Butron Batman III Details I did not know! (video)

[Gotham Knight]

This video..which oddly enough I found because it was using the fan poster I made featuring Keaton/Pfeiffer/Willaims in a FOREVER dressing...claims that a script does exist for the abandoned Burton project, and he gives details on it. It sounds great, frankly, and I wonder if you guys would have a look see, AND if anyone could help me get my hands on the script. Link bellow to video.

[Seantastic]

I don't no, I mean in the BR DVD doc. Burton says that literally in the first meeting about B3 that Burton was pretty much told that Warner didn't want him to do a third.

However, you never know, it may have been a quick muck-up that Burton prepared.

[BatmAngelus]

Thanks for the link, GK. 

Unfortunately, I have a feeling he may have read a fan script by someone who wished the film turned out that way.  May sound ridiculous, but these do crop up.  Batman: The Frightening is an example of a script that hit the Internet and was credited to the From Hell screenwriters Rafael Yglesias and Terry Hayes, but turned out to be written by a fan.

The video maker's info doesn't match up at all to what the Batchlers have shared about Burton's role in the development of the film, as well as what Burton shared in the featurette that Seantastic mentioned.  As much as I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt, I believe the Batchlers and Burton over him, unless all of them later confirm that this was legit and give us a context on how it fits into what they've shared previously.

Also, some of the ideas sound like someone's attempt at merging Burton's Batman world with Batman Forever's cast (Two-Face, Riddler, Robin, and Chase Meridian are in it, but so are Chip Shreck and Catwoman?).  Killing off Chase Meridian in particular sounds like wish fulfillment.

[Gotham Knight]

Yeah. I remain a skeptic myself, but jump at possibilties. I. too, have the Batman Returns Special edition, and remember Tim Burton clearly stating he only had one meeting with WB (When he was still attached to direct). My memory has a tent pole on his quote "toying with ideas." And, indeed, Forever's screenwriters confirm this by saying that they never got any real imput ideawise from Tim.

It's always possible, though.

sigh. I must admit it sounded legit to me based on some of the ideas. Like the beginnings of a thought process were at hand and would evolve over time. In all likelihood, its fake, but its fun to talk about, eh?

[BatmAngelus]

It's certainly exciting for me as well to think that Burton was going to continue a bit of the Schreck-Catwoman storyline as well as bring his vision of Two-Face (with Billy Dee) to life and a darker take on The Riddler than the Jim Carrey version.

But the Chase Meridian mention really pushes the credibility for me.  It may be possible that Burton had thought of using Two-Face and Riddler and bringing Wayans to do Robin for real this time before Schumacher and the Batchlers decided to use all three characters (though it'd be quite a huge coincidence).

But Chase Meridian was a Batchler creation and the Batchlers were hired after Schumacher was already tapped to replace Burton.  If this is legit, it has to be one of the early drafts they wrote for Schumacher, not Burton. 
Even then, I have my doubts they'd have toyed around with bringing Chip Schreck and Catwoman back and reusing Burton and Daniel Waters's Robin mechanic idea, when Burton was off the project.

[Gotham Knight]

Ah...The Chase thing really puts a dent in it then.

[BatmAngelus]

Sorry to disappoint, my friend 

[Kamdan]

Yep, I called BS when I took a look at the video. Pretty cool ideas although. The ending with Catwoman was taken from her first appearance in the Animated Series.

[BatmAngelus]

Aha!  I knew that Catwoman ending sounded familiar, but couldn't place if it was from an animated series episode or a comic.

[Batman333]

Hey everyone.  I was one of the first to have a website of Tim Burton's Batman III, and a lot of the 'sources' are linked directly to my old site..

Well, the site shut down in 09.

I did A LOT of research when making the website and had a ton of people email me about facts and rumors surrounding the pre production.

THERE WAS NO SCRIPT when Burton had his tiny little meeting with WB.  NOOO script. 

He indeed was reading a fan script.  I will tell you why.  Tim Burton said in the documentary of Batman Returns in the special edition, he never wants to do a 'continuation' of the previous film.  He wanted to do something completely NEW.  The first thing this fan script said was 'funeral for shrek'.. So that right there is a dead give away that this was a fan bogus script.

Second, while WB was finding a new director, there were ideas being thrown around about the next project.  A question mark would be shaved in Riddler's head.  Riddler would have a pet rat.  Really crazy stuff.  Joel Shumacher jumped on board as a Yes Man director to make a more kid friendly movie to sell toys and McDonalds stuff.

It was kind of disappointing to hear about Tim Burton's Batman 3.  Fan boys want to think that there was some amazing story and all this stuff was going on before Tim left and Joel came on, but the truth is there was nothing going on, lol.  It was probably 1 or 2 meetings with Tim Burton and then he left to do other things.  There was no storyboard and Burton ideas flying out there inbetween directors.  I wish!  Every fan boy wishes.... But it was a whole bunch of nothing....