EXT. STREET - EVENING - OVERHEAD ANGLE
From high above the street we see the JOKER'S VAN pulling out of VICKI's building. We're up on the roof, with BRUCE. He hits a button on his utility belt, and a RED SIGNAL LIGHT begins to flash.
BRUCE clamps the utility belt around his waist. Pulls the BLACK NYLON STOCKING over his head. And suddenly, he's BOUNDING ACROSS THE ROOFTOPS in pursuit of the JOKER.
EXT. CROSS STREET - A MOMENT LATER - EVENING
The VAN turns right at the intersection. Nothing unusual. But for some reason, PEDESTRIANS are pointing at the sky, staring goggle-eyed at the rooftops.
Far above them, a MAN -- dressed in a suit, a tie, a yellow belt and a BLACK STOCKING MASK -- is gliding across the intersection on a ROPE.
INT. VAN - A MOMENT LATER
The VAN DRIVER guns through a red light. BRAKES SQUEAL on either side. In the back of the van, the JOKER GROWLS:
JOKER-Slow down, you maniac!
EXT. INTERSECTION - THAT MOMENT - EVENING
As the VAN ROARS PAST, a MOUNTED POLICEMAN shakes his fist. His horse shies, rears back, turns in a circle. He's just about gotten the beast calmed down when a MAN IN A STOCKING MASK plummets down on a rope from nowhere and lands directly behind him on the horse's back. BRUCE elbows the startled COP. Now there's only one rider.
The VAN turns left. BRUCE gallops straight ahead through the intersection, hoping to cut the JOKER off.
INT. ALICIA HUNT'S APARTMENT - THAT MOMENT
ALICIA peers out through the window. On the street below, UNMARKED CARS are converging.
INT. VAN - THAT MOMENT
The JOKER and co. are two blocks away from ALICIA's. They see a POLICE SWAT TEAM sealing off the building.
DRIVER- Boss! Jesus! They've --
JOKER- They'll be sorry. They'll be sorry. -- GET OUT OF HERE!
EXT. SIDE STREET - THAT MOMENT - EVENING
BRUCE on horseback, charging past elegant old brownstones, drawing stares from passersby. We get a quick look at the FLASHING RED SIGNAL LIGHT on his belt.
EXT. RIVERVIEW DRIVE - THAT MOMENT - EVENING
A YELLOW VW BUG rips up the street at 70 mph.
INT. VOLKSWAGEN BUG - THAT MOMENT
We can't see the driver. But we do see, on the seat beside him, a VIDEO DISPLAY with a shifting grid map of the city -- and on it, a FLASHING SIGNAL blinking in perfect sync with the one on BRUCE's belt.
EXT. SIDE STREET - THAT MOMENT
BRUCE sees the VW bug rounding the corner and STREAKING TOWARD HIM. He reins in the horse; it rears back on its hind legs in a classic western pose; the BUG zooms past --
-- and ALFRED THE BUTLER heaves out a BROWN LAUNDRY BUNDLE,neatly tied in string.
BRUCE snatches it out of the air, gives ALFRED a quick salute -- and the BUG is gone.
INT. JOKER'S VAN - EVENING
The JOKER and his boys are stalled in heavy traffic at the southern border of Gotham Park. POLICE BARRICADES are everywhere; the surrounding streets have been roped off for the birthday gala. HORNS HONK in anger.
JOKER- MOVE! Can't you do something??
DRIVER- It's some kind of detour. They're backed up for blocks!
The JOKER snorts. He happens to glance into the side-view mirror. What he sees there... CURDLES HIS BLOOD.
JOKER- Oh my God. How does he do it... ?
EXT. STREET - A BLOCK AWAY - THAT MOMENT
THE BATMAN, IN FULL COSTUMED GLORY, GALLOPING UP THE STREET ON HORSEBACK -- passing stunned COPS, weaving in and around the stalled autos, GAINING FAST on the JOKER.
INT. VAN - THAT MOMENT
THE JOKER climbing all over the DRIVER. He HITS THE GAS, RUNS THE VAN UP ON THE SIDEWALK, and -- at the first opening he sees -- CRASHES THROUGH A POLICE BARRICADE INTO GOTHAM PARK ITSELF.
