NECA: 1/4 Batman 1989 Michael Keaton figure

[Bustajesse]

Cool to hear about Joker, I hope it is Nicholson. Can never have too much from that movie.

 

[CHUYHA85]

Maybe is Joker/C. Romero

 

[Psycho]

It could be, but not likely since they are focusing on the movies....

 

[DiFabio]

It could be, but not likely since they are focusing on the movies....

 

[Psycho]

Oh crap, I totally forgot about that movie.... Yeah that would be cool to have him....

 

[geetard]

I'm more interested in B89, BR and Nolan's films.

 

[Psycho]

Yeah I'm really hoping for Batman Returns,Batman Begins... and the Other Nolan films....

 

[DarkMagic]

I have a feeling it's going to be the Nicholson Joker. Yeah his specific likeness rights are expensive, but since he gets a piece of all Batman 89 swag anyway, NECA's probably going to go for it. Besides, have we seen any indication that they're working on Nolanverse stuff at all in this scale? Hot Toys has the 1/6 Nolan Joker market cornered, and EB has the 1/4 Nolan Joker. There isn't (yet) a 1/4 Burton Joker available, but there is a 1/4 Burton Batman coming....from NECA....so it makes a lot of sense that Nicholson would be the Joker they are talking about as the companion piece. Probably a lot more demand for that version than Romero anyway.

 

[MaulFan]

While it may not go over well, there's also a chance of NECA doing Nicholson Joker without a Nicholson likeness, either for skill or for need, there have been NECA figures with portraits close but not spot on to the actor, maybe they could do something close enough to Nicholson but off enough he can't argue to get money for it. Sure the lack of likeness might bother a lot of people, especially where it's 18" and much bigger than any previous effort, but they might hope for fans just to be so happy to have the pair for $160 they won't care so much if it just looks passingly like Jack.

Good example, the Kyle Reese and Cpl. Hicks figures, they look close enough to Biehn that I like them, but they're off enough, there's plenty of room where others think they look nothing like him, and he might have a hard time arguing that his likeness was used.

I'd be curious to see a NECA Jack Joker, will they make him heavier set like Jack looked, HT gave it an effort but I don't think they made him as hefty as he appeared on screen.

 

[DiFabio]

NECA does have some tricks up their sleeves, so anything is possible.

True about Nicholson getting a cut on the Batman merchandise anyway. If NECA does to it, I'd prefer they choose a different look for him and not the promotional pic/end of the film look that Hot Toys chose. But since that's "regular Joker" essentially, that's probably what any company would logically go for.



Joker aside (I don't know, I can and can't see them doing it), I definitely see them making a battle damaged '89 Batman to reuse that tool/mold. Maybe include different accessories too.

 

[MaulFan]

Joker aside (I don't know, I can and can't see them doing it), I definitely see them making a battle damaged '89 Batman to reuse that tool/mold. Maybe include different accessories too.

Maybe that's why they've got the grapple from the end, there's nothing to say those accessories are only for the figure we've seen.

 

[Voorhees27]

Is that Mr. Furley as the riddler?

 

[DiFabio]

Maybe that's why they've got the grapple from the end, there's nothing to say those accessories are only for the figure we've seen.

True. Though, I assume the grapple gun detaches and has two different attachments. The regular spear (from Axis) and the claw used at the Cathedral.



I'm actually surprised they passed on the opportunity of designing the steel gauntlet. That'd be extremely cool in this scale.

Is that Mr. Furley as the riddler?

 

[MaulFan]

That movie would be so much better if they'd used Jule Newmar as Catwoman.

I watched West Batman all the time and owned the movie since i was a kid, but I never totally got into the movie because I didn't like Lee Merriwether, though she was 2nd to Julie, but Newmar just had the right persona and it worked.

 

[MaulFan]

I'm actually surprised they passed on the opportunity of designing the steel gauntlet. That'd be extremely cool in this scale.

They still might, that shot looks like pieces, as others mentioned, some things looked unfinished, I can't tell what those stick things are, definitely eager to see the final, official specs on this guy.

I'm curious about the cape, if it'll be like the Hot Toys material or what, as long as the production cape hangs as nice as the prototype I'm good, I don't even care if the paint work is a little iffy, that can be touched up easily but making the '89 cape isn't easy.

Would be cool if the should joints could allow for doing the open cape pose.

