The idea was conceived as a pitch from screenwriter Tim McCanlies in late 1990s, and went as far into development until being shelved in favor of, at that time, the planned film Batman: Year One.
The concept would later be rethought and turned into the television series Smallville, this time focusing on a young Clark Kent before he became Superman.
In addition, from 2014 until 2019, Fox aired Gotham, which focuses on a young Bruce Wayne and James Gordon, as well as the origin stories of several Batman villains such as Riddler, Penguin, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, Two-Face and The Joker, among others.
After having a nightmare about his parents' murder, Bruce wakes up in his private jet and turns on the TV to see every show talking about him, including one hosted by Vicki Vale.
After being mobbed by reporters, the two finally arrive at Wayne Manor where, after snapping at Alfred for bothering him because he got emotional from seeing his family portrait, Bruce heads out.
Bruce visits the very place where his parents were killed, where he opens up to Alfred, saying that it was his fault, all because he had to see Zorro, described by him as "a silly movie about a 'hero' who wears a costume and fights crime".
As Bruce is about to sign, because of the sight of Alfred and an old friend called Lucius Fox, he explains that he will look over the papers at his home.
Now an intern, Fox reveals his father's "accidental" death, while Palantine reminds Bruce that he needs the papers signed first thing in the morning, for his 18th birthday is only two days away.
Arriving there, and noticing the green pool of hazardous chemicals, Gordon and Bruce, only to learn neither one called the other, soon realize that it is a trap.
The next morning, Bruce and Gordon meet with Fox and his mother, talking about his late father, whom they described him as "nervous" just before he died.
Later, Bruce arrives at Wayne Chemical, dressed all in black, and follows Gordon, Rupert Montoya and Harvey Bullock.
Bruce and Alfred meet with Gordon, learning the chemicals were drugs, and later hear that the head bad guy hanged himself.
Later, Bruce is greeted by a surprise birthday party with Harvey and Susan, Selina, Billie and Lucius Fox, Jim and Barbara Gordon, Bullock, and Montoya.
The final shot is back at the cavern which is revealed to be The Batcave as Alfred walks up the stairs to Wayne Manor.
Back in 2000, IGN reviewed the script, stating that while the writing needed some fine-tuning, such as the predictable plot, trimming some scenes, and improving the action sequences, it was still a "good launching pad for a TV series".
Another note was the easter egg cameos of Barbara Gordon and Selina Kyle, which were both entertaining and useful to moving the story forward.
Overall, the script's Alfred "perfectly captured the butler's droll wit and nagging manner...with a series of memorable verbal jabs".
While characters like Gordon, Harvey, and Selina remained true to their comic book counterparts, their histories were altered for the context of the show.
[7] After the show got shelved, Tollin/Robbins approached Peter Roth, the President of Warner Bros. Television, about developing a series based on a young Superman back in the year 2000.
After the success of Smallville, attempts and pitches were made by Gough and Millar to do Bruce Wayne as a companion show.