The True story (according to wikipedia)
Producers Michael Uslan and Benjamin Melniker purchased the film rights of Batman from DC Comics in April 1979. It was Uslan's wish "to make the definitive, dark, serious version of Batman, the way Bob Kane and Bill Finger had envisioned him in 1939. A creature of the night; stalking criminals in the shadows." Uslan was unsuccessful with pitching Batman to various movie studios because they wanted the film to be similar to the campy 1960s TV series.
Uslan later compared its dark tone to that of The Dark Knight Returns, which his script pre-dated by six years. In November 1979, producers Jon Peters and Peter Guber joined the project. Uslan, Melniker and Guber pitched Batman to Universal Pictures, but the studio turned it down. In late 1981 the project was publicly announced with a budget of $15 million. Warner Bros. decided to accept Batman.
Tom Mankiewicz completed a script titled The Batman in June 1983, focusing on Batman and Dick Grayson's origins, with the Joker and Rupert Thorne as villains, and Silver St. Cloud as the romantic interest. Mankiewicz took inspiration from the limited series Batman: Strange Apparitions. The Batman was then announced in late 1983 for a mid-1985 release date on a budget of $20 million. Originally, Uslan had wanted an unknown actor for Batman.
If this movie were to be made in 1984 here is the cast I would've liked to see. No origin. Batman is 2 years into his gig.
Christopher Lambert (age 27)
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan...
As a relative newcomer with a dark and brooding look I feel he was exactly what they were looking for
Rebecca De Mornay (age unknown, roughly the same as Lambert) as Silver St. Cloud
Risky Business; Runaway Train
Her beauty and her acting in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle convinced me she could play in this dark adaptation.
Corey Haim (13) as Robin
Firstborn
The newcomer turned out to be 1 of the 80's hottest stars. He had the right look and could make a character that never belonged with a grim hero like The Bat actually mesh well with him.
Gregory Peck (68) as Alfred
To Kill a Mockingbird; Moby Dick
I've seen almost all of his movies. Bar none he is my favorite actor of all time. And he would've been a great Batman in his era, as well.
Paul Newman (59) as James Gordon
Cool Hand Luke; Butch Cassidy
He is the real life version of the square-chinned Commissioner. There is something very heroic in his face
Paul Sorvino (45) as Harvey Bullock
BloodBrothers; Reds
The crooked cop who, at this point is still messing with Gordon's work on behalf of the crooked mayor, who, himself, is in the pocket of Gotham's most ruthless crimelord.
Sorvino has a slopish look to him that, in it's own way, is indimitating.
James Garner (56) as Mayor Hill
The Great Escape; Maverick (TV)
There is something in his voice that could sway a city into believing his every word and, for that, he is my pick for the corrupt mayor.
Danny Aiello (51) as Rupert Thorne
BloodBrothers; Once Upon a Time in America
He is Thorne. Look at him. Have you ever seen him act? Wow! He's good.
James Woods (37)
Once Upon a Time in America; Against All Odds
Oddly enough, and I completely forgot, but he was considered for Joker in Batman '89.
Gabriel Byrne (34) as Harvey Dent
Excalibur; The Keep
His origin isn't that of the youngest DA so I gave him a few years. Without that youth he is still the tragic character but with a smaller role. At this point just a DA with anger issues. Byrne always impresses me and can go real dark when he has to.
Robert DoQui (50) as Lucius Fox
Willie Dynamite; Cloak and Dagger
I wanted a guy who could stand out. This is a guy who demands respect from Wayne's associates even though it's not his business.
The 1987 sequel would be against Two-Face and Grayson becomes Robin
I will Fancast a Superman reboot to come out in '86, also, which will lead into a JLA movie.