Furthermore, Michael Keaton was clear that the film was not really about Batman
Tim Burton’s 1989 film ‘Batman’ is one of the first superhero film adaptations, but Jack Nicholson’s voice could twist the project as we know it. Director Burton has revealed to Empire that had a lot of trouble understanding Nicholson on set during his role as Joker opposite Michael Keaton’s Batman.
Prehistoric style communication
And while later iterations of the Crusader were criticized for his loudspeaker growls under his hood, Nicholson’s vocal turn as the iconic villain proved to be more difficult for the director of the first great film of the DC universe.
“Jack has a very abstract way of speaking. So he would tell me things and I would say: ‘Yeah, I get it,’ and then he’d say to someone, ‘What the fuck did he just say?’ So there was a strange communication: non-linear, non-connective. But for me it was very clear. “I felt like we had good caveman-style communication.”
Tim Burton added that Jack Nicholson “protected” him and “cared for” him on filming when he was a promising young director.
“He helped me move forward, not get too overwhelmed. I felt really supported by him in a very profound way. I was young and facing a big studio, and he quietly gave me the confidence to do what I had to do . His supportive voice had a lot of respect in the studio. It helped me get through everything. He gave me strength.”
On the other hand, Michael Keaton had previously revealed that the ‘The Shining’ actor land gave acting advice on set to balance his career. Almost 30 years later, Keaton opened up about his departure from the franchise on the Backstage podcast.
“For me, I know the name of the movie is Batman, and it’s hugely iconic and very cool… and thanks to Tim Burton, artistically iconic, but I knew from the beginning that this was about Bruce Wayne. That was the secret. I never talked about it. Everyone was saying, ‘Batman, Batman, Batman does this,’ and I was like, ‘You’re thinking wrong.’ It’s about Bruce Wayne. What kind of person does that? …Who becomes that? “
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