User:WhatGuy/Batman Triumphant


 * name          = Batman Triumphant


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 * director      = Joel Schumacher


 * producer      = Tim Burton


 * writer        = Comics: Bob Kane and Bill Finger Movie: Mark Protosevich


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 * starring      = George Clooney Chris O'Donnell Alicia Silverstone


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 * studio        = DC Comics


 * distributor   = Warner Bros.


 * released      = Cancelled


 * runtime       =


 * country       = United States


 * language      = English


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Batman Triumphant is a cancelled film based on DC Comics superhero of the same name. It was supposed to be a follow-up to Batman & Robin, but the film became a flop.

Production
During the filming of Batman & Robin, Warner Bros. was impressed with the dailies. This prompted them to immediately hire Joel Schumacher to return as director for a sequel, but writer Akiva Goldsman, who worked on Batman Forever and Batman & Robin with Schumacher, turned down the chance to write the script. In late 1996, Warner Bros. and Schumacher hired Mark Protosevich to write the script for a fifth Batman film. A projected mid-1999 release date was announced. Titled Batman Triumphant, Protosevich's script had the Scarecrow as the main villain. Through the use of his fear toxin, he resurrects the Joker. Harley Quinn appeared as a supporting character, written as the Joker's daughter. George Clooney and Chris O'Donnell were set to reprise the roles of Batman and Robin. However, when Batman & Robin received negative reviews and failed to outgross any of its predecessors, Warner Bros. was unsure of their plans for Batman Triumphant. The studio decided it was best to consider a live-action Batman Beyond film and an adaptation of Frank Miller's Batman: Year One. Warners would then greenlight whichever idea suited them the most. Schumacher felt he "owe[d] the Batman culture a real Batman movie. I would go back to the basics and make a dark portrayal of the Dark Knight." He approached Warner Bros. of doing Batman: Year One in mid-1998.

Batman: DarKnight
Despite Warner Bros. and Schumacher's interest with Year One, Lee Shapiro, a comic book fan, and Stephen Wise pitched the studio with a script titled Batman: DarKnight in mid-1998. DarKnight had Bruce Wayne giving up his crime fighting career and Dick Grayson attending Gotham University. Dr. Jonathan Crane uses his position as professor of psychology at Gotham University and as head psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum to conduct his experiments in fear (this element would later appear in Batman Begins). During a vengeful confrontation with a colleague, Dr. Kirk Langstrom, Crane unknowingly initiates Kirk's transformation into the creature known as Man-Bat. Citizens of Gotham believe Man-Bat's nightly activities to be Batman's "bloodthirsty" return. Bruce becomes Batman "to clear his name" and solve the mystery of Man-Bat. Kirk struggles with his "man vs. monster" syndrome as he longs to both reunite with his wife and get revenge on Crane, while Crane exacts revenge on those responsible for his dismissal from both Arkham and the university while encountering truths about his past. Warner Bros. decided not to move forward, and passed on Batman: DarKnight in favor of Year One and Batman Beyond.

Year One and Beyond
In January 2000, Scott Rosenberg turned down the chance to write the script for Batman: Year One. In mid-2000,Paul Dini, Neal Stephenson and Boaz Yakin were hired to write a script for Batman Beyond, with Yakin to direct. The film was based on the Warner Bros. animated television series of the same name. However, Warner Bros. abandoned Batman Beyond almost instantly in favor of Batman: Year One.

Around the same time, Warners hired Darren Aronofsky to write and direct Year One, despite interest from Joel Schumacher. Aronofsky, who collaborated with Frank Miller on an unproduced script for Ronin, brought Miller to co-write Year One with him. They intended to reboot the Batman franchise, "it's somewhat based on the comic book," Aronofsky said. "Toss out everything you can imagine about Batman! Everything! We're starting completely anew." Regular Aronofsky collaborator, Matthew Libatique, was set as cinematographer, and Aronofsky had also approachedChristian Bale for the role of Batman. Coincidentally, Bale would be cast in the role for Batman Begins. At the same time, Warner Bros. was moving forward on a Catwoman spin-off. However, by June 2002, the studio decided to move forward on Batman vs. Superman and abandon Year One.

Batman vs. Superman
Warner Bros. abandoned J. J. Abrams' script for Superman: Flyby, which had been greenlighted with McG to direct. When McG dropped out in favor ofCharlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Warner Bros. approached Wolfgang Petersen to direct Superman: Flyby, however, in August 2001, Andrew Kevin Walker pitched Warner Bros. an idea titled Batman vs Superman, attaching Petersen as director. Superman: Flyby was put on hold, and Akiva Goldsman was hired to rewrite Walker's Batman vs. Superman.

Goldsman's draft, dated June 21, 2002, had Bruce Wayne going through a mental breakdown after his five year retirement of crime fighting. Dick Grayson, Alfred Pennyworth and Commissioner Gordon are all dead, but Bruce's depressed emotions become resolved with fiancée Elizabeth Miller. Meanwhile, Clark Kent is struggling by a recent divorce with Lois Lane. Clark and Bruce are close friends, and Clark is Bruce's best man. After the Joker kills Elizabeth at the honeymoon, Bruce plots a revenge scheme, while Clark tries to hold him back. In return, Bruce blames Clark for her death, and the two go against one another. Part of the script took place in Smallville, where Clark goes into exile with Lana Lang. However, Lex Luthor is held to be responsible for the entire plot of Batman and Superman destroying each other. The two decide to team up and stop Luthor.

Christian Bale and Josh Hartnett had turned down the roles of Batman and Superman. Bale would eventually portray the same role in Batman Begins. Principal photography was to start in early-2003, with plans for a five&mdash;six month shoot. The release date was set for the mid-2004. Within a month of Warner Bros. greenlighting Batman vs. Superman, Petersen left in favor of Troy (2004). Warner Bros. decided to move forward on Superman: Flyby and on a Batman reboot. Petersen and Bryan Singer are interested in directing the project sometime in the future, with Bale as Batman.

Aftermath
In December 2002, writer/filmmaker Joss Whedon pitched an origin story that was met with negative feedback from Warners. Whedon's version had "a Hannibal Lecter-type villain in Arkham Asylum that Bruce went and sort of studied with," Whedon said. "It was set in Bruce's early years in Gotham City. I get very emotional about it, I still love the story. Maybe I’ll get to do it as a comic one day." In January 2003, Christopher Nolan was hired to take over the Batman franchise, resulting in the rebooted Batman Begins.