the franchise and where it needed to be. Paul is a geek of a high standing, loving everything from Batman to Jack Kirby to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. When talking about the greatest comic book movie, we both agreed Raiders of the Lost Ark was the best. Just because he didn't have an issue that dated prior to the film, didn't mean he wasn't comic book.
Now the saddest thing about this news, is while I am breathless over the concept of Dini and Protosevich working together to realize Batman as it has always meant to be, I don't trust the powers that be at Warners. After the problems with a certain Kryptonian, the direction the Batman series has gone... well... I can't celebrate. It is my feeling that the Warners people do something they are not used to, to turn the franchise over to Dini, Protosevich and Timm and basically... LEAVE THEM ALONE. Give them the support neaded to make the film. Trust them. They have been proving episode after episode, there worth. Remember Welles had never directed a film before and turned out a priceless gem the first time out. And since Batman really is a fictional character you won't have to worry about a vast amount of Newspapers refusing to run ads for the film thereby hurting the gross.
I am now sleepless, I will not sleep this night. This news/rumor has me excited as hell. I didn't turn around and post it as fast as Dark Horizons or the BuzzStation, because I was physically excited. I began yelling and screaming and hooting and hollering. I called my friends, we yelled and screamed. This is quite literally a dream for me. To have Batman done right... that.. that would be something. Give Dini, Timm and Protosevich free rein. Let them direct, DO NOT let them write a script, then turn it over to someone who doesn't 'GET' it. You saw what happened to Protosevich's I AM LEGEND and Smith's SUPERMAN LIVES. Delays, escalations in preproduction costs, problems. A great and profitable film does not need to cost $100 million plus. These guys KNOW how to do it. Give them their chance, it won't cost you a thing. They'll make you more money than you can imagine, with a product you don't have to be ashamed to put your shield on.
