Cool News
BRUCE WAYNE tv series and... what to do with BATMAN.
Hey there everyone. Harry here. And this time with a bit of a change of pace.
TELEVISION NEWS from me... that’s gonna get a main page/ cool news treatment.
Why? Because I will it so.
As you know I have been majorly concerned with uncovering what is going on with all
this BS BATMAN stuff. The Feature Film Franchise.... A possible Television
show/miniseries thing that we just don’t even know about.
After my last live action BATMAN run... I sort have taken it as a solemn oath to
watchdog to make sure that nothing approaching the nippled cod-pieced latex ass from
hell ever finds it’s way to screen.... Large or Small.... Norman or Saxon.
I’ve put a bit of a bounty (personal sense of worth not glimmery jewels and gold) upon
tracking down the scripts for the various projects. And in my probing, I’ve made
connections at DC, WARNER TELEVISION and WARNER FILM. Hell, I’m even
making in roads into WARNER PUBLISHING.
Know the saying, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?” Well... I do. And
I’ve converted a few. Like ‘Lorenzo’s Hair Oil’ as he/she likes to be known. I’m assured
that I will have dibs on any development documents on BATMAN... and I like that. The
first parcel arrived, postmarked BURBANK DEC 30th, 1999. I get all types of interesting
packages from Burbank. So I instantly tore in.
Much to my delight there was a single sheet of paper that said, “FROM LORENZO’S
HAIR OIL.” Oh.... and the pilot script for BRUCE WAYNE, the proposed series from
Tollin/Robbins production, and written and executive produced by Tim McCanlies (THE
IRON GIANT and DANCER, TEXAS POP 81 screenwriter).
Personally I’m very wary of any BATMAN non-comic stuff being handled by anyone
other than BRUCE TIMM, PAUL DINI and ALAN BURNETT or even a pre-raped by
Warren Skaaren.... SAM HAMM.... Gods of the written BATMAN page, oh except for
Warren...
Quite recently I’ve pondered over the recent Paul Dini/Alex Ross collaboration....
BATMAN: WAR ON CRIME... and frankly wept at the injustice to humanity that has
kept Paul Dini from the feature franchise. It’s simply ludicrous to not have this man as the
grand poobah of the BATMAN universe, he knows the character so much better than I
believe anyone has ever known Batman that it quite honestly awes me.
And as I sat down to read, I pushed all that out of my mind. I’m reading this thing written
by someone seemingly new to the world of comic books. Hmmm... perhaps this has been
just another assignment piece, right? Well... let’s look at it....
BRUCE WAYNE..... Episode One begins with an old.... tired.... retired even... Alfred.
He’s in the BATCAVE... and he is going through a Charles Foster Kane-esque trove of
trivial keepsakes from his “master’s life”. Where’s BATMAN.... I truthfully do not
know... Is he dead? Crippled? Or out for the evening... it’s never said. But it seems
Alfred is arranging the fragment of Master Bruce’s life. An Alfred has.... so many
memories and stories and flashes connected to each one.
Who knows more than Alfred, the demons tearing at the soul of this vengeful child of
Gotham? In this respect... the format seems to remind me a bit of MARVELS... It’s the
story of the young Bruce Wayne.... 17 going on 18. Still unsure of his direction in life.
College? Party hound? Business Man? Trouble Maker? Bruce is unsure... and Alfred is
trying to carefully guide Young Bruce into becoming... Not Batman.... But merely a
MAN.
But the demons in Bruce, are not easily corralled.
The 17 year old Bruce Wayne is an amazing athlete/martial artists... makes NEO look like
the pansy that Keanu is. Now mind you.... for a television series.... and the martial arts
sequences (and believe you me.... this script calls for same friggin damn hard stuntwork),
you would need a great.... GREAT Fight Choreographer.... I’m not talking about Chuck
Norris.... I’m talking about wires and flips and the sort of badass stuff that Batman does
in 12 action panels, but in one shot. That’s tough... but if they nail it... it’s the sort of
BATMAN that we have never seen in the film franchise.
But... the main thing with this script is it is not SUPERHERO/SUPERVILLIAN based.
It’s got aspects of WALL STREET (the WayneCorp machinations and behind the scenes
struggles), UNTOUCHABLES (corrupt police force, judicial system, lawyers, thugs,
crimelords Gotham), Shakespeare (struggle to power and leadership with deeply flawed
nobility), MATRIX (hardcore action and thrills), PECK’S BAD BOY (the Yancy
Street/Bowery style orphans of crime and punishment) and finally.... all of this comes
together with this whole James Bond/birth of Batman type of thing that carries the same
sort of resonance that the initial idea and hope we had for the Anakin descent into Vader
that these prequels promised us.
Is this the be all end all of BATMAN???? NO.
It is, however, that which we have never seen. It’s real. This Gotham isn’t of the future
or of the past.... it’s merely sometime. This isn’t Batman.... he hasn’t quite gotten there
yet. He’s about 4 years away. There’s people that still need to die, become bad... This
isn’t a dark depressing nightmare... but it’s not a bucket of roses.
Bruce, is a bit of a Tom Ripley.... He has things he puts in basement doors and pretends
to never open. He can play the flippant happy kid.... He doesn’t know he’s alone yet.
He’s confused.
He likes to go out and beat the shit out of bad guys... thugs in the street hustling to steal
your wallet. Penny poaching thieves. He goes into crime alley with his Rolls Royce....
scum edges in from the shadows.... And he Mr. Fucking CLEANS the place.
He has friends.... he hasn’t lost them yet.
He has hopes of love..... he hasn’t lost them yet.
He’s just a scared cocky kid.... he isn’t Batman yet.
In this first script... We have James Gordon... but he’s just a detective. We have
Barbara... but she’s just 13. We have Selina... but she’s not kitty-whipping people... well,
at least not with a tangible whip. No cheeks have rigor mortised into a smile yet. Harvey
Dent is not yet out of Law School. The world isn’t quite yet where we know it will be
someday. And there’s all these characters... that don’t yet have a historical place in the
pantheon.... Where do they fit? How does this unfold?
Now I don’t know what the plan is for this show just yet. I’ve just read the pilot script.
Somewhere.... Probably at DC, WARNERS tv or film... there’s the Series Bible. This is
my next target.... My next prize.