BATMAN is half a block behind him now. As he follows hot on the JOKER's heels, TWO HELICOPTERS swing into the park from overhead.
EXT. GOTHAM PARK - EVENING
CROWDS EVERYWHERE. On the central platform where we saw the FREE CONCERT earlier, an EMCEE mans the microphone:
EMCEE- -- the most spectacular, most death-defying aerial stunt ever devised. Tonight -- for the first time anywhere -- THE FLYING GRAYSONS!
He points up at the two approaching HELICOPTERS, flying side-by-side in tight formation some forty feet apart.
ANGLE ON HELICOPTERS
ONLOOKERS GASP as TWO TRAPEZES drop from the bellies of the twin copters. Dangling from the trapezes are the FLYING GRAYSONS -- a husband-and-wife aerialist team in spangled red-and-green suits. They begin swinging toward each other in a plane perpendicular to the path of the copters.
EXT. GOTHAM PARK - GROUND LEVEL
PANIC DOWN BELOW as the JOKER's van barrels through the crowd, HORN BLARING. BATMAN is moving up swiftly.
On each wrist he's wearing a MINIATURE ROCKET LAUNCHER. He lets fly with TWO SALVOS. The first explodes harmlessly against a tree. The second HITS THE REAR DOOR OF THE VAN --driving it off the access road down into the brush, where it nearly topples over sideways.
ANGLE ON FLYING GRAYSONS
GRAYSON has just completed a double somersault in midair, landing in the capable hands of his wife. Now they're swinging again, building momentum as he prepares to make the return leap back to his own trapeze.
INT. HELICOPTER - THAT MOMENT
In the bay of the helicopter stands a kid, fifteen, compact, tough, and wiry: DICK GRAYSON. Like his parents, he's wearing a red-and-green suit. From the copter, he's got a perfect bird's-eye view of the BATMAN-JOKER chase.
PILOT- Ready to go, Dick?
DICK- What's all the ruckus down there?
EXT. PARK - GROUND LEVEL - THAT MOMENT
The VAN bounces over rocks and bushes, narrowly avoiding trees, with BATMAN in hot pursuit.
INT. VAN - THAT MOMENT
At the foot of a hill, the JOKER spies a truck. On its side, in bright red letters, a WARNING: "DANGER -FIREWORKS. FLAMMABLE LOAD."
The JOKER reaches into the back for a HIGHWAY FLARE.
JOKER- Head for the truck!
INT. HELICOPTER - THAT MOMENT
Hovering over the chase scene, DICK catches sight of the JOKER. He GASPS IN SHOCK as a LIT FLARE flies from the back of the VAN... directly into the FIREWORKS TRUCK.
EXT. PARK - GROUND LEVEL - A MOMENT LATER
THE BATMAN is thrown off his horse by the shock of a massive EXPLOSION. All at once, THE SKY IS FULL of BURSTING, INCANDESCENT COLORS!!
THE JOKER hangs out of the rear of the van, looking up, an expression of PURE DELIGHT on his face.
JOKER- I love fireworks!
ANGLE ON HELICOPTERS LURCHING AND SPINNING IN THE SKY as FIREWORKS rocket past.
One of them takes a dead hit on the rotor. JOHN GRAYSON falls to his death instantly; a moment later, the COPTER plummets into the trees with a resounding, fiery CRASH.
MARY GRAYSON hangs from the second copter as it bobs and weaves out of control. ONLOOKERS SCREAM IN TERROR.
EXT. STREET - THAT MOMENT
THE JOKER'S VAN bursts out of the park and speeds up a wide, cordoned-off avenue. Overhead, THE SECOND COPTER veers wildly, out of the park now, swinging dangerously close to the tall buildings along the avenue.
INT. HELICOPTER - THAT MOMENT
DICK GRAYSON at the mouth of the bay, hanging on by a canvas strap. He watches helplessly as his MOTHER swings into a POWER LINE and drops three stories to the pavement.
DICK- NO! NOOOOOOOO!!!!
