Batman (1989): How Warner Bros. Engineered BATMANIA

Because the experience of watching movies is often so personal and emotional, it can be easy to forget about the less glamorous business side that goes into the making of a movie, or in this case, the making of a pop culture craze. When Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman movie came out there was mass hysteria… a mass bat-steria of buying everything with the bat-symbol on it. Tim Burton’s Batman is more than just a movie, in fact, it’s best understood as a gigantic multimedia and multi-market sales campaign. Especially as film studios have acquired, been acquired, or merged with larger companies that have interests in other industries, the movie itself has become just one part of a larger product line.

This is the story of how Warner Brothers engineered Batmania.

Written by Tyler Knudsen & Sophie Lasken

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Sources:

Music:
Epidemic Sound

Gear:
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro
Sigma 18-35mm Lens
Sennheiser MKH 416

[GarretGrayCamera]

One thing worth mentioning is the VHS release was one of the first really affordable cassettes. I remember at the time you could find some on special for $20 which was pretty unheard of at the time and that started a trend for VHS tapes to be really affordable. It sure was great to be a part of that hype in the summer of 1989 as a kid, it's like the movie had a life beyond the screen. In fact the summer of 1990 was a big let down in comparison.

[harperwelch]

What’s missing in understanding what made this movie so successful was the stunning art direction that a man named Anton Furst brought to the project. He was responsible for coordinating all elements that created the compelling visual impact of the story. He conceived Gotham City, all the sets, the streetscapes, the BatMobile, everything the viewer saw. He engineered the desired emotional impact of the characters and a darker, more sophisticated rebranding of Batman. It was the genius of Anton Furst and his unmatched vision that powered the audience’s unforgettable experience. All other profits were made on the that designer’s talent. He won an Academy Award his work. Sadly, he took his own life in 1991. A huge loss to the world of fine cinema. Give credit where credit is due.

[billyheaning]

I was 10 years old during the summer of '89, and I can tell you, they aren't lying. Batman stuff was EVERYWHERE. Literally everywhere. It was a glorious time to be a kid. Ghostbuster 2, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Back to the Future III, Bobby Brown was at his peak, oh man. Kids were shaving the bat-symbol into the back of their heads. It was truly wonderful.

[spaceodds]

Batmania 89 was everywhere in 1989, even as a four year old I was begging my parents for the toys, the cave, the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) just so I can play the game. This film’s influence was EVERYWHERE! I even remember the Batcerial! Now that’s media marketing.

[xenos_n.]

I was 5 years old when this movie came out. It was so huge, all my friends had Batman toys (a joker that squirt water, Batman with a bat belt), and we had the pretty decent NES game too. It was just extremely cool when it came out. Very nostalgic.

[BboyDJFLIP]

Another thing that I don’t believe was mentioned was how influential the ‘89 film was for BTAS; which in itself became one of the most influential animated series of all time.

[jonisilk]

Jack Nicholsons salary for the Batman films was actually closer to $90m, because he also got a cut on the profits of a sequel, so on top of the 60m he got from the first film, he also bagged another 30-odd million for Batman Returns, even though he wasn't in it.

[Koopdville]

89.. 11 yrs old, in the 6th grade and batman was THE movie to see. saw it first day it came out at sunrise theater in queens. the infamous sunrise. batman medallions and everything.

[bertcielen]

Prince visited the set in mid-January 1989, not 1988. There are even paparazzi pictures of his arrival at London's Heathrow airport on 19 January 1989. Burton had already used two Prince songs in a rough cut of the movie, "1999" and "Baby I’m A Star", before Prince became involved. In mid-December 1988, Burton contacted Prince to ask if he would re-record the tracks for use in the movie, or provide new tracks instead.

Prince was initially unsure, but after visiting the set, talking to Burton and watching a portion of the movie, he became so interested he even considered cancelling the Japanese leg of the Lovesexy Tour; his accountants convinced him otherwise since the Japanese concerts were so lucrative that its revenue would erase the debt caused by the flop of the American leg of the expensive tour.