From the sound of this first story... this feels like something approaching HOMICIDE,
and nothing like LOIS AND CLARK. This feels right.
NOW.... The question that attacks the land is.... Will this series ever get made?
I’ve been talking with some folks over at DC and they tell me that Lorenzo D. is deciding
whether or not this TV thing infringes on or is potentially damaging to BATMAN YEAR
ONE and/or BATMAN BEYOND.
For years while Warner was developing SUPERMAN as a new film franchise... LOIS
AND CLARK ran..... And that wasn’t that good, but it was successful.... It didn’t hurt
the SUPERMAN film.... that responsibility fell into the deplorable developmental hands
of one ex-hair stylist.
In an ideal world.... This series goes forward... catches the full strength of Warner Bros.
Studio Stores, Kenner, etc...
Warner Film.... Begins work on a BATMAN BEYOND movie. That would be ready for
2001. This series would be on Fall 2000 or Mid-season replacement. From what the
mesquite trees tell me, it’s a 3 or 4 season story arc.... meaning it ends 2003 or 2004.
Develop the BATMAN YEAR ONE to follow the end of the BRUCE WAYNE series....
which will end, where YEAR ONE begins.
Who knows... in the course of making the TV series.... The actor playing young Wayne...
might very well be the perfect person to play YEAR ONE BATMAN.
Only a petty person would stand in the way of this series. It seems to be something new...
for something very old. And.... having a comic book treated not as funny or cute.... but
rather... as a Drama/Action/Suspense/Mystery series.... well I know I’d definitely give it a
look see.
Now just hand over the film franchise to Bruce Timm and Paul Dini.... with Alex Ross as
Production Designer, and the rest of the world’s riches will fill your stockholder’s coffers.
-
+ Expand All
-
I would like to see Dini work on a live-action Batman film, but Mask of the Phantasm & Sub Zero weren't nearly as good as the best TV episodes they've done. I'd like to see them do a TV series more than a film. They have 30 min Batman dead right. 2 hour Batman, not so sure.
-
Perhaps?
Bruce should NOT be "unsure of his direction in life" at 17 or 18. Bruce became the essence of the Batman the moment he saw his parents murdered. He didn't know what direction this obsession would take, but from that moment he knows CRIMINALS MUST PAY. Becoming a "party animal" or such certainly wouldn't be an option. -
After Iron Giant i have absolutely no faith in the moron fucks at WB. This sounds amazing and i would kill to see it. They will find someway to screw this. Who the hell could play this role by the way. Knowng WB they will get dawson or pacey to be Wayne.
-
The first thing you do is start with the eyes. You get someone in whose eyes you can see cunning, pain, and a bit of psychosis ( Keaton made a perfect Batman! ) and you're there. Too bad Robert Culp or Bruce Campbell weren't born in the seventies!!!
-
Mankiewicz's original Batman script was superb, written in 1983!
-
After seeing Iron Giant, I posted on IMDB that they should let this screenwriter have a go at the Superman franchise to see how it turns out. This is the second best thing. Although I think this would be great, this will STILL FAIL. Reason? Other than comic geeks no one else will buy into this. They'd have to have some sort of money shot at the end, with Bruce Wayne as Batman kicking a little ass. Hell, I'd want to see it. Wes Bentley for Bruce Wayne, anyone? I'd watch this religiously, but I don't know if the regular public would. However, you certainly would catch their attention with some jaw-dropping action sequences not normally shown on television.
-
Judging by Harry's description, this definitely sounds rocking. However, I agree that WB will inevitably screw this up. They'll try to aim it at a younger, less mature audience that doesn't care about character development or human drama. I agree that with that audience, they'll argue that the show can't be successful without Bruce donning the costume. Hell, I'll admit that even when I was little and I watched Bixby/Ferrigno Incredible Hulk TV show I was bored and antsy until the Hulk transformation took place. It wasn't until I got older that I appreciated the drama and sadness of the show. AIM BRUCE WAYNE AT A 20-PLUS AGED AUDIENCE!!!
-
I've got news for all you fellow geeks out there: as good as this series sounds, as much as we would like to see it get made; it ain't gonna happen!
Why? Because of the name.
Hey, don't get me wrong, I like Batman as much as any other geek and this pilot that Harry describes sounds great. But the fact is, when people see the name Bruce Wayne, they still roll their eyes and think of Adam West!
If WB and those who Harry gets his information from are the least bit TRULY considering doing this, then, for the love of God, change the name of the series. Leave the character and everything Harry describes; but the title will spell certain ratings DEATH.
And for those who are saying "Well, 'Buffy, the Vampire Slayer' is a pretty stupid sounding name, and it's doing great!", remember, Buffy didn't bring 60 years of baggage to the table either. -
Although it looked cool, the dialogue in Batman was dreadfully aweful. Returns was okay but damn that movie gives me a headache. Just goes on forever. And the rest is...well, crap to me. And since the studios seem to be coming to the conclusion more and more kids don't have the balls to see a dark, cool film, I expect nothing more than what I've seen already. Lightweight.
-
So I think it is very possible to extricate a television Batman from Adam West. Falcon makes it sound like there is no overlap between the millions who have seen the various Batman movies and those that watch TV. The movies have already prepared a TV audience for a darker Batman. Harry did a nice job hyping this one - but it sounds like there is a large mass of red tape to cut through to make it happen. Also, with all the potential projects being kicked around, isn't the greater danger Bat-saturation in the marketplace? Besides folks like us who dwell in the superhero movie talkbacks, how much Batman can America take?
-
Wait, I know! THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES! If you look at this proposed series in that light, all the pieces fit into place.
We have a well-established modern mythology. Just about everyone who hasn't lived under a rock or in a Y2K bunker for the past 60 years knows the basics of Batman.
We have a public who loves the story and is clamoring for more. Look at the success of B:TAS, BB, and the first few movies (I'm sorry, but "Batman and Robin" was simply the cumshot of Joel Schumacher's mental masturbation).
We have an older generation that remembers "the good old days" of the Saturday morning serials and the 1960's TV series, and are curious about how the story has been updated.
