Two years ago "X2" stole the show with a rough trailer compiled from just two weeks of footage, last year the Doc Ock hospital scene from "Spider-Man 2" was shown in full and drew raves. This year "Batman" was expected to be the big winner but instead of any footage or the new trailer which is ready and waiting in the Warner vaults, all the crowd was treated to was a short "Sorry we couldn't be there" video from Chris Nolan and Christian Bale, both of whom (Bale especially) looked slightly bored doing.
The panel itself featured both "28 Days Later" star Cillian Murphy who plays Dr. Jonathan Crane (aka. The Scarecrow), and writer David Goyer answering questions from the crowded room. The crowd questions ranged from hostile to curious, with Goyer reiterating several times that he and Nolan got to do exactly what they wanted to do and the studio has left them alone for the most part, even with some creative decisions they thought had no chance of getting through but have. Someone asked about The Scarecrow costume but it was generally deflected (you'll understand why next year - the idea for it in the film is a great twist). Before their public appearance, the pair appeared upstairs to answer assorted questions at a small press conference for about two dozen journos where a fifteen minute talk proved far more enlightening than the panel. Goyer confirmed that shooting is a little over three months in and is expected to wrap mid-September. The production will move to Chicago shortly for a three week shoot (mostly exteriors) before heading back to England.
Goyer was VERY thankful they were doing an origin story - "We are telling story that took place well before the other films and we're telling a story that in large part had never been told before. Aside from "Batman: Year One" it was very elliptical, and there's definitely segments in the film that have never been addressed even in the comic books so we were sort of in uncharted territory. When we met DC about 'filing in some of these gaps', they embraced everything we were proposing because it seemed to fit in with everything that had been said before".
In many ways it was exciting to do an origin story "because we weren't beholden to any of the other films or TV series, in comic book terms it is sort of a reboot in a way. The notion was that after our film finished, we could then go off and in subsequent films they can reintroduce the pantheon of villains". What was exciting to Goyer was Nolan's "naturalistic approach" in a way that the story should've been told but no-one had ever approached it that way. It's the "best experience he's ever had working with a studio" because the company allowed them the freedom to do what they wanted and trusted in their decisions.
Cillian wasn't a huge comic book afficianado but read up on all the comics featuring the character and had in-depth discussions with Nolan about the character to understand it and the psychology of fear which Crane uses to compensate for his lack of an imposing physical presence. He talked with Bale and Nolan about how his and Bale' s character use fear for their own very different ends. In the comics the character is very gangly and that is touched upon in the film. He confirmed he did try out for the role of Batman using Kilmer's bodysuit.
In the first discussions with Nolan about which villains to use, Goyer felt strongly they wanted to use characters that hadn't appeared in the films before - "I was familiar with the Rogue's Gallery and fortunately in the case of The Scarecrow and Ra's Al Ghul there were two really great villains that HADN'T been used, after that we were kind of scrapping the bottom of the barrel whether it was Killer Croc or those other crazy characters. I just happen to think Ra's Al Ghul is unique as a Batman villain because his goals, although they're perverted, are more realistic as a character. The Scarecrow is unique because it allows the opportunity to depict a villain that was truly scary and frightening". There was concern over using two villains, but they wouldn't have done it if it hadn't fit in a very "organic way" that HAS to make sense as to why the two of them appear and work together.
Goyer made the bold claim that "I have no doubt in my mind that this will be a seminal film for not just comic book movies but for genre movies for this decade & generation". In terms of avoiding the problems of the previous films, they approached the film from the standpoint that fortunately "Batman" is the most realistic of all the costumed superheroes. If he was going to wear a suit, they need to know what would he need to do it, and what would be required - that was the rule. Technology employed had to be exisiting, be shown in the marketplace in the next ten years or so, or already be in development at the Department of Defense.
What about sequels? "In a way it organically lends itself too one and I think people will be happy with how it goes". Goyer suggested the title "Batman Beginning" which Nolan refined to "Batman Begins" - there were numerous scripts with different names but it was never "Batman: Intimidation Game".
