Tim Burton's 1989 film, Batman, transformed the perception of the Dark Knight in the eyes of mainstream audiences with the film's grim tone and actor Michael Keaton's dramatic performance. The film 1992 sequel, Batman Returns, remains as iconic, partly due to its central villains.
Storyboards and concept art for Batman Returns are now up for auction on Heritage Auctions. The description states that over 90 sheets of original storyboard drawings are included alongside concept art, some of which depicts Catwoman's mask. The description reads, "There is also a set of three production photos contained on one sheet of the iconic Batmobile from the film. Among this collection are several photocopies of concept art, storyboards and camera notes created for production." At the time of writing, bidding had reached $675.
With regard to the state of the 28 year old collection, the auction states, "All pieces show varying degrees of handling, folding, tearing and edge wear, with some having been extensively cut. There are red and black marks through some of the sheets."
The success of Batman, which had a lasting effect on superhero films, led Burton and Keaton to return for Batman Returns, which introduced Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman and Danny DeVito as Penguin. A further two films were released under the direction of Joel Schumacher, with Val Kilmer taking on the role of Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever, followed by George Clooney in Batman & Robin. Warner Bros. rebooted the film franchise in the mid-2000s with Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy.
Source: Heritage Auctions