Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Produced by Jon Peters and Peter Guber, it is the first installment of Warner Bros.' initial Batman film series. The film was directed by Tim Burton and stars Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, and Jack Palance. The film takes place early in the title character's war on crime and depicts his conflict with his archenemy The Joker.