Releasing today from Insight Editions are Joker: The Official Script Book (available now through Amazon) and The Batman: The Official Script Book (pick it up via Amazon). These collector s items are hardcover books that include the complete shooting scripts of their respective films and are an excellent pick-up for any fans of two of DC s best movies ever.
Both volumes are quite similar, the same height, and have covers that resemble the faces of the films’ respective eponymous characters. They complement one another well (so I d recommend getting both as they pair together quite nicely). Both scripts have director interviews at the beginning, with Todd Phillips’ Joker interview running a little bit longer than Reeves’ thoughts on The Batman at around 30 pages, which is excellent given how much longer the Reeves movie’s actual script is. The creative processes of both writer-directors are well-explained, as well as what each of them finds most fascinating about working in the superhero genre.
Regarding the narrative itself, color stills of legendary events, such as Arthur Fleck’s stand-up routine and Batman’s tense exchanges with Catwoman, are currently carefully incorporated. This is much more than just a wall of text because these look fantastic and each book also contains some advertising artwork. As a fan of each movie, I especially appreciated reading the scene-by-scene descriptions to realize how much the filmmaker had imagined during the writing process and how meticulously each scene was arranged.
Even the sequence from the Unseen Prisoner that was cut from the film is included in the Batmanscript book. Everyone has seen the sequence where Barry Keoghan’s Joker appears; it serves as the ideal prelude to a potential sequel. It’s a tremendously smart decision to include that moment, making it a wonderful treat for die-hard Caped Crusader movie fans.
Read More: Skyfall: A Decade After Its Release Is Still Among the Best James Bond Movies!
Comparing the writing styles of Reeves, The Batman co-author Peter Craig, and Phillips, The Joker co-author Scott Silver, is also entertaining. Reeves and Craig highlight important passages in each scene using a lot of bold and highlighted language. The script for “Jokers” feels more like a real book you would read while having many indentations and movie-specific speeches. It’s fascinating to observe how each visionary’s creative processes vary and, on occasion, resemble one another.
Picking up The BatmanandJokerscript books is a great choice for aficionados of the respective fandoms. With solid hardcovers, excellent director interviews, and gorgeous stills from each film to put the situations you’re reading about in context, Insight Editions has done a fantastic job giving these screenplays the premium treatment. It’s a fantastic way to learn about the production of both movies and looks fantastic on any collector’s shelf.
Comments are closed.