Working title

Last updated

A working title is a preliminary name for a product or project. The usage is especially common in film and TV, gaming, music and publishing. [1] It is often styled in trade publications as (wt) [2] and is synonymous with production title and tentative title.

Contents

Purpose

Working titles are used mainly because an official title has not yet been decided upon or to intentionally disguise the real nature of a project.

Usage as production titles

Working titles are primarily a practical matter, just to prevent confusion as ideas for release titles can keep on changing for a variety of reasons.

For example, while James Bond films are commonly produced under numerical titles such as Bond 22 until the official title is announced as part of its marketing, release titles may also change because of significant changes to the plot during production, as happened with Disney's The Emperor's New Groove, whose working title was Kingdom of the Sun. In some cases a working title may ultimately be used as the release title, as in the case of leading man Samuel L. Jackson insisting on the title Snakes on a Plane , after he learned the title was going to be changed to Pacific Air Flight 121 upon release.

Usage as a ruse title

Fake production titles are frequently used by high-profile films or television series to prevent undesired attention by the press or fandom, price gouging by suppliers [3] and casual or targeted theft. Notable examples of ruse titles include Blue Harvest ( Return of the Jedi ), Red Gun ( House of the Dragon ), [4] and the Batman films Batman Begins , The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises , which were produced under the titles The Intimidation Game, Rory's First Kiss and Magnus Rex. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Dark Knight Returns</i> 1986 four-issue comic book miniseries by Frank Miller

The Dark Knight Returns is a 1986 four-issue comic book miniseries starring Batman, written by Frank Miller, illustrated by Miller and Klaus Janson, with color by Lynn Varley, and published by DC Comics. It tells an alternative story of Bruce Wayne, who at 55 years old returns from retirement to fight crime while facing opposition from the Gotham City police force and the United States government. The story also features the return of classic foes Two-Face and the Joker, and culminates with a confrontation with Superman, who is now a pawn of the government.

<i>Batman: The Animated Series</i> American animated television series

Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated superhero television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. Developed by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation, it originally aired on Fox Kids from September 5, 1992, to September 15, 1995, with a total of 85 episodes. After the series ended its original run, a follow-up titled The New Batman Adventures began airing on Kids' WB in 1997 as a continuation of the series, featuring a revamped animation style to match that of the concurrently running Superman: The Animated Series, which was also set in the same continuity. Lasting 24 episodes, it has often been included in the same syndicated re-run packages and home media releases as the final season.

Corey Burton is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Captain Hook, Ludwig Von Drake and others for The Walt Disney Company, Shockwave on The Transformers, Brainiac in the DC Animated Universe, Count Dooku and Cad Bane in the Star Wars franchise, Zeus in the God of War series and Hugo Strange in Batman: Arkham City.

<i>Batman Beyond</i> American superhero animated television series

Batman Beyond is an American superhero animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. Created and developed by Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, and Alan Burnett and produced by Warner Bros. Animation, the series began airing on January 10, 1999 on Kids' WB, and ended on December 18, 2001. In the United Kingdom, it began airing on September 4, 2000. After 52 episodes spanning three seasons and one direct-to-video feature film, the series was brought to an end in favor of the Justice League animated series. Depicting a teenaged Batman in a futuristic Gotham City under the tutelage of an elderly Bruce Wayne, Batman Beyond is the third series of the DC Animated Universe, and serves as the sequel to both Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures.

<i>Batman Begins</i> 2005 superhero film by Christopher Nolan

Batman Begins is a 2005 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Nolan and David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman, with Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, Ken Watanabe, and Morgan Freeman in supporting roles. The film reboots the Batman film series, telling the origin story of Bruce Wayne from the death of his parents to his journey to become Batman and his fight to stop Ra's al Ghul and the Scarecrow from plunging Gotham City into chaos.

<i>Batman: The Long Halloween</i> Limited comic book series by Jeph Loeb (1996-1997)

Batman: The Long Halloween is a 13-issue American comic book limited series written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale. It was originally published by DC Comics in 1996 and 1997. It was the follow-up to three Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Specials by the same creative team. The series' success led to Loeb and Sale to reteam for two sequels, Batman: Dark Victory and Catwoman: When in Rome, which are set concurrently.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DC Animated Universe</span> Shared fictional universe

The DC Animated Universe is a shared universe centered on a group of animated television series based on DC Comics and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It began with Batman: The Animated Series in 1992 and ended with Justice League Unlimited in 2006. Animated feature films and shorts, comic books, video games, and other multimedia adaptations are also in the continuity that continued to be released years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman: No Man's Land</span> American comic book crossover storyline

"Batman: No Man's Land" is an American comic book crossover storyline that ran for almost all of 1999 through the Batman comic book titles published by DC Comics. The story architecture for "No Man's Land" and the outline of all the Batman continuity titles for 1999 were written by cartoonist Jordan B. Gorfinkel.

<i>Batman Begins</i> (video game) 2005 movie video game

Batman Begins is a stealth action-adventure game based on the film of the same name, exploring the first year of Batman's crusade against crime. It was released on June 15, 2005 for the Game Boy Advance, GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. The game was developed by Eurocom and co-published by Electronic Arts and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in conjunction with DC Comics. The film's original cast provided a voice-over reprisal in the game, with the exception of Gary Oldman, who portrays James "Jim" Gordon in the film and was replaced by Gavin Hammon in the game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Nolan</span> British-American screenwriter (born 1976)

Jonathan Nolan is a British-American screenwriter, producer and director. He is the creator of the CBS science fiction series Person of Interest (2011–2016) and co-creator of the HBO science-fiction/Western series Westworld (2016–2022).

