5. Batman: Year One (2000)
A testament to Joel Schumacher’s absolute persistence, the guy just wouldn’t take no for an answer, and continued to pitch daring Batman ideas to Warner, who seemed a lot more interested in selling action figures than in crafting a compelling movie.
Schumacher has publicly apologised for the calamity that was Batman and Robin, and manners himself in such a humble way that it seems clear he just wanted to make a fun movie, albeit under huge studio constraints.
The director’s next idea was to again try and get Frank Miller in on the action, by tackling his superb prequel comic Batman: Year One, which would set the framework leading into Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman, as Bruce travels around the world before settling back in Gotham to protect it.
So, what happened? In a rare instance of Warner actually taking a good idea on board, they did stew with it for a number of years, though once the idea of a Batman Begins reboot entered their heads, they were well and truly smitten with it, and cast Schumacher aside.
