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Batman & Robin (film)

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Batman & Robin
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJoel Schumacher
Written byAkiva Goldsman
Based on
Produced byPeter MacGregor-Scott
Starring
CinematographyStephen Goldblatt
Edited by
Music byElliot Goldenthal
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release dates
  • June 12, 1997 (1997-06-12) (Los Angeles)
  • June 20, 1997 (1997-06-20) (United States)
Running time
125 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$125–160 million[1][2][3]
Box office$238.2 million[4]

Batman & Robin is a 1997 American superhero film based on the DC Comics characters Batman and Robin by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. It is the fourth and final installment of Warner Bros.'s initial Batman film series, a sequel to Batman Forever and the only film in the series made without the involvement of Tim Burton in any capacity.

Directed by Joel Schumacher and written by Akiva Goldsman, it stars George Clooney as Bruce Wayne / Batman, replacing Val Kilmer, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Victor Fries / Mr. Freeze, and Chris O'Donnell reprising his role as Dick Grayson / Robin, alongside Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, and Elle Macpherson.

The film follows the titular characters as they attempt to prevent Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy from taking over the world, while at the same time struggling to keep their partnership together. It is also the first live-action film appearance of Batgirl, portrayed by Silverstone, who helps the title characters fight the villains.

Warner Bros. fast-tracked development for Batman & Robin following the box office success of Batman Forever. Schumacher and Goldsman conceived the storyline during pre-production on A Time to Kill, while Val Kilmer decided not to reprise the role over scheduling conflicts with The Saint. Schumacher had a strong interest in casting William Baldwin in Kilmer's place before George Clooney won the role. Principal photography began in September 1996 and wrapped in January 1997, two weeks ahead of the shooting schedule.

Batman & Robin premiered in Los Angeles on June 12, 1997, and went into general release on June 20. Making $238.2 million worldwide against a production budget of $125–160 million, the film was a box office disappointment and received negative reviews, often considered to be one of the worst films ever made.[5][6] It is also the lowest-grossing live-action Batman film to date.[7] One of the songs recorded for the film, "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" by The Smashing Pumpkins, won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards.[8]

Due to the film's poor reception, Warner Bros. cancelled future Batman films including Schumacher’s planned Batman Unchained,[9] and rebooted the film series with Batman Begins in 2005.

Plot

Batman and his partner, Robin, encounter a new foe, Mr. Freeze, who has left a string of diamond robberies in his wake. During a confrontation in the natural history museum, Freeze steals a bigger diamond and flees, freezing Robin and leaving Batman unable to pursue him. Later, Batman and Robin learn that Freeze was originally Dr. Victor Fries, a scientist working to develop a cure for MacGregor's Syndrome, hoping to heal his terminally ill wife, Nora. After a lab accident, Fries was rendered unable to live at average temperatures and forced to wear a cryogenic suit powered by diamonds for survival.

At a Wayne Enterprises lab in Brazil, botanist Dr. Pamela Isley is working under the deranged Dr. Jason Woodrue, who has turned her research on plants into the supersoldier drug Venom. After witnessing Woodrue use the formula to turn serial killer Antonio Diego into the hulking "Bane", she threatens to expose Woodrue's experiments. Woodrue attempts to kill her by overturning a shelf of various toxins; instead, Isley is mutated by the toxins into "Poison Ivy". Ivy kills Woodrue, destroys the lab, and escapes to Gotham City with Bane, concocting a plan to use Wayne's money to support her research. Meanwhile, Alfred Pennyworth's niece, Barbara Wilson, makes a surprise visit and is invited by Bruce to stay at Wayne Manor until she goes back to school.

Wayne Enterprises presents a new telescope for Gotham Observatory at a press conference interrupted by Isley. She proposes a project that could help the environment, but Bruce declines her offer, which would kill millions of people. Batman and Robin decide to lure Freeze out using the Wayne Family diamonds, and present them at a Wayne Enterprises charity event. Ivy attends the event, and decides to use her abilities to seduce Batman and Robin. Freeze crashes the party, but is defeated and detained in Arkham Asylum. Ivy takes an interest in Freeze and frees him from Arkham. Dick discovers that Barbara has been participating in drag races to raise money for Alfred, who is dying of MacGregor's Syndrome; a fact he kept from Bruce and Dick.

Batman, Robin and the police arrive at Freeze's lair in response to his escape, discovering Nora preserved in a cryogenic chamber, and that Freeze has developed a cure for the early stages of MacGregor's Syndrome. Freeze, Ivy and Bane secretly arrive to recover Freeze's diamonds and Nora. Wanting Freeze for herself, Ivy unplugs Nora's chamber, steals the diamonds, and seduces Robin; escalating tensions between him and Batman. At Ivy's hideout, Ivy convinces Freeze that Batman has killed Nora. Freeze swears to freeze all of humanity in revenge, with Ivy planning to repopulate the earth using her mutant plants afterwards.

Freeze and Bane commandeer Gotham Observatory and convert the new telescope into a giant freeze ray, while Ivy uses the Bat-Signal to contact Robin. Robin attempts to go after Ivy alone, but Batman convinces him not to fall for Ivy's seduction. Barbara discovers the Batcave, where an AI version of Alfred reveals he has made Barbara her own suit. Barbara dons the suit and becomes Batgirl, arriving at Ivy's lair in time to help Batman and Robin subdue her.