We have a new, younger generation of fans who have little or no memory of the Adam West fiasco. There will inevitably be comparisons by the bloated and erudite television critics, but the optimal demographic of 18-to-34 year olds has the movies and the animated series as their reference point. My cousins, ages 18, 20, and 25, have seen the Adam West series maybe a dozen times in their entire lives. They remember the theme music more than the actual show.
The other base material, the books themselves, have also evolved from the 1960's "drink your milk and eat all your vegatables, Dick, and then we can visit Commisioner Gordon for a friendly chat" to the 1980's and 1990's image of a "goth" Gotham, with Batman working as a vigilante enforcing the spirit of the law and of justice, an unwritten code, sometimes in direct opposition to the letter of the law that GCPD is supposed to uphold. Talk about a prime attraction for the poist-college generation!
Having Alfred as a narrator, and the story itself being told as a flashback, it a great idea, and is EXACTLY how the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles did theirs. Hell, they even got a cameo from Harrison Ford on one of their episodes.
I am supremely jazzed about the idea of this series. Now, the trick is going to be to get the series made, get it on the air in a desirable time slot (Sunday at 9:00, perfect to fill the void left by the soon-to-be-exiting X-files), and then LEAVE IT THE FUCK ALONE!
8 years ago, ABC has a great series that was showing the natural growth of Henry Jones Junior from curious child (although that was the part I liked the least) to an adventurous teen, into the trials and tribulations of young adulthood. Then they juggled the schedule, put it on hiatus for a while, and finally shelved it. The Family Channel (now Fox Family) picked it up a few years later and made some TV movies, but it wasn't the same. A great show, with the potential to keep the Indy Jones myth alive enough to encourage another theatrical relelase, was torpedoed by short-term-ratings-hungry network executives.
Bruce Wayne: The Series would need a champion in the network offices. They need to give this series time to build an audience. Initial ratings will be weak, but if the scripts are strong and the network is willing to give it some room to grow, this could be the best thing for the Batman movie franchise since Tim Burton signed on for the first flick.
-
Jan 04, 2000 10:12:55 AM CST
They already did this TV series, and it was called...
by mockingbird girl
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.
-
Whoa, Virtual Viking! Great minds think alike!
-
Since this will be set before the Batman is born, and nearly ALL of his Rogue's gallery have some Batman influence in their origins, NONE of the greats will appear. Know what that means?
SHITTY T.V. VILLIANS!!!! Don't think good villians are important, see George Reeves' Superman, early Super-Friends episodes, Spidey live action, the Flash show, Lois and Clark, Hulk, etc. etc. etc. These shows all blew, cuz for some reason, they chose to go the "gotta stop that gang of hoods from robbing the City Bank" route. THAT'S the real reason BTAS is good: accurate depictions of ALL the characters in the mythos. Don't get me wrong, I'd kill to see this thing made (even moreso if the third season finale were Bruce donning the cape and cowl, and if it were on HBO, which IS owned by Warners), but sometime in the interim it's gonna get seriously fucked. Even Batman & Robin couldn't have been THAT terrible as a first draft.
P.S. Young Indy Sucked.
HARD. -
I have never seen a character with so much potential so wasted... For those of you lauding Burton's Batman, may I remind you that even the first film squandered the character in favor of Nicholson's Joker - where was the greatest detective of all time? I agree with Harry - if Warner's were smart they'd go for the Batman seen in "War on Crime" - a Batman who is driven, haunted, who sees in the eyes of an orphaned child his own tortured soul - to WB, the Batman franchise is an excuse for stunt casting and rock video excess - face it - even the posters sucked - how can you have a character with one of the most graphically imaginative costumes around, and then load up the poster with faces-faces-faces... Why not an image of Batman looking out over his beloved Gotham, cape billowing in the cold night air? And the Batmobile - my God, this is a vehicle that is supposed to instill fear in any villain that sees it tearing up the tarmac - not some ridiculous funny car tricked up like a $20 whore... And how is it Batman's vehicles are destroyed in every damn movie? Go back to square one, Warners - give Bats one super villain - not two, not three... Make our hero in the cowl driven and brilliant and fearsome and lonely - read "War on Crime" - there you will find both your Batman and your Bruce Wayne... and don't even get me started on Superman...
-
Yes, I can see it now... a live action Batman Beyond with the return of Adam West as the old Batman!
-
As I was watching BnR, I realised that I wasn't watching a Batman film but a "SUPERMAN" film. Shumacher should the next Superman movie. Watch BnR again and instead of Batman put Superman in place.
Bad idea, good idea??? What do you think??? -
The WB, as in the network, is much more inclined to take risks than the other networks. Where else would you put it? ABC, which hasn't sustained a new drama in years (until 'Once and Again' which looks like it'll survive)(and that's a cookie-cutter midlife romance crisis)? Many of the WB shows that are there now, such as BuffyTVS, went there in the first place because of the creative control they (WB) allowed. Teen dramas were NOT sucessful until WB came up with 'Buffy' and 'Dawson' and then decided to cash in on the formula.. but that doesn't mean it's all they can do. They had nothing but lousy sitcoms before Buffy showed up. Now, the way they're making a twist on their standard teen fare with a pensive, continuous-story-arc based mystery like Roswell, I think they're much more open to trying something like Bruce Wayne. Something different. Plus, it makes sense for them to expand on their Batman franchise now, they'll want to cash in on a resurging super-hero craving (X-men movie, for starters). If they can get smart people behind this script, they'll promote the hell out of it, and I think they'd allow just the creative control needed to give the right flavor.. and shows on the WB get a MUCH longer benefit of the doubt to find an audience than the staid big 3 do. Anyway. The idea is interesting. It all hinges on finding the ideal young Bruce Wayne - the writing is of course vital, but in a series more than in the movies, and particularly at this juncture in the character, it all revolves around how much the audience can empathise or root for Bruce. He has to be multi-dimensional and interesting, and they have to find a talented handsome young actor (preferably an unknown) who can pull it off. That's the key.
-
...the Batman comics are terrific, but any attempt at a BATMAN movie/television series will inevitably suck! I mean, I'm a huge fan of Batman, with some of my favorite moments being the Knightfall, Knightquest, Knightsend series. But I just can't stand any of the movies, television, etc! For some reason, they just can't get it right!
-
You make a great case for this, Harry. Of course, I'm predisposed to like it, because I've felt for a long time that we ought to see the story between Bruce's parents dying and when he becomes Batman. We've known pretty much the "why" but not so much the "how". Given a choice, I'd rather know just why than just how, but it would be great to have both.
