The Dark Knight's Dark Decade: 5 Batman Movies that Almost Got Made
SyFy - June 15, 2020
SyFy posted the article “The Dark Knight’s Dark Decade: 5 Batman Movies that Almost Got Made” by Tres Dean that mentions “Batman: DarKnight”. While it pokes fun at the title, at least they got it right that the script was passed over in favor for the also-unproduced “Batman: Year One”.
Excerpt from the article:
In this unprecedented era of Maybe Too Much Batman, it's nearly impossible to remember that the years between 1997's Batman & Robin and 2005's Batman Begins marked an era in which the Dark Knight was damaged goods. In the wake of the critical and commercial failure of B&R, Warner Bros. struggled to find a way to bring the Caped Crusader back to movie theaters — an incredible thought considering that just a few years prior, the 1989 film was sold on the merit of a movie poster with nothing but the Batman logo on it. That's how easy a sell Batman had been less than 10 years prior.
Entertainment Spotlight : Screenwriter Stephen Wise
CCP News - March 12, 2016
CCP News by Capital City Pedicabs in Tallahassee did an interview with Stephen Wise to promote his appearance at ALT*Con on March 19-20, 2016.
Top 5 Batman Movies That Were Never Made
Screen Crush - January 26, 2016
ScreenCrush did this video talking about–and making fun of–several Batman films that at one point had been under consideration but never got off the ground, including Batman: DarKnight, written by Lee Shapiro & Stephen Wise.
Before “Batman Begins”: Secret History of the Movies That Almost Got Made
The Hollywood Reporter - June 14, 2015
Stephen Wise and his co-writer Lee Shapiro were interviewed for the Hollywood Reporter regarding their screenplay Batman: DarKnight for the article “Before Batman Begins: Secret History of the Movies That Almost Got Made” by Aaron Couch. Read all about their involvement in the Batman series of films and how their screenplay was requested and ultimately passed over for other Batman films before Christopher Nolan’s trilogy was produced.
Excerpt from the article:
Four films and eight years after Tim Burton successfully brought Batman to the big screen, Joel Shumacher‘s Batman & Robin became the first major miss for The Dark Knight. The film was panned by fans and critics alike, and while Schumacher had a fifth Batman film planned (a draft of a script was nearly complete), it soon became apparent he would be exiting the franchise. Warner Bros. was unsure where to take the Caped Crusader next, and for the next six years a slew of filmmakers came and went, each with their own take on the Dark Knight. Hot talent like Frank Miller, Darren Aronofsky, Se7en‘s Andrew Kevin Walker and a pair of untested screenwriters took their shots…
One Local Shares Voyage to “Jurassic World”
Pensacola News Journal - June 10, 2015
Stephen Wise was fortunate to have spent seven days as a background performer on Jurassic World, which became the third highest-grossing movies internationally of all time. He shares his experience with the Pensacola News Journal in the article “One Local Shares Voyage to Jurassic World” by Julio Diaz.
Many viewers may wish they could take a voyage to “Jurassic World” — well, at least until the dinosaurs escape and start destroying everything and eating everyone in sight. (And if you’re complaining about spoilers: Come on, this is the fourth “Jurassic Park” film, and if you don’t expect dino disasters, why are you seeing this movie?) But unlike most film-goers eagerly awaiting the release of this sci-fi blockbuster, Stephen Wise actually spent a week in “Jurassic World,” working as a background actor (or an “extra”). Wise, who has a film degree from the University of Central Florida and who works as a producer and director for Pensacola-based Kinematic Entertainment, answered a casting call for the film, which shot in New Orleans, and…
Before The Dark Knight Rises – 10 Batman Films That Never Were
What Culture - June 27, 2012
The screenplay for a proposed Batman movie that Stephen Wise co-wrote with Lee Shapiro entitled Batman: DarKnight was discussed in the What Culture article “Before The Dark Knight Rises – 10 Batman Films That Never Were” by Tommy Marques.
Excerpt from article:
In late 1998, after the disastrous release of ‘Batman and Robin’, Warner Bros. decided to change their approach to the Batman franchise and scrapped plans for Batman Triumphant. As Schmaucher wanted The Dark Knight Returns adaptation, Warner Bros listened somewhat and turned to rookies Lee Shapiro and Stephen Wise to pitch a new sequel idea, returning the character to his dark, edgier routes. The idea involved Bruce Wayne abandoning his role as Gotham’s protector – realising that he had lost his greatest weapon against his enemies – fear. Dick Grayson, now at Gotham University, comes face to face with…
Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing The Caped Crusader to the Screen (Part Three)
Flickering Myth - August 20, 2010
The screenplay for a proposed Batman movie that Stephen Wise co-wrote with Lee Shapiro entitled Batman: DarKnight was discussed in the Flickering Myth article “Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing The Caped Crusader to the Screen (Part Three)” by Gary Collins [August 20, 2010].
Excerpt from the article:
While the Batman franchise was enjoying a prolonged spell of creativity and popularity throughout the 80s and 90s, the release of the much-maligned Batman & Robin (1997) looked to have steered the series towards a disastrous conclusion. With the movie franchise in tatters, it was clear that Warner Bros. had lost sight of the character and were in need of a complete overhaul. The next few years would prove difficult for fans with constant and often unsubstantiated rumours as to what direction – if any – the series was headed, along with a number of proposed projects that ultimately failed to get off the ground. After giving filmmaker Joel Schumacher the green light to start working on a fourth movie during the theatrical run of Batman Forever, Warner Bros. took this one step further when they began developing the next sequel…