One of a kind

[The Dark Knight]

My three main ideas for Burton's Batman III:

Provide a brand new aesthetic for Gotham, Wayne Manor and the batcave.
Transition Harvey into Two-Face.
Bring in the Burtonverse Robin.

The rest of the story would be up to the writers.

Alluding to Selina would be optional. Commenting on Batman's status with the police force after BR would also be optional. The Burtonverse never really was big on continuity like that, even though it would be an interesting plot point. Maybe just a subtle reference.

I reiterate, a comic series would be great. But I wouldn't hold my breath. This is what message boards are for.

[thecolorsblend]

My three main ideas for Burton's Batman III:

Provide a brand new aesthetic for Gotham, Wayne Manor and the batcave.
Transition Harvey into Two-Face.
Bring in the Burtonverse Robin.

The rest of the story would be up to the writers.

Alluding to Selina would be optional. Commenting on Batman's status with the police force after BR would also be optional. The Burtonverse never really was big on continuity like that, even though it would be an interesting plot point. Maybe just a subtle reference.

I reiterate, a comic series would be great. But I wouldn't hold my breath. This is what message boards are for.

[JokerMeThis]

Batman Returns is definitely one of a kind. In more ways than one.

[johnnygobbs]

Batman Returns is definitely one of a kind. In more ways than one.

It is indeed!

By the way, it's Cristi's (the Ice Princess) birthday today!  August 14.  Yesterday was also Debi Mazar's (Spice from Batman Forever) birthday.  Both Debi and Cristi are 53 today.

And since Catwoman the 2004 movie is supposedly part of the same universe as the Burton/Schumacher films, it's also worth mentioning that August 14 is also Halle Berry's birthday.  She's 51.

PS: I let a message for you on the 'site changes' thread.  I hope you saw it.

[Silver Nemesis]

And since Catwoman the 2004 movie is supposedly part of the same universe as the Burton/Schumacher films,

[johnnygobbs]

There is a picture of Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman during one scene in which Patience Phillips (Halle Berry) visits Ophelia Powers' (Frances Conroy) expert on supernatural felines.

[Silver Nemesis]

The Anton Furst Batmobile appears in the third season of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. It also appears in the Batman OnStar commercials, along with Michael Gough as Alfred, Clooney's batsuit, the Danny Elfman score and special effects footage of Gotham taken from the Burton/Schumacher movies. The Birds of Prey TV series includes a modified version of Clooney's Batsuit and Pfeiffer's Catwoman costume. However none of those things are considered part of the Burtonverse.

If there's evidence to the contrary, I'll happily concede I'm wrong on this point. But I haven't seen a single DC or Batman wiki that lists the 2004 Catwoman film as part of the Burtonverse either. Nor have I seen quotes from anyone involved with those films to suggest it is. Tim Burton and Daniel Waters never intended Catwoman to be supernatural in Batman Returns. The whole cat-mythology thing was merely an inference made by the creators of the 2004 film.

From Burton's DVD commentary:

"...you see the creation with the cats coming around her. It's not supernatural. But we feed into the sort of mythology a little bit; of cats and nine lives and all that sort of thing [...] It's not supernatural, but you don't really know."

Daniel Waters:

"To me, the whole nine lives thing was just a piece of dialogue and vague artistic license. It was never something I considered literally. In my script, and even in the movie, Selina Kyle dies at the end."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/batman-returns-at-25-stars-reveal-script-cuts-freezing-sets-aggressive-penguins-1013942

In the 2004 movie the supernatural aspect is explicit. It's a totally different mythology. And besides the blink-and-you'll-miss-it Easter egg photo of Pfeiffer, the film references no characters or events from the Burton/Schumacher movies. Had they gone with Waters' original screenplay, which followed Selina's adventures after the events of Batman Returns, then it would have been part of the Burtonverse. But as it stands, the 2004 Catwoman exists in its own self-contained universe.

[johnnygobbs]

Fair enough.  I don't feel strongly about this.  I just recall Catwoman being initially devised as a spin-off from the Burton/Schumacher films, and I just felt that since it references Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman, albeit in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, it had more right to be considered part of the franchise than a commercial or a TV show that only featured props/costumes from the earlier films.

[Silver Nemesis]

The problem I have with the Pfeiffer photo is that it's clearly a professionally staged publicity shot.

When, during the events of Batman Returns, did Selina pose for such a picture? And how did it end up in the hands of the characters in Catwoman 2004? It's not so much a picture of Pfeiffer's Catwoman as it is a picture of Michelle Pfeiffer portraying Catwoman, if you follow my meaning.

I'd argue Lois & Clark, the OnStar Batman and Birds of Prey are all worthier of being connected to the Burtonverse, simply because unlike Catwoman 2004 they do at least acknowledge the existence of Batman and Gotham City. By contrast, Catwoman 2004 has absolutely nothing to do with Batman. It's completely divorced from the mythos.

[The Dark Knight]

I've never seen Halle Berry's Catwoman, so I don't know if it's deserving of all the hate it gets. But I will say it was a wasted opportunity in terms of her costume. I was a big Berry fan as a young guy, especially given her role in Die Another Day and X-Men. They had a stunning woman and in my opinion, they somehow made her look unappealing, which is an incredible feat. I like that they showed skin, but on the whole, I think that suit was average. As a red-blooded male I always felt they could've done so much more.