If you’ve seen a Batman movie – live-action or animated – over the past thirty years, you’ll have seen the name Benjamin Melniker listed as an executive producer alongside Michael E. Uslan. And sadly, Uslan has taken to Facebook today to announce that Melniker has passed away at the age of 104.
https://www.facebook.com/TheMichaelUslan/photos/a.654623804600744.1073741825.385460978183696/1751485604914553/?type=3&theater
Inspired by the success of Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie back in 1978, Melniker and Uslan acquired the rights to Batman in 1979 and finally saw their vision realised with the release of Tim Burton’s Batman in 1989. Since then, the duo have been credited as executive producers on every Batman feature film, including The Dark Knight Trilogy, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League and The LEGO Batman Movie, as well as the majority of the Caped Crusader’s animated appearances.
Melniker’s non-Batman related producing credits include Swamp Thing, National Treasure, Constantine and The Spirit.