The 1989 Batman movie by Tim Burton is considered a classic superhero movie, which not only catapulted Michael Keaton’s fame as a DC superhero but also featured the Oscar-winner Jack Nicholson. Thus, with a star-studded cast, Burton turned his film into a blockbuster of that era. However, during a recent interview with Empire, the director reflected upon a particular issue he faced while filming the movie.
Although Tim Burton considered Jack Nicholson as his most supportive acquaintance on the set, the director also mentioned having trouble understanding the iconic actor. Evidently, Nicholson, who portrayed the role of Joker in Batman, not only demanded top billing over Keaton but also had a unique way of speaking that was hard for Burton to understand.
Jack Nicholson’s Appearance In The 1989 Batman Movie
As DC ventured into motion pictures from comics, it initially started by introducing the Caped Crusader, Batman on the silver screen. And thus, among the first few initiatives, Tim Burton’s 1989 movie, Batman appears in golden letters. Developing an absolute blockbuster of a movie, Tim Burton’s classic featured Michael Keaton as Batman and the legendary Jack Nicholson as The Joker.
According to Tim Burton, the process of converting the comics into a movie had been a truly surreal experience. But, he is quite thankful for Jack Nicholson’s help, throughout the journey. The Oscar-winning actor who was at the top of his success when he starred in the movie, evidently went out of his way to turn the movie into a blockbuster.
In an attempt to help with the film’s box office and merchandising, Jack Nicholson agreed to cut his standard fee of $10 million to $6 million. Although it paid off the actor when Batman became a global phenomenon, Nicholson apparently demanded top billing, to ensure his name appeared before Michael Keaton’s. The legendary actor also supported Burton throughout his journey, as an acquaintance.
Tim Burton Struggled To Understand Jack Nicholson
While Jack Nicholson tried his best to support Tim Burton while shooting Batman, the filmmaker revealed how hard it was for him to understand the iconic actor. Reflecting upon his 1989 classic Batman, Burton revealed in an extensive interview with Empire how he had to take the help of an interpreter to decipher Nicholson’s words, on set.
Tim Burton shared,
“Jack has a very abstract way of speaking. So he would say things to me and I’d go, ‘Yeah, I get it,’ and then I’d go to someone, ‘What the f*** was he just talking about?’”
Discussing how difficult it was for him to understand Nicholson, Burton claimed to be adjusting to the differences. “So there was this weird communication: non-linear, non-connective…But it was very clear to me. I felt like we had a good sort of caveman-style communication” the director shared. Speaking about Nicholson’s effortless attempts to communicate, Burton hailed the legend for his support.
“[Nicholson] protected me and nurtured me, kept me going, by just not getting too overwhelmed with the whole thing. I felt really supported by him in a very deep way.”
Finally, the director mentioned that Jack Nicholson knew perfectly well what he was doing on the set, and what his worth was. He concluded by calling the Oscar winner one of the most capable and insightful actors.
Batman (1989) is available on Apple TV and Amazon Video.
Source: Empire