-
I like it. It sounds like it takes the Batman (yes, even pre-Batman) mythos seriously. Naturally, some folks will dislike anything about doing another Batman film or TV show regardless of how cool it initially sounds because we've all been let down so bad before. That's too bad to feel this way because this BRUCE WAYNE sounds like a show that will RESPECT the fans and the characters.
-
...the name of the female bad ass who helps prepare Bruce Wayne in the KnightsEnd series??? She was also involved in some other stories, and for the life of me, I cannot think of her name. But I believe it started with an "s". Can anyone help me recall???
-
This show needs to be an ensemble piece. James Gordon will be dealing with murders, a bad marriage and a corrupt police force. He should be the everyman of this series, one normal man who fights the good fight. Unfortunately, although he can win some battles he can
-
They need the show to do like now and again. They need to find a way to properly mix the dark brooding hero that will become and the young party going martial arts master/hero/lover and all that jazz. This just needs to be done right...
The way I see it, if you could get JMS to write it with Glenn Gordon Caron then you'd have something that people would tune in to watch week after week. -
I have to admit that I'm a long, loooooongtime Batman fan, all the way back to 1966, when I was 6 years old, watching Adam West (I had no idea at that time it was a comedy) and buying DC Comics from the summertime stores where I live. (For some reason, imported comics were only available in the summer !)
I loved the Butron/Keaton movies, and was generally dismissive of the Schumacer ones. Absolute definitive screen Batman is, to date the animated one. Hence, I haven't really gotten that juiced about the stories regarding "Year 1" or the Bruce Wayne tv series......until now.
What changed things ? A reading of the trade paperback of Jeph Loeb's excellent "Long Halloween".
All of a sudden I'm aching to see a screen adaption of Bruce's formative years, the early training, young Selina, Harvey, Captani James Gordon, bring in Carmine Falcone and Maroni....make it an "Untouchables" type of thing.......this has endless possibilities.........done right !
Imagine if they actually had the vision and the foresight to commission a script by Loeb.....or Miller ! -
Too many of you seem to be missing the point here, and making the wrong assumptions/comparisons. Why assume the show will be "Dawson's Creek" rather than "Buffy"? Why assume it will fail, or not appeal to anyone who's not already a "Batman" fan? (Does "Buffy" only appeal to fans of the original movie?) The beauty of this series is that it's a coming-of-age story full of drama, action, suspense, crime, intrigue, etc. Yes, those already steeped in the "Batman" mythos will get the added resonance of knowing what happens in the future, but the story in and of itself is designed to appeal to people who have no idea -- with characters interesting enough to stand on their own merits. There's plenty of story pre- "Year One" that has NEVER BEEN EXPLORED, plenty of questions that have never been answered -- more than enough to sustain a five-year run, easily. Those of you who can't see that simply lack imagination. Furthermore, just because we won't see him in the cape and cowl doesn't mean he won't be the character we all know and love. Donning the costume was simply the last piece of the puzzle; he already WAS Batman by that point -- fighting crime, etc. -- just not in name and image yet. And those of you who think the show won't work without super-villains... are you insane? Does "NYPD Blue" need super-villains for compelling drama? Or "Law & Order," "Homicide," "The Practice," etc.? Think outside the box here. Ever read "Year One" and "The Long Halloween"? What was Gotham like before supervillains? Organized crime. Plus, this show can succeed where "Young Indiana Jones" failed, thanks to such a great supporting cast of characters, the richness of the Gotham mythological landscape, etc. And in no way would this series conflict with the animated or film franchises, nor would it oversaturate the Bat-market. (And whoever said the name "Bruce Wayne" would conjure up Adam West is just plain nuts.)
-
Please tell me the name of the lady who helps prepare Bruce for his encounter with AzBats. Someone must know what her name is...please help.
-
...someone informed me that the woman's name is Lady Shiva. I hope that her character makes an appearance in this new series!
-
Subject says it all. If they don't screw it up Bruce Wayne could be a good mini series. I don't see how they can do more than 1 season (22episodes) max. Then that could lead to a Batman year one series. The only problem being if they would have the per episode budget to do a Batman live action series right. We all saw how bad the live action movies went and they had a much higher budget. While the first movie was good, the ones that followed just were horrible.
In "The Mask of the Phantasm" story, the flashbacks IMHO show a great way to end the Bruce Wayne mini-series. Specially the scene at his parents grave in the rain where there is a small glimmer of hope that he will not become Batman. The dialog there is great it shows us how torn a person he really is. Then when that small glimmer of forgiveness is extinguished and he puts on his mask for the first time would be the perfect place to end the Bruce Wayne mini-series. -
Has anyone watched Angel? I know the premise in concept, but from what I hear, it's successful so far. And much darker and more adult than Buffy. If people watch that, they'll watch Bruce Wayne. I had my doubts about this, but what Harry's just given me to chew on sounds too good to be true. I must take issue with a comment another poster said -- "Bruce knew what he wanted to be the moment his parents were killed." I disagree. He knew he wanted venegance, and they appear to cover that here -- the guy goes out and beats up crooks every night. It's not the revenge itself, it's how will he decide to direct that anger?
-
I'm just hoping that these folks get the chronology right as to Bruce Wayne's development as the future Batman. Wayne's parents were killed when he was eight years old. Afterwards, butler and family friend Alfred helped fix things (along with social worker Leslie Tompkins) to prevent young Bruce from being spirited off to some well-meaning children's services agency. In Batman: Year One, a twenty-five year old Wayne arrives in Gotham after twelve years abroad (which means that young Bruce has been studying in Japan, China, Europe and elsewhere since he was thriteen years old). Sorry guys, I hate to be pedantic about this stuff, but it's all laid out in the various comic books and it really cheeses me off that these various screenwriters, producers, etc. don't sit down and do the homework. I mean it's all right there, storyboarded and everything and yet these brain-dead ghouls want to go off and add these completely spurious events of their own invention to a mythos that is already rich and nearly untouched by intelligent minds. Sorry for the rant, but like most of the people here I'm so very tired of these studio people missing the mark time and time and time again...I repeat, it's all right there for you if you know where to look! Thanks for your indulgence guys!
