Bruce Wayne (TV series)

"Bruce Wayne" was a planned television series to focus on the teenage and young adulthood years of Batman. The idea was conceived by screenwriter Tim McCanlies.

Background

In 1999, roughly a year after seeing the script he wrote for "The Iron Giant" get released, McCanlies pitched a JFK Jr. type show revolving around an American icon much like that of Prince William: a drama revolving around the teenage years of Bruce Wayne, the future Batman. Tollin/Robbins Productions bought the rights to produce the series, and HBO began negotiating about possible broadcasting rights. [cite web|last=Collura|first=Scott|title=Bruce Wayne: The Series - The Batman show that almost was...|publisher=IGN|date=2008-07-10|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/888/888047p1.html|accessdate=2008-07-10]

Since the series did not actually get into pre-production or casting, it is unknown who would have been starred on the show. However, Shawn Ashmore, who later went on to play Bobby Drake in "X2" and "", was heavily rumored to be in negotiations about playing Bruce, as well as Trevor Fehrman of "Clerks II" fame. A then-unknown Michael Rosenbaum was also considered to play the role of Harvey Dent. David Krumholtz, a current TV actor of "Numb3rs", was said to be rumored for Jim Gordon. [cite web|title=Bruce Wayne: What Happened?|publisher=kryptonsite.com|url=http://www.kryptonsite.com/brucewayne/future.htm|accessdate=2008-07-10] Even though Warner Bros.' TV division liked the concept of a "Young Wayne" series, the movie division wanted to focus on getting the film franchise back on track. It was Joel Schumacher, director of the infamous box-office flop "Batman & Robin", who pitched the idea for a serious Batman origin story.

Eventually, in September 2000, Darren Aronofsky signed on to direct a film adaption of Frank Miller's "", [cite web|last=Linder|first=Brian|title=Batman: What's Dead, What's Not? UPDATED: Aronofsky, Miller Making Year One|publisher=IGN|date=2000-09-20|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/034/034021p1.html|accessdate=2008-07-10] supposedly with Aaron Eckhart (who would later go on to play Harvey Dent in "The Dark Knight") as Jim Gordon, and several actors, including Ben Affleck, Brendan Fraser, Josh Hartnett, and a young Christian Bale for the part of Batman. [cite web|last=Jett|title="History of The Batman" - THE ROAD TO "BATMAN BEGINS"|publisher=BATMAN ON FILM|url=http://www.batman-on-film.com/historyofthebatman_batman5.html|accessdate=2008-07-10] As a result, the idea for "Bruce Wayne" to become a series was shelved. [cite web|last=Stax|title=The Stax Report Special Edition: Script Review of Bruce Wayne!|publisher=IGN|date=2008-09-15|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/036/036017p1.html|accessdate=2008-07-10] Due to creative differences and Aronofsky's gritty "The French Connection"-like script, "Year One" was cancelled in 2001 before any real production began.

Tollin/Robbins Productions wanted to do a show about a young Bruce Wayne. The feature film division of Warner Bros. had decided to develop an origin movie for Batman, and, because they didn't want to compete with a television series, had the idea nixed.cite book|last=Simpson|first=Paul|title=Smallville: The Official Companion Season 1|year=2004|publisher=Titan Books|location=London|pages=8-17|isbn=1840237955]

Planned run

"Bruce Wayne" was designed to run five to six seasons, as Bruce goes from an immature 17-year old to a serious young man. While taking place within Gotham, it would also focus on his travels into China, Korea, France and other parts of the world learning defense attacks, criminology, detective skills, and manhunting. He would have tried to join the police force and enroll in the FBI, but he would come to understand that he cannot pursue justice within "the system." At somepoint towards the end of the run, he discovers a large cavern underneath Wayne Manor, and he recruits Lucius Fox and several imported Polish workers in blacked-out buses to begin construction on his new headquarters. Via Wayne Enterprises, he and Lucius would start testing several vehicles and gadgets, which would later become part of his future arsenal in his war on crime.

While he would not meet them during the show, some subplots would shed some light on several future Batman mythos characters. These would have included a failed comedian named Jack Napier described as "Sam Kinison, only angrier," psychology professor Jonathan Crane, pre-med intern Harley Quinn, disturbed con man Edward Nygma, and a young farmboy from Kansas named Clark Kent. Scripted as being slightly older, Kent would come into contact with Bruce while the latter is at a WayneTech conference in Smallville. Bruce later meets up with him prior to becoming Batman and learns he is Superman.

Other story arcs would revolve around Jim Gordon's struggle with police corruption, crooked businessmen trying to take over Wayne Enterprises, and Bruce coming into conflict with the local mafia, led by Rupert Thorne and Carmine Falcone. Harvey would have storylines ranging from his abusive father, troubled childhood, and his struggles through law school. One of the script's scenes has Dent trying to be on both sides between his meek, abused mother and his drunken, volatile father during a fight; a subtle hint to his later development as Two-Face.

Development into "Smallville"

In 2000, Tollin/Robbins approached Peter Roth, the President of Warner Bros. Television, about developing a series based on a young Superman. That same year, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar developed a pilot based on the film "Eraser". After watching the pilot, Roth approached the two men about developing a second pilot, based on the young Superman concept that was brought to him. After meeting with Roth, Gough and Millar decided that they didn't want to do a series where there was lots of flying, and a cape. It was here that they developed a "no tights, no flights" rule, vowing Clark would not, at any point, fly or don the suit during the run of the show.cite web|url=http://www.michaelrosenbaum.com/small.html|title=Smallville|author=Barry Garron|date=2001-10-15|publisher=MichaelRosenbaum.com|accessdate=2006-10-19]

References

External links

* [http://www.kryptonsite.com/brucewayne/ "Bruce Wayne": The Series That Never Was]
* [http://movies.ign.com/articles/036/036017p1.html IGN's "Bruce Wayne" script review]