 

[DarkMagic]

While it may not go over well, there's also a chance of NECA doing Nicholson Joker without a Nicholson likeness, either for skill or for need, there have been NECA figures with portraits close but not spot on to the actor, maybe they could do something close enough to Nicholson but off enough he can't argue to get money for it. Sure the lack of likeness might bother a lot of people, especially where it's 18" and much bigger than any previous effort, but they might hope for fans just to be so happy to have the pair for $160 they won't care so much if it just looks passingly like Jack.

Good example, the Kyle Reese and Cpl. Hicks figures, they look close enough to Biehn that I like them, but they're off enough, there's plenty of room where others think they look nothing like him, and he might have a hard time arguing that his likeness was used.

I'd be curious to see a NECA Jack Joker, will they make him heavier set like Jack looked, HT gave it an effort but I don't think they made him as hefty as he appeared on screen.

If they skipped on the Nicholson likeness to save some scratch, it wouldn't be much because they're still marketing it as a Batman 1989-version Joker so even without Jack's face on it, Jack gets paid. Maybe a little less without his likeness (but I doubt it, because it is his character anyway)...and without his likeness, like you said, it would piss off a lot of fans, and probably hurt the sales of the figure decreasing the chance they'll make their money back on it. In the end, it's not worth it to cheap out on the likeness in this case. They've got to pay to play.

NECA does have some tricks up their sleeves, so anything is possible.

True about Nicholson getting a cut on the Batman merchandise anyway. If NECA does to it, I'd prefer they choose a different look for him and not the promotional pic/end of the film look that Hot Toys chose. But since that's "regular Joker" essentially, that's probably what any company would logically go for.



Joker aside (I don't know, I can and can't see them doing it), I definitely see them making a battle damaged '89 Batman to reuse that tool/mold. Maybe include different accessories too.

That would be great. Has NECA ever shipped figures with multiple heads? I think Hot Toys came up a little short by not including a water-splashed dirty makeup and/or flesh-tone makeup head with their Nicholson Joker, especially considering it was a DX and that the Keaton DX got multiple faces (in a matter of speaking). Maybe each extra look would have added to the amount they had to pay Jack? I wouldn't put it past him and his crazy contract.

 

[DiFabio]

Multiple heads? With their smaller 7" figures, yeah, all the time.



I couldn't see them doing it with 18" figures but then again, I never thought I'd see a NECA '89 Batman. Hell, I remember when ANYTHING Jack Joker related seemed like a pipe dream until it became a reality.

 

[MaulFan]

If they skipped on the Nicholson likeness to save some scratch, it wouldn't be much because they're still marketing it as a Batman 1989-version Joker so even without Jack's face on it, Jack gets paid. Maybe a little less without his likeness (but I doubt it, because it is his character anyway)...and without his likeness, like you said, it would piss off a lot of fans, and probably hurt the sales of the figure decreasing the chance they'll make their money back on it. In the end, it's not worth it to cheap out on the likeness in this case. They've got to pay to play.

Yes, Jack gets a percentage of money made off Batman merchandise, but who can say if WB bumps up the licensing costs to counter that and get more for themselves or if they simply take their cut and move on, they have other properties to be more lucrative for them, Nolan Batman alone has probably more than made up for Nicholson's take on Batman '89. The fees Jack would charage for his likeness are probably more significant because he knows he has companies by the *****, he can call all the shots. Beyond just the financials, Jack's likeness will mean his approval of the portrait, where anything falling under the film rights like Keaton's face will just have WB marketing to run it by. NECA may not want to give the time and effort to go through such a process. For Hot Toys, it's not ncessarily anything new, but I'd imagine with NECA, it's always been between them and the license holder, and fairly straight forward, I can't think of anything they've done where they may have had to go above and beyond for a portrait ona figure.

That would be great. Has NECA ever shipped figures with multiple heads? I think Hot Toys came up a little short by not including a water-splashed dirty makeup and/or flesh-tone makeup head with their Nicholson Joker, especially considering it was a DX and that the Keaton DX got multiple faces (in a matter of speaking). Maybe each extra look would have added to the amount they had to pay Jack? I wouldn't put it past him and his crazy contract.

NECA won't include multiple heads if they feel they can sell two figures. They made the P1 Predator as 3 separate figures for each head variation.

Plus, if they do a damaged Batman 89, they won't half *** it like HT, they'll damage the cowl, the suit, not just a bloody face plate.

 

[jye4ever]

I'll buy anything 89.

I will never own Da Bat.

Nuff said.

 

[MaulFan]

I wonder if NECA would take a chance on Bob the goon, at HT prices that's a hard character to sell, but at $80 or so, fans might want him.