| June 15 |  |
Editor says, what if Warner Bros Studio kept the faith with Darren Aronofsky and his risky new proposal for the latest Batman movie? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).
| Share this Article on: |  Facebook |  Twitter |
In 2005, writer-director's Darren Aronofsky's enormously popular noir movie, "Batman: Year One" premiered in 3,858 cinemas across North America, grossing $48 million in its opening weekend and eventually grossing $370 million worldwide.
"Batman: Year One" premieresThe film shares its title with the American DC Comics story arc written by Frank Miller in 1987 which recounts the beginning of Bruce Wayne's career as Batman and Jim Gordon's with the Gotham City Police Department. Aronofsky's genius was to shape a brutally realistic version that was nearly unrecognisable from either Miller's story or the previous Batman mythos, for example potraying Alfred as a mechanic called Big Al who helps Bruce Wayne.
Given the writer-directors limited commerical success in his career to date, the studio was taking on a huge risk. It was even rumoured in the press that the studio also considered a more mainstream project called "Batman Begins" to be directed by Christopher Nolan. And yet Joel Schumacher's dreadful 1997 movie Batman and Robin was a critical failure which appeared to have destroyed Warner Bros' franchise forever, and so the studio was reduced to truly desperate measures.
Christian Bale, fresh from the success of American Psycho, was rumoured to star. But at the last, both the studio and director fully committed to a non-derivative movie, and instead the role was given to the relatively unknown Australian television and film actor Heath Ledger. This inspired decision led to "Batman: Year One" becoming without question the most incredible summer movie of 2005.
Entry posted by Todayinah Editor
© "Batman: Year One" by Frank Miller, illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, colored by Richmond Lewis, and lettered by Todd Klein (1987)Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Superheroes Source: Wikipedia Labels: Batman, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Darren Aronofsky, Christopher Nolan. Editor says, please note we have taken the liberty of repurposing considerable amounts of content from the source articles.
~ That was rich.
~ I must confess to be desperately disappointed with Batman Begins by the way, should have been called Batman Begins to Send you to sleep (YAWN!). Hence my story. I thought Christian Bale was sub-cardboard although bizarelly I loved Terminator Salvation which is inexplicable other than he cant dominate a movie and needs a big supporting actor which he just didnt get in Batman Begins you see. Rant over :-)
~ I haven't seen any Bat-films since the one with the Penguin; however I do think that re-imagining the whole Bat mythos might be a real good idea.
~ What (I think) they'd need to do is to go back to the beginning (1940) and show Batman as he was then, an armed vigilante with would execute criminals whom he thought were beyond redemption. Trouble is, in TODAY'S society, you'd have to be afraid of copycats in real life.
~ How about a REALLY thoroughly modern version, where Batman and Robin are lovers?
~ Actually, Batman only carried a gun in one issue; the character has usually been depicted as hostile to firearms due to the manner of his parents' deaths. However, it is true that Batman in tose early stories, like Superman in the same period, was remarkably cavalier about causing or allowing the deaths of adversaries.
Re Jackie Rose: Frederic Wertham would be spinning in his grave. The esteemed doctor did, after all, suggest that the Batman/Robin relatioonship at least himted at homoeroticism.
~ Eric, the same interpretation has been given to the Lone Ranger and Tonto...to the point where a character in a play (whose name escapes me) sneers about "that homosexual fruit, the Lone Ranger."
~ I suppose it might have premiered well at London's Odeon Theater in Leicester Square, too. Heath Ledger in that star role is intriguing. One wonders if he could have been steered any differently toward, perhaps, a longer life if he were to have become a regular in that role? Even without it, his style is good enough to rob me of a little sleep.
© Today in Alternate History, 2013-. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
