BATMAN 1989 Untold Origin Story from Jersey!

The Bat-Signal lit up the sky because one Jersey kid had a vision: bring a darker, more human Batman to the big screen. In this episode, Michael Uslan—the executive producer behind every Batman film since 1989—shares how his childhood love for comics sparked a cinematic revolution.

Uslan takes us from Ocean Township to Hollywood, revealing how a decade of rejection, a strategic law degree, and lunch with Tim Burton helped erase the campy legacy of the 1960s Batman. Hear behind-the-scenes stories about Jack Nicholson’s Joker, the uproar over Michael Keaton’s casting, and the marketing blitz that created full-blown “Batmania.”

Now chairman of the New Jersey Film Commission and with his memoir headed to Broadway, Uslan reflects on Batman’s lasting legacy—and the heartwarming moment a group of West Point cadets turned his story into their own battle cry.

"The Boy Who Loved Batman" book

New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission

New Jersey Hall of Fame Class of 2025!

The Dark Knight is #28 on the New York Times Best Movies List

Follow us: Website | Apple | Spotify | Audible | Youtube | Youtube | Instagram | Facebook | Tiktok