-
I certainly appreciate a little background to round out characters in a story but 4 years? Yikes! Sounds like it would get old fast with the novelty of it all wearing thin after a couple of episodes. I want more of the Bat than the man or in this case boy.
-
I propose we get a hold of one of those Men In Black mind things, erase the population's memory of the last two "Batman" films, and make a bad-ass Batman that gets a fucking 'R' rating. Christ, can't WB do anything right?
-
In a perfect world we would have a Batman Beyond movie proceed this by a year and have the begining of the series tie in with the BB movie. Then when the series ends we would have the Batman Year One movie released to tie both movies together and still stay within the Batman cannon, but only in a perfect world.....sigh.......
-
Jan 04, 2000 6:48:39 PM CST
re Above Poster.......What The Hell ? Hey, Warners, READ THIS !
by robinp
Let me get this straight......you want the Batman Beyond movie to preceed the Bruce Wayne series, then for Year 1 to follow ?
How would that work ?
In "Beyond" Bruce is old, and hands on the reigns to a young kid. Then we'd get Bruce's origins with the costume ?
Naaaaaaaah !
Done properly, you'd need a pilot to deal with the murders of Bruce's parents, than something like a whole season, which would gradually bring in the supporting cast of Gordon, Kyle, Dent, etc,
and end it with the unveiling of the costume, which would be the hook in to season 2.
Season 2 could be an amalgam of "Year 1" and bringing in some of the more established villains, Joker, etc as two parters. In fact, as a season finisher, you could have the first half of "The Long Halloween" up to the point Maroni throws the acid in to Dent's face, hooking in to season 3, which would conclude "Halloween", establish some more of the villains, and take us into "Year 2" storyline. Season 4 could start with the Robin origin.
All of these seasons would be rich in the story of bruce wayne's life and motivations, and would bring in the gritty, darker Batman.
Don't bother taking the rumors of "Year 1" seriously, there's no major Batman villain involved, hence little interest for Joe Public......poor unknowing sap that he is. -
I think that Bruce Wayne's years abroad would work much better for this kind of series. And if I remember right, most of Bruce's development happened during those years abroad, and by the time he returned to Gotham he was very much set on what he wanted to do and where he was going. The only thing missing was his adoption of the Batman persona, which is covered in Year:One. 'Bruce Wayne' is a nice idea, but really kind of warps the story as presented in the comics. Not that comic companies have any reservations about doing this...
-
Ok Rash (correct me if it's spelled wrong) is an immortal villian who has been around for over 500 years. And obviously a majority of that time was spent doing evil. That makes him the only supervillian I can think of who could fit into the timeframe. Oh yeah, I agree with making Season 1 the oinly build up for Batman himself, and make season 2 "Year One"!
P.S. Harry is Dr. Bong! -
Ever since that twat Joel Schumacher touched the magic of Batman the magic is gone. Batman forever would have bommed if it wasn't for Jim Carrey and Batman and Robin was just like the sixties show; it sucked hugely.
Let's not destroy the caped crusaders legacy by another shitty tv-show or another movie (unless Tim Burton is directing and Batman isn't played by a whimp such as Ben Affleck).
-
Jan 04, 2000 8:17:56 PM CST
Ha! eddie munster, Batman&Robin wasn't even as good as the 60s
by dennis
That was going for camp, it wasn't unintentional like Schumacher's tripe.
-
Guys!Wouldn't Lex Luthor be the perfect recurring villain?He wants to take over Wayne Industries,and it's still years before he has to worry about Superman.He's building his empire,scheming,but this kid Wayne is smarter than he looks...eventually,at the end of the series,Luthor leaves Gotham and moves to Metropolis where he'll face an even more vexing foe...it's always bothered me that the DC Universes two biggest billionaires so rarely interact....and think how cool it would be to see him introduced in a sinister board meeting... "Bruce,have you met Mr Luthor?He has the best interests of your Fathers company at heart..." Or am I completley insane?
-
Sweeny... Read the current DC Comics Batman story "No Man's Land" - in a nutshell, Gotham's been destroyed in a quake and cut off from the US; after a year, a mystery man starts moving construction supplies in, and Batman learns it's... Lex Luthor! Lex wants to rebuild Gotham City, no doubt to own it. But Batman has a plan to neutralize him...
As for the WB's "Young Bruce," Harry's description does sound good, but it's rare that any medium besides comic books ever demonstrates an understanding of comic characters. There was "Superman - The Movie," and there was "Batman - The Animated Series," but those are only two examples out of decades of film/TV. So guess what the chances are of "Young Bruce" being done right. Next to nada. Neat idea, though... -
This is a facinating concept for a show, and if executed properly, it could be great. I'd watch it religiously. But it will never happen. There's no way WB does a Batman series with THE BATMAN! It won't happen, mark it down. Without a guy in a rubber costume better suited for gay porn, it's not Batman - at least that's how the suits see it. It might as well be another spinoff of Homicide. If a Year One series comes to fruition, only the first couple of episodes will feature a pre-Batsuit Bruce Wayne. If that much. Trust me.
-
Meant to say WITHOUT the Batman.
-
If anyone else on talkback has taste then they will have watched the animated series on fox. In that i can give you 2 villians, the japanese guy that fucks with batman in traing in japan, and the lazarus guy. I think it would be classy if there was no joker and no riddler, they can develop new bad guys, that bruce wayne in his infancy as batman kills. It can explain so many things, they can have new villians and make them amazing and they can defeat bruce. It would be so great
-
Having just seen TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. for the second time, I must again assert that Friedkin would be the perfect director for a feature-length Batman project. Some much-needed realism in the franchise (I've no problem with outrageous fantasy, but after B&R ol' Bats needs to get down to the nitty gritty), maybe a cool car chase with the Batmobile, maybe Willem Dafoe as Two-Face.... I'm telling you, he's perfect. And he needs the work.
-
The perfect actor for this Bruce... followed by Buffy... followed by Angel series thingy. Matt Schultz recently starred as John Hunter in my friend Kevin Lewis' film Downward Angel and let me tell you... this guy is the quintessential brooding Batman with an engraved scowl and troubled brow engrained into his young, suave features. This guy is born for this role. Casting directors take note!