His face is contorted with rage and pain. The PILOT struggles desperately to right the copter, barely avoiding a collision with the nearest building. And then -- before THE PILOT can make a move to stop him -- DICK HAS JUMPED OUT OF THE COPTER.
ANGLE ON DICK
With astonishing physical grace, he DIVES. GRABS A FLAGPOLE. Executes a perfect somersault. FLIPS onto a nearby fire escape. VAULTS to the next fire escape down. And LEAPS OUT OVER THE STREET --
-- MAKING A PERFECT TWO-POINT LANDING on his intended target... THE ROOF OF THE JOKER'S VAN!!
INT. VAN - THAT MOMENT
THE JOKER hears a THUNK overhead. He casually lifts his gun and BLOWS A HOLE THROUGH THE ROOF OF THE VAN.
EXT. ROOF OF VAN - MOVING - THAT MOMENT
The blast just misses DICK. He sprawls flat, YANKS at the chrome luggage rack on the roof of the van, and BREAKS OFF A FOUR-FOOT SHAFT OF METAL.
ANOTHER SHOT through the roof. DICK rolls forward, hoists his chrome spear over the windshield.
INT. VAN - THAT MOMENT
SPLINTERED GLASS flies everywhere as DICK RAMS THE SHAFT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. THE DRIVER dodges left and LOSES CONTROL OF THE WHEEL.
EXT. ROOF OF VAN - MOVING - THAT MOMENT
The VAN careens wildly toward an OVERPASS. DICK rises up into a crouch just in time to see a sign which reads "DANGER -- LOW CLEARANCE." He's about to get his head taken off!
ONE SECOND BEFORE IMPACT a BLACK-CAPED SHADOW swings across the street and SCOOPS DICK OFF THE ROOF OF THE VAN.
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
BATMAN AND DICK tumble to the pavement. THE VAN knocks over a fire hydrant and STOPS. DICK is already on his feet, ready to CHARGE THE VAN, when BATMAN throws a powerful arm around his waist.
DICK- LET ME GO! LET ME --
THE JOKER steps casually out of the van. TWO GOONS with MACHINE GUNS emerge behind him. PEDESTRIANS SCREAM as the GOONS level their guns at the CROWD.
DICK (cont.)- YOU PIECE OF -- YOU MOTHERF--
DICK is kicking, screaming, clawing, biting. BATMAN has his hands full restraining the kid.
JOKER- Like your boyfriend. He's kinda hot. (glowering at BATMAN) Hands off the belt.
BATMAN- Take me. Let the boy go.
JOKER- Gosh, I could kill you, but then you'd miss my party. And I'd be real, real sad if you couldn't make it.
BATMAN- What are you talking about?
JOKER- Batman! Don't you even recognize your old pal Jack? After all... (cackling insanely) You made me what I am today.
BATMAN cocks his head in puzzlement as DISTANT SIRENS BLARE. The JOKER and his HOODS -- guns still aimed at the crowd -- back away and race off on foot, vanishing into the night.
DICK BREAKS FREE and BOLTS AFTER THEM. BATMAN throws him to the street with a flying tackle. The boy is hysterical.
DICK- HE KILLED MY PARENTS! HE KILLED MY --
BATMAN flinches at the sound of the words. He reaches into his belt and -- mercifully -- breaks a KNOCKOUT CAPSULE under DICK's nose.
The scene would go through many different revisions before being cut from the film entirely. However, storyboards were made before the decision to remove Robin was made. Here is a slightly different version of the scene in storyboard form from production artist David Russell:
Warner Brothers used these storyboards for the special feature "The Complete Robin Storyboard Sequence" included on the anthology DVD set, adding in the voice talents of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill:
With the movie's dark tones and themes, I don't believe including Robin would have been a good fit. Centering the film on the origins of Joker and Batman gives those characters the attention they deserved; Squeezing Robin in just for the sake of having him would have been a disservice. Still- It is fascinating to see just how close he came to being a part of "Batman".
*For larger versions of these storyboard images, head over to themovieblog.com. Animated storyboard sequence copyright Warner Bros. entertainment.
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