Prince began recording songs for the album in mid-February 1989, immediately after returning from the Lovesexy Tour, and he previewed eleven songs in late February, including Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic and 200 Balloons, intended to replace 1999 and Baby I’m A Star respectively), and Batman Theme.

He worked on the album further in March 1989, recording Partyman and Trust (to replace Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic and 200 Balloons respectively). Dance With The Devil was recorded for the album, but Prince considered the song to be too dark and replaced it with Batdance, which was the last song recorded for the album.

The other tracks were older tracks, reworked and repurposed for the movie.

[ickekiecke]

man that was nice. I grew up in East Germany. I was 11 years old in 1989 and batman was my first movie in a western cinema…that stays forever in my memory..

[KillbotAndGorGorAttack]

4:59 seeing Bob Kane doing Batman press now just reminds me of how Bill Finger got screwed. When “The Batman” comes out, I’m gonna smile when I see “Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger” on the screen.

[mikeyloveshousemusic]

Danny Elfman totally killed it on this soundtrack. The music was a massive part of the movies success, that epic theme just stuck in your mind.

[bryansteele]

I was there in 1989. I think I loved Batmania more than the actual movie. So many cool batman T-shirts, 1966 re-runs on channel 20, and the best thing of all was I got really into the comics and through various media at the time I got to be exposed to a lot batman history. .

[uncletrick]

I was 20 in 1989 and Batman was indeed everywhere. I fell for some of the marketing and hype. I had 3 tshirts, a poster, the soundtrack, and probably some other random crap I’ve forgotten about. It was a fun time.

[josephmassaro]

I had my first job as a projectionist at an AMC theater the summer Batman came out. It was totally nuts. Two lines down the block. One with tickets and one buying. Five of nine theaters showing Batman with only two prints available. I had to cut a hole in the wall of one projection booth and string the print so it fed through the hole into the next booth so two booths could show Batman at once. The really nutso thing was that for all the hype, they had zero merchandise available. Everything being sold in the mall was bootleg or old stuff that had been around. People were getting the bat symbol cut into their hair. Crazy summer.

[VicMartino]

BATMANIA was an awesome experience and I was there at that time. I doubt that we'll ever see anything like that again. As a batman fan I'm so grateful for the making of Tim Burton's Batman back in 1989 to this day my favorite Batman movie.

[Yensid]

The bat-mania summer of 1989 was an electric, exciting moment! I doubt I'll ever experience anything like it again. The movie roared across the nation like an uncontrolled fire. I'm sure it surprised even WB how effective all their strategies were. It was a once in a lifetime, lightning in a bottle moment. Everything lined up just so to make the perfect storm. It was inescapable. I'm so glad I was around to get caught up in it all.

[JayBelafonte]

I was a small child when “Batman” 89’ came out, and I can tell you the hype was real. I had Batman pajamas, shoes, I eat the cereal which was good by the way. Burger King was making toys for their kids meals. It was all over the place. My grandmother bought it for me on VHS tape, and I played it so much the VCR ate the tape. I cried like a baby because for some reason I thought that was the only copy in the world. My grandma brought me back to reality and bought another. 😂😂

[Life-Glug]

According to Michael Biehn (The Terminator, Aliens) he was close to being cast as Batman for this film. He got as far a meeting Tim Burton and they got on. When he got the call from his agent that he didn't get the part, he was told that the choice had been between Keaton as Batman with Nicolson as Joker, or Biehn as Batman with Robin Williams as Joker.

[GotmerKed]

My Dad obviously didn't think the second one was overtly sexual. I remember seeing it in the theatres, trying to get every McDonald's toy ( and I believe they had a tie-in cup as well) as well as getting the VHS and watching it countless times. WB marketing was basically as good as you could be for the first film because they created a whole new generation of fans from that one marketing push. At 5 years old I had all the toys, toysets and clothes. At 37, Batman is still my all time favorite character.