-
Hey, I said that Lazarus guy as a villian, though the ninja would be good to. Hell, we could see his whole damn origin in a two-parter. And if that episode is made, and I want to be quoted on this... either have THE greatest (not some of the greatest) karate ever seen on TV, or a real cool katana fight. Oh yeah, HARRY IS DR. BONG! See the cybercomic "Maximum Plumage, Part 2" on marvel.com for the proof!
-
episode 1: Gotham - someone attempts to mug a 18 bruce, his parents death which he had been suppressed in him comes to the surface he fights the mugger almost killing him. He decides to start his crusade.
episode 2-3: Gotham - bruce drives around gotham stoping crime. He attempts to stop some kind of big crime and he almost dies. He had been getting cocky now he is scared and decides to study everything he can about batman.
episode 4-10: japan - various goings on learning and honing skill
episodes 11-17: Los Angeles - he starts learning pyro and becomes apprentice of that magician in animated series, love intrest is his daughter.
episodes 18-24: Gotham - starts fighting crime semi succesfully develops relationship with gordon/dent and takes control of wayne.
that is your first season right there -
It's called "ANGEL"!!!!!! Why do we need the Alfred framing story? It's nice and all, but when you think about it, it's ultimately pointless because the whole point of framing is to offer some sort of continuity, something that's not needed in an ongoing TV series. What, are we going to have Alfred opening every single episode? It's unnecessary! Its formulaic though, so I guess they're playing it safe that way. Anyway, this just sounds like an attempt to exploit the whole slew of darker-themed teen-to-young-adult shows that are coming out here. It sounds cool cause its got Bruce Wayne, but when you boil down to it, there's nothing very original in it at all.
-
I can't tell you how many times I've looked at my BATMAN video box in awe at the coincidence (?) involving the screenwriters. Warren Skaaren and Sam Hamm. They rhyme. For some reason, that seems really cool. Aw, forget it. My brain is shot. I've been working all night.
I really loved the movie, but please don't let Tom Ripley become the new comparison tool for characters. I have the sneaking suspicion that from now on, every time someone is talking about a complex character, they will say he is Ripley-esque. I don't like it. -
I agree with some of the previous posters that say the chronology for the development of Bruce Wayne and Batman has already been laid out, it's a valid point. Unfortunately it is also a somewhat moot point (no offense). The vast majority of people don't actually know squat about Batman, his origens (c'mon, how much of a fuss was raised when the Joker character was revealed to be the murderer of Bruce's parents?), or the events that lead up to his becoming Batmen? If Warners wants to get serious about this franchise, and continuing it, they're going to have to bend a few rules. I think it would be fantastic if some of the writers who worked on the comic were involved in the series as contributers, but writing comics and movies are seperate animals. I'd also love to see a relative unknown get the part (ATTN. WARNER BROS.: this translates to investing less in the talent and more into the writing). Bruce should have some serious problems, as anyone who's studied martial arts knows there's a difference between what goes on in the dojo and what goes down on the street. Bruce is going to have to take a few lumps, ultimately these will help him to learn that he shouldn't EVER underestimate his opponents and will also help to teach him some humility. As far as villians go, I agree that the crime family's have to be more dominant, this will give Bruce a more easily identified foe, to start with. It might be interesting to go to the "Killing Joke" story line and have the pre-Joker working as a chemist at Axis, and occasionally provide Bruce with some information (I'm a sucker for irony, esp. if Bruce gets to know the guy and his wife). I think Harry has hit the nail on the head with his assessment of the potential for this series, just remember WB that not all Batman fans are little kids.
Cheers,
??Pseudo?? -
When talking about a Batman movie or series I must side with the series. Why? Take a look at the best of the live action Batman movies, Batman. Here you have people cramming script ideas and taking shortcuts to tell a fair story in 2 hours. For example: Batman history: who killed Batman
-
Comics are almost impossible to translate into a dramatic format (for example the fight sequences either end up being so hyper violent as to prohibit the target audience from being allowed to watch the show or they end up so contrived that there is no sense of internal reality). It's nearly impossible to do it well and frankly, I don't think it should be done to Batman or Bruce Wayne again anytime soon. Burton could do the first Batman because of the moment at which it was made and the distace from the 60s TV show (which I loved and still do, thank you very much). It needs to go fallow for a time now and maybe in five or ten years a "new origin" will be able to avoid all the baggage of the featrure film franchise.
-
Am I the only one who feels like something cool and charming is lost when a great story/character that you've been interested in suddenly becomes served to "the masses" in TV/film format? Is it wrong to feel that I'd truly prefer there were no more Batman/Superman movies or TV shows - even cool ones - and that storytellers started creating NEW worlds and chracters for our film/TV enjoyment?! Let some things rest in memory... at least for a little while.
-
...if Lady Shiva will be in the series?
-
FYI, the lazarus guy is named Ra's al Ghul (which is apparently pronounced "Rashe Al Gool" according to the TV series), which means "Head of the Demon" in some unidentified language. For a good Ra's story, check out Batman: Son of the Demon. (SPOILER AHEAD!!!) In that story, it is discovered that Batman wed Ra's daughter Talia, and that they had a son (though she led Batman to believe that she had miscarried). This son shows up in Kingdom Come, by which time Bruce has apparently found out about his parentage.
-
Every week a new predator comes to Gotham looking for new prey. Gotham is in the middle of a blisteringly hot summer and the Korean power gangs and the Rastas are engaged in intense street combat on a daily basis. In the middle of all this NC-17 rated sex and violence Batman and the Predator hunt eachother. Who will win? Batman, duh. In the first episode the Predator rips out sissy Robin's skull from the bottom of his spinal cord-and that's the dick grayson Robin. The next week another Predator pops Barbara Gordon's cherry with a spear. You want action? You want excitement? You want as little dialogue as possible? You came to the right muthaphukin place. The WB will schedule this show in between Dawson's Creek and that silly ass Roswell show. Anybody seen this Dawson's Creek show, if it weren't for the eye candy(Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes) it would be the biggest pile of poopoo on tv. Fucking 26 year old actors playing 16 year old kids who possess vocabularies at least equivalent to if not superior to the average Harvard tenured English professor. Kids don't use words like obsquious and lackey, that's why their put on the SATS so they'll fuck'em up. Michelle Williams, by the way, is a hot piece of ass, anybody seen DICK? She is so cute in that movie. I just wanted to rip off her glasses, stomp on'em,tear open her blouse and have hot monkey sex until February. Peace out, my niggaz
-
...wasn't Bane teames up with Ras in one comic series. I forget the henchmen's name (I believe it may be "Ubu" or something like that), but if I am not mistaken, I believe that Bane played that henchman in some series, and that he was supposed to marry Talia. Also, if I remember correctly, I was disappointed in the rematch between Batman and Bane. There was no fear in Batman. No rememberance of being broken. No memory of the pain and suffering that Bane caused Bruce. No extra precautions. No respect which he once had for Bane.
