Forget everything you know about Batman on screen—there’s a weird, wild gem you’ve probably never heard of. Back in 1964, Andy Warhol, yes Andy Warhol, made his own Batman movie. And no, he didn’t ask DC for permission. Batman Dracula was Warhol’s DIY tribute to the Dark Knight, shot on a 16mm Bolex camera and only ever shown at his art exhibits. Talk about the underground.
The movie, starring Jack Smith as Bruce Wayne and Count Dracula, is a total trip. No flashy explosions, no CGI, just a surreal, almost abstract chase across Long Island and New York City, culminating in a weird showdown between Batman and Dracula. Warhol didn’t care for typical superhero rules—this was his twisted take, full of camp and weirdness. Batman and Dracula? Perfect combo, right? And Warhol was all in. He didn’t just spend a couple of hours on this—he shot seven hours of footage.
But here’s the kicker—Batman Dracula was a lost film for decades. Warhol only ever showed it at his Pop Art exhibits, and because he didn’t get the green light from DC, the movie never went public. It was buried in obscurity until 2006 when some footage surfaced in the documentary Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis. The footage? Grainy, abstract, and hard to decipher. But you could make out Jack Smith’s goateed Dracula swirling his cape around actress Jane Holzer while the dreamy sounds of The Velvet Underground’s “Nothing Song” set the vibe. Superheroes, but make it artsy.
Good luck finding the entire movie—it’s like hunting for a unicorn. Even the Andy Warhol Museum and MoMA don’t have it. And if they did? They couldn’t screen it without DC giving the green light. So, is it lost forever or stashed away in a dusty Warner Bros. vault? Your guess is as good as ours.
Rewind to 1964. Superhero movies were barely a blip on Hollywood’s radar. Batman had a cheesy serial in the ’40s, and the campy Batman TV show wouldn’t hit screens until 1966. Warhol, being Warhol, saw the creative freedom and went full-on gothic. His vision? There is a trippy clash between two icons—Batman and Dracula. That’s the kind of wild energy he thrived on.
Oh, and Warhol was low-key obsessed with Batman. In 1966, he dressed as Robin for a photoshoot with Nico as Batman. Fast forward to the ’90s, and DC dropped a Batman vs. Dracula graphic novel. Coincidence? Maybe. But let’s be honest—Warhol was just ahead of his time, doing Batman in his artsy, offbeat way.
So, while we may never get a complete version of Batman Dracula, what’s clear is that Warhol’s weird little fan film was way ahead of its time. It wasn’t the superhero flick we know today, but it was still a love letter to Batman, made by a true fan.
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