<i>Batman</i> (franchise) Franchise based on DC Comics character, Batman

The DC Comics character Batman has been adapted into various media including film, radio, television, and video games, as well as numerous merchandising items. The Batman franchise has become one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.

<i>The Dark Knight</i> 2008 superhero film by Christopher Nolan

The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan from a screenplay co-written with his brother Jonathan. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the sequel to Batman Begins (2005) and the second installment in The Dark Knight Trilogy. The plot follows the vigilante Batman, police lieutenant James Gordon, and district attorney Harvey Dent, who form an alliance to dismantle organized crime in Gotham City. Their efforts are derailed by the Joker, an anarchistic mastermind who seeks to test how far Batman will go to save the city from chaos. The ensemble cast includes Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan Freeman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman in film</span> Film adaptations of the DC superhero

The Batman franchise, based on the fictional superhero Batman who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, has seen the release of various films. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the character first starred in two serial films in the 1940s: Batman and Batman and Robin. The character also appeared in the 1966 film Batman, which was a feature film adaptation of the 1960s Batman TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward, who also starred in the film. Toward the end of the 1980s, the Warner Bros. studio began producing a series of feature films starring Batman, beginning with the 1989 film Batman, directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton. Burton and Keaton returned for the 1992 sequel Batman Returns, and in 1995, Joel Schumacher directed Batman Forever with Val Kilmer as Batman. Schumacher also directed the 1997 sequel Batman & Robin, which starred George Clooney. Batman & Robin was poorly received by both critics and fans, leading to the cancellation of Batman Unchained.

Originally created in 1967, the fictional comic book character Barbara Gordon has been adapted into various other forms of media. The character has appeared in both live action and animated television series and films, as well as in video games in her alter-egos as both Batgirl and Oracle.

Lindy Hemming is a Welsh costume designer. She won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for her work in Topsy-Turvy (1999). Hemming's name is an example of an aptronym.

Batman: The Dark Knight was a cancelled action-stealth game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 developed by Pandemic Studios from September 2006 until its cancellation in October 2008. It would have been the first open world video game to feature the DC Comics superhero Batman and was based on Christopher Nolan's film The Dark Knight. In Batman: The Dark Knight, the player controlled Batman, who could freely explore Gotham City, drive vehicles, and perform missions. Pandemic was given access to the film's script and other materials, and the film's cast would have reprised their roles for the game.

<i>The Dark Knight Rises</i> 2012 superhero film by Christopher Nolan

The Dark Knight Rises is a 2012 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan, and the story with David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the final installment in Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy, and the sequel to The Dark Knight (2008). The film stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman, alongside Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Michael Caine. Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, the terrorist Bane forces Bruce Wayne to resume his role as Batman and save Gotham City from nuclear destruction.

<i>The Batman</i> (film) 2022 American superhero film

The Batman is a 2022 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, 6th & Idaho, and Dylan Clark Productions, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a reboot of the Batman film franchise. The film was directed by Matt Reeves, who wrote the screenplay with Peter Craig. It stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman alongside Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell. The film sees Batman, who has been fighting crime in Gotham City for two years, uncover corruption while pursuing the Riddler (Dano), a serial killer who targets Gotham's corrupt elite.

Catwoman is a fictional character first appearing in issue 1 of the Batman comic book. After her debut she would appear in many forms of media including live-action and animated film, radio, live-action and animated television, records, video games, web series, live performance, and podcasts. The character has made live-action appearances in the Batman television series (1966–68), its film adaptation Batman (1966), Batman Returns (1992), Catwoman (2004),The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Gotham (2014–19), and The Batman (2022). The character has also appeared in numerous animated television series and movies, most notably Batman: The Animated Series (1992–95) and The Lego Batman Movie (2017), as well as video games such as the Batman: Arkham series.

<i>The Penguin</i> (TV series) Upcoming DC Studios miniseries

The Penguin is an upcoming American television limited series created by Lauren LeFranc for the streaming service Max. Based on the DC Comics character Penguin, it is a spin-off from the film The Batman (2022) that explores the Penguin's rise to power in Gotham City's criminal underworld. The series is produced by 6th & Idaho, DC Studios, and Dylan Clark Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, with LeFranc serving as showrunner.

References

  1. Librarians, Reference. "Research Guides: Organizing Academic Research Papers: Choosing a Title". library.sacredheart.edu. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
  2. Andreeva, Nellie (23 November 2022). "'Dune: The Sisterhood' Creator Diane Ademu-John Steps Down As Co-Showrunner Of HBO Max Series". Deadline.
  3. Bloom, Jim, Production Supervisor; Ch. 9, bonus material disc of the 2004 Star Wars Trilogy DVD box set.
  4. Albrecht, Louis (2020-07-18). "HBO's Game of Thrones Prequel House of the Dragon is looking for two female leads". Redanian Intelligence. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  5. Nolan Fans article "The Dark Knight Rises As Magnus Rex"