-
Of course this could work. They could keep it dark and wait for its audience to grow, because it's no huge financial risk, is it? I mean, they could sell it to just about anywhere in the world. The fact that they're even considering doing it this way is splendid news. Oh, and as a suggestion for the poster who didn't care for Ripley, might I suggest he check out something rather more appropriate for his level of intellect? It's called Nickleodeon, I believe.
-
This script sounds great. The series concept sounds great, but does anyone really think this can be executed? Financial reality, folks--we're not talking about a movie where you can blow $40 million here. It's a series, and they can't spend that kind of money on a series on a weekly basis. That means you can't get top-notch writers, top-notch actors, top-notch stunt people, top-notch effects. The only real hope is to find some visionary like Chris Carter (used to be) who can work with nothing and make it seem like more than it is. Would Warner's even allow that? It's all about the benjamins in series TV. Even our beloved ST: Next Gen looked really cheesy in places. So do you want a low-rent Gotham?
-
It provides a tie between the present and the past. I would say Alfred is a pretty recognizable character in the Batman universe. Alfred is also a characters that is clearly devoted to Bruce Wayne, who loves and respects the man behind the mask, despite his flaws -- the son he never had. I think that it is fitting, and touching to have Alfred frame a series that reflects on Master Bruce's youth.
-
Jan 05, 2000 2:06:19 PM CST
Well, I finally got around to reading Batman's The Long Hallowee
by dennis
This would make an EXCELLENT television mini-series. It would need a decent budget, but nothing too outlandish. It is everything that Batman Forever should've been. It's also got nearly all the main villians of Batman's rogues gallery. It was missing the Demon's Head and the Penguin, tho'. But this would make one hell of a miniseries -- it's actually has Batman doing detective work (GOD FORBID!!!) and a nice little twist at the end.
-
Harry, I'm so glad you put this up on your site. Hopefully, the simps at Warners won't give us any more Batman crap(MOVIES)and give us more stuff like the Batman gold(CARTOON). Now, if only somebody could make a Superman movie just as cool...
-
The Bruce Wayne TV show is a great
idea. As a long time fan of Batman, I think this appoarch would open up the character to a new audience. Today, Batman is a group of comics put out by DC, a cartoon on the WB, some movies on DVD or VHS and a campy old TV show. We also have Batman Beyond,
a cartoon that took a chance. I would rather see them try and fail
then not to have them try at all. -
Hell, if you really want to do this "Bruce Wayne" show right, why not hit up Joss Whedon to take care of it. Between "Buffy" and "Angel," Whedon gives us plenty of souped-up action, intelligent storylines, emotional angst, and probably some of the wittiest dialogue on television. Paul Dini writes a hell of a Batman, but keep in mind, this is about teenage Bruce Wayne - essentially a new character that no one has truly touched yet. Whedon has seemingly mastered writing teenagers in the sci-fi/action realm.
-
Actually I think the BatSuit should be like a Turkey Thermometer and when Bruce gets real pissed the nipples pop out. Wait a sec...then he'd be a "fembot."
-
two things. 1: He's gotta become Batman by the second season. Nuff said. 2: WB MUST pick this show up. A tuesday sandwich of Buffy, Angel, and Bruce Wayne would be perfect.
-
So, he can take it up as a personal mission to keep the batman movies afloat, but it's okay if he let's the X-Men movie go to Hell? He's a hypocritical fanboy who doesn't give a damn about any of your opinions, just his own. If you think he knows what's best, then I hope you go see X-Men. Then you'll get your just deserts.
-
I think many of the respondents are missing one huge point. This is Bruce Wayne
-
Hey Harry, i just got finished with the No Man's Land adaptation to novel form, and this author has alot of potential. Im a comic collector, and Batman has always been a favorite cause i love the Darker comics. Anyway, i got to read an except from the novel they put in a comic, and it made me want this book (even though i knew how it would end) mainly it amazed me how in the small bit i read, how PERFECTLY the guy captured the Joker. He KNEW how to think like that Pycho...he KNEW how Two Face thought... He KNEW the batman and perfectly summed up the entire legacy with the observation 'Its not that Bruce Wyane puts on the Mask of Batman...hes Been batman since that night in the alley. Its Batman putting on the Mask of Bruce Wyane' While this was an adaption of an existing idea, it may not be as good an example of how the guy does with origonal work, but he definately can be one to understand the motivation, and write to make it interesting. -
Jan 06, 2000 3:09:23 AM CST
The Flash TV Series was the only superhero show ever done right!
by darth siskel
Someone mentioned The Flash TV show not having supervillians. They only lasted one season
& they managed to have 2 Trickster episodes, a Captain Cold episode, a Reverse Flash episode, & a kickass old timer superhero was in 2 episodes. The Flash simply kicked ass. It was so much a comicbook world, that I was fully expecting Batman to do a walk on one week. And his costume was taken directly from the comics, not altered in color or design. Danny Bilson & Paul Demeo did the comics justice. Didn't they produce The Rocketeer ?! Unlike The Hulk, Spiderman, Captian America, Lois & Hawain Clark,and all the other crappy TV shows, THE FLASH didn't take place in the real world. The Flash producers along with Howard Chaykin should definetly do another superhero series. I think they do the show 'The Sentinal' now, which doesn't really pull me in.
-
That was always a favorite show of mine. Even though I don't remember much about it, due to the fact that they have (at least to my knowledge) not shown reruns of that show for many a year. Well, Bruce could be a cool series. I'll keep my mind open. Give a hoot, don't pollute.
-
Fuck Bruce Wayne! Fuck Tim Burton!!! And FUCK THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO! THEY ALL SUCK!!! My crack will engulf them all! HEY! STOP LOOKING AT MY CRACK!
