30 Things You Didn't Know About Tim Burton's Batman

18. Ivan Reitman Was Originally Attached To Direct

Ivan Reitman Ghostbusters
Columbia Pictures

The first draft of Batman was actually written back in 1980 by Tom Mankiewicz, who was fresh off the success of co-writing Richard Donner's Superman.

This version of the film was much lighter in tone than what Burton's turned out to be, and Warner Bros. originally offered the directing gig to Ghostbusters' Ivan Reitman.

Reitman's version was set to be a flat-out comedy, and rumours have persisted ever since that the filmmaker even considered casting Bill Murray as Batman. For his part, Murray denies he was ever offered the role.

Ultimately things didn't work out with Reitman, and when Burton came aboard, he threw out Mankiewicz's script entirely.

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