Freeze begins to encase Gotham in ice, and Batman, Robin, and Batgirl head to Gotham Observatory together to stop him. Batman defeats Freeze in combat, while Batgirl and Robin incapacitate Bane and thaw the city. Freeze accuses Batman of killing Nora, only to be shown a recording of Ivy admitting to the crime. Batman reveals that Nora is still alive and offers Freeze the chance to continue his research on MacGregor's Syndrome in exchange for his cure. Freeze accepts and returns to Arkham, where he is imprisoned in the same cell as Ivy, and vows to make her life miserable for her actions against Nora. Alfred receives the cure, and Bruce and Dick agree to let Barbara join them in fighting crime.

Cast

  • Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dr. Victor Fries / Mr. Freeze:
    A molecular biologist who suffers a terrible accident while trying to cryogenically preserve his terminally ill wife. As a result, he is forced to live in a sub-zero suit powered by diamonds. Ed Harris, Anthony Hopkins, and Patrick Stewart were considered for the role,[10][11] before the script was rewritten to accommodate Schwarzenegger's casting.[12] Schumacher decided that Mr. Freeze must be "big and strong like he was chiseled out of a glacier".[13] Schwarzenegger was paid a $25 million salary for the role,[14][15] while his prosthetic makeup and wardrobe took six hours to apply each day.[16]
  • George Clooney as Bruce Wayne / Batman:
    A billionaire businessman who fights crime as Batman, Gotham City's vigilante protector.[13] Val Kilmer, who played the role in Batman Forever, was originally planned to reprise the role but was recast after signing on to The Saint (1997).
  • Chris O'Donnell as Dick Grayson / Robin:
    The crime-fighting partner to Batman and legal ward to Bruce Wayne. He has begun to chafe against Batman's authority. O'Donnell, when interviewed for the 2005 re-release of Batman & Robin on DVD/Blu-Ray, felt that there was a sizeable difference in quality between this film and its predecessor, stating it felt like he was "making a toy commercial" instead of a movie.[13]
  • Uma Thurman as Dr. Pamela Isley / Poison Ivy:
    A crazed botanist who becomes an ecoterrorist after being pushed into vials of chemicals, poisons, and toxins. This event replaced her blood with aloe, her skin with chlorophyll, and filled her lips with venom, thus making her kiss deadly. She also uses pheromone spores to make men fall for her. She has a powerful influence over Robin, and seeks opportunities to get close to him in order to kill him with her poisonous kiss. Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, and Julia Roberts were considered for the role.[10][11] Ironically enough, during production of Batman Forever, there were talks of Nicole Kidman playing Ivy in early versions, but the character was cut, and Kidman was instead cast as psychiatrist Chase Meridian. Thurman took the role because she liked the femme fatale characterization of Poison Ivy.[13] Director Schumacher first became aware of Thurman through an earlier role as Venus in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
  • Alicia Silverstone as Barbara Wilson / Batgirl:
    After her parents die in a car accident, she goes to live with her uncle Alfred, who was very close to her mother, Margaret. Silverstone was the first and only choice for the role.[10] Unlike the comics, this Batgirl is not related to Commissioner Gordon- this decision was because Pat Hingle was thought to be too old to realistically portray her father.
  • Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth:
    The trusted butler for Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. Alfred is dying of a rare disease from which Mr. Freeze's wife also suffers. This film was Gough's fourth consecutive and final appearance as Alfred as he retired from acting shortly afterwards.
  • Pat Hingle as Commissioner James Gordon:
    The police commissioner of Gotham City. He is close to Batman and informs him of numerous crimes. Like Michael Gough, this was Hingle's fourth consecutive appearance in the franchise and his last appearance as James Gordon.
  • John Glover as Dr. Jason Woodrue:
    A deranged scientist with a desire for world domination via his Venom-powered "supersoldiers". He is responsible for the creation of both Bane and Poison Ivy, the latter of whom kills him with a kiss from her toxic lips. Glover previously appeared in Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures as The Riddler, and later appeared as Lionel Luthor in Smallville and Mr. Sivana in Shazam!, set in the DC Extended Universe.
  • Elle Macpherson as Julie Madison:
    Bruce Wayne's girlfriend. She proposes to Bruce, but he does not respond, fearing for her safety. An earlier draft of the script had Julie being killed by Poison Ivy but it was deleted out of fear of making the film too dark for children.
  • Vivica A. Fox as Ms. B. Haven:
    Mr. Freeze's sexy assistant who flirts with him constantly. He is unresponsive, as he is still in love with his wife.
  • Vendela Kirsebom as Nora Fries:
    Mr. Freeze's cryogenically frozen wife. Kirsebom's appearance was via a full body cast mannequin submerged in water.
  • Elizabeth Sanders as Gossip Gerty:
    Gotham's top gossip columnist. Sanders was Batman's creator Bob Kane's wife and had previously appeared in the 3 previous Batman films.
  • Robert Swenson as Bane:
    Poison Ivy's bodyguard and muscle, who was originally a diminutive criminal named Antonio Diego (portrayed by Michael Reid MacKay before his transformation). Transformed into an immensely powerful "super-soldier" by the strength-enhancing drug "Venom", he was seen assisting the main villains in several ways, including getting Mr. Freeze's suit back from Arkham Asylum, and fighting against the main heroes several times, eventually being defeated by Robin and Batgirl after they found a way to stop the venom flow to his brain. On August 18, 1997, two months after the film's release, Swenson died of heart failure in Los Angeles.

Coolio appeared in a cameo at the start of the motorcycle race as Jonathan Crane, later stating he was to