-
Its fairly obvious.
Take Paul Dini and some of the others who worked on the animated series, add in Frank Miller as an occasional consultant/writer (hell, he wrote robocop 2, surely he'd do this...)Pick a young handsom but norman bates kind of actor (meaning, hes not at all what he seems)keep -all- alternative music (third eye blind, korn, ect..) far far away. Keep love intrests to a minimum(ruined the first movie, damn viki vale) Force the series director, producers, writers ALL to go into a room with the following comics: Year One, War On Crime, The Dark knight Returns, The Long Halloween, then mix well, give a good timeslot (don't put it up against shit like star trek or "Who Wants to be a millionaire") don't invent cheesey TV villains (that remind us of villains from that craptacular tv show, Viper, or the Flash, or Lois and Clark for that matter.) Show Bruce's years in japan and elsewhere (in kind of a kickboxer type of training scene, you know, doing weird stuff that actually helps you, like having flower pots dropped on your stomach and doing the splits, and fighting blindfolded, ect...all that crazy martial arts shit we love)and finally, make the series REMEMBER that batman doesnt kill, or spout out cheesy one liners (he's not bruce willis... ol' bruce can get away with it..) and this is the most important thing: MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T TURN INTO A TEEN DRAMA LIKE BUFFY OR DAWSONS CREEK! Jesus....wheres my water..?
-Gen -
That's right, Solidus420, the TalkBack user who has infested the room "The Latest Spider-Man Rumors" is invading here!
-
that is one of the main reasons he becomes batman cause he kills a fewl and realizes it is wrong
-
While I agree that the Flash was a decent show, it hardly kept to the spirit of the Flash comics, with its sunnier tone and superhero. Barry Allen was never shown to be a bulked-up, velvet-wearing, padded-up superhero; he was presented as having a classic "runner's build," slim and ectomorphic, and the costume was thinner material (easily compressible into that ring). The series just seemed to want to import a substitute hero...any DC hero...into Batman's milieu, and theypicked the Speedster. I enjoyed some moments in the show, especially Mark Hamill, but let's be real about that one.
As far as "BRUCE WAYNE," I agree with the posters who say that a mini-series approach would be ideal. There will be diminishing returns as the series progresses and the weight of expectations will drag it down into mediocrity in the long run...anyway, seeya later. -
I think the idea of y1 would be cool as hell...I mean they kinda did something like that w/superman...(superboy)...but the reason why Bruce got night envy would be a cool concept...I like the idea of seeing everybody that eventually became a part of his life go through their own changes...give them their own set of issues...still W.B. has a way of srewing up major..(see Batman 4) if the right people w/the right vision got together..it could be something worth the while...still we are dealing w/people that like having frogs as their logo...go figure....
-
We all know that Michael Keaton to date is the best Batman that there will probably be...(if you didn't..you do now!) Why don't they get someone of his type to be Bats? I mean he was very convincing in the role of both Batman and Bruce Wayne...I think that if they went with someone of that kind of character, they may be back on the right path to making the series interesting again...what's your take on it? I mean who would you choose...?
-
Now that Ben "I'M really a Writer" Affleck and his gal pal have denied rumors that they want to be part of the next Bat-flick and a script for for either Y1 or BB is still a fanboy's fantasy, it looks like "BJR" is the only completed work WB has in the safe. Gotta admit, the idea of seeing Keanu in the Batsuit has kind of grown on me over time. Maybe Keanu knew what he was doing when he said he wanted to star oppposite Nicholson. I just read an interview with the screenwriter of "Batman: The Joker's Revenge" and he seems really on the ball when it comes to the Batman mythos and offers some insightful suggestions on the direction this franchise should be taking. Sure, he's taken a lot of hits cause he's not known like Harry "The WB Shill" Knowles...becuase he's not an ardent Y1-supporter like the rest of AICN...but I say read it for yourself and decide if this guy know what he's talking about.
Here's the site if you're interested:
http://www.popcorn.co.uk/servlet/Features?inBody=ftr&inFtr=batman
-
The way Harry is describing it sounds like it would be great. But I have to agree with the fact that WB will fuck it up in a big way. Until then at least we have ANGEL, the best Batman series not about Batman.
-
Ok, this isn't the first place I have heard aboutthis series. But one thing is consistent in all the things that I've read.
This is Bruce Wayne....*NOT* Batman....in fact the people who are doing it have said that they doubt that during the series Bruce ever will become Batman.
So tell me exactly WHY this is being treated as Batman? Isn't it more that someone is trying to ride on the coattails of Batman by swiping the characters and whipping the fans into a frenzy? Isn't this a case of someone not being creative enough to come up with their own concept and instead steal one and hope nobody is looking?
I mean, think of what Harry said the concept was...Bruce Wayne, at 17, unsure of what he wants to do, no costumes, Godon, Selina and Dent, but not as they are in the books. And as I said, I've seen elsewhere where they've said for the run of the series Bruce will *NEVER* become Batman.
So...WHY is this Bruce Wayne/Batman? It could just as easily have been any other character name....except it wouldn't have an automatic draw and sucker us in..
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 439 total posts 159 posts
- WTF HOLLYWOOD: SOLARBABIES -- 144 total posts 142 posts
- Herc’s Seen Tonight’s Return Of THE WALKING DEAD!! Discuss Also DOWNTON ABBEY, FEAR FACTOR, PAN AM, ONCE, SIMPSONS, DYNAMITE, LUCK, SHAMELESS, BAIT CAR, THE GRAMMYS And More!! Sunday Is Sweeps Day 11!! -- 155 total posts 140 posts
- Avid Comic Reader Hercules Does Battle With Tedium During Kevin Smith’s COMIC BOOK MEN! -- 55 total posts 45 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 196 total posts 45 posts
- I am The Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day! No, I’m the Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day! -- 35 total posts 35 posts
- If the Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day drops her pen, pick it up, but don’t look at her legs or else it will be on your record. -- 60 total posts 34 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 127 total posts 32 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 513 total posts 29 posts
- The Sensorties Revisit The Friday Docback (And Still Smell)!! DOCTOR WHO Story #7 Again, The Coming Of Season/Series 7, And More!! -- 118 total posts 27 posts