| abstract | - The fictional character Batman]], a comic book superhero featured in DC Comics]] publications, has appeared in various films since his inception. The character first starred in two serial films in the 1940s, Batman (serial)|Batman]] and Batman and Robin (serial)|Batman and Robin]]. The character also appeared in the 1966 film Batman (1966 film)|Batman]], which was a feature film adaptation of the 1960s Batman (TV series)|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 (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 (film)|Batman & Robin]], which starred George Clooney]]. Batman & Robin was poorly received by both the critics and the fans, and after a long hiatus in which multiple possible Batman scripts were developed, Warner Bros. reboot (fiction)|rebooted]] the film franchise in 2005 with Batman Begins]], directed by Christopher Nolan]] and starring Christian Bale]]. Nolan returned to direct two further installments in the franchise, The Dark Knight (film)|The Dark Knight]] in 2008 and The Dark Knight Rises]] in 2012 with Bale reprising his role in both films. The two sequels both earned over $1 billion worldwide, making the Batman series the second (and one of only two, the other being the Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)|Pirates of the Caribbean series]]) to have two of its films earn more than $1 billion worldwide. Batman has also appeared in multiple animated films, both as a starring character and as an ensemble character. While most animated films were released Direct-to-video, the 1993 animated feature Batman: Mask of the Phantasm]] (based on the 1990s Batman: The Animated Series]]) was released theatrically. Having earned a total of U.S. $1,900,844,295 the Batman series is the fifth-highest-grossing film series in North America.
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