He was attached to direct Dick Tracy (1990) in the 1980s with Joel Silver producing. Pre-production had progressed as far as set building, but the film was stalled when artistic control issues arose with Warren Beatty. Hill wanted to make the film violent and realistic, while Beatty envisioned a stylized homage to the 1930s comic strip. The actor also reportedly wanted $5 million plus fifteen percent of the box office gross, a deal which Universal refused to accept. Hill left the project, but Beatty stuck with it.
