Batman (1989)

Batman is a 1989 superhero film directed by Tim Burton and written by Sam Hamm and Warren Skaaren. Based on the DC Comics character, it is the first installment of Warner Bros.' initial Batman film series. The film stars Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, and Jack Palance. The film's score was composed by Danny Elfman, and songs were written by Prince. The film takes place early in the war on crime of the title character (Keaton) and depicts his conflict with his archenemy the Joker (Nicholson).

After Burton was hired as director in 1986, Steve Englehart and Julie Hickson wrote film treatments before Hamm wrote the first screenplay. Batman was not greenlit until after the success of Burton's Beetlejuice (1988). The tone and themes of the film were partly influenced by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's The Killing Joke and Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. The film primarily adapts and then diverges from the "Red Hood" origin story for the Joker, having Batman inadvertently cause gangster Jack Napier to fall into Axis Chemical acid, triggering his transformation into the psychotic Joker. Additionally, Batman co-creator Bob Kane worked as a consultant for the film.

Numerous leading men were considered for the role of Batman before Keaton was cast. Keaton's casting was controversial since, by 1988, he had become typecast as a comedic actor and many observers had doubt he could portray a serious role. Nicholson accepted the role of the Joker under strict conditions that dictated top billing, a portion of the film's earnings (including associated merchandise), and his own shooting schedule. Filming took place at Pinewood Studios from October 1988 to January 1989. The budget escalated from $30 million to $48 million, while the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike forced Hamm to drop out. Skaaren did rewrites, with additional uncredited drafts done by Charles McKeown and Jonathan Gems.

Batman was both critically and financially successful, earning over $400 million in box office totals. Critics and audiences particularly praised Nicholson and Keaton's performances, Burton's direction, the production design, and composer Danny Elfman's score. It was the sixth-highest-grossing film in history at the time of its release. The film received several Saturn Award nominations and a Golden Globe nomination for Nicholson's performance, and won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction.

The film was followed by three sequels: Batman Returns (1992), with both Burton and Keaton returning; Batman Forever (1995), with Joel Schumacher directing and Val Kilmer in the lead role; and Batman & Robin (1997), which featured George Clooney in the role. Keaton would later reprise the role of Batman in the DC Extended Universe film The Flash (2023). The film also led to the development of Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995), which in turn began the DC Animated Universe of spin-off media, and has influenced Hollywood's modern marketing and development techniques of the superhero film genre. Two sequel novels were written by John Jackson Miller, Batman: Resurrection (2024) and Batman: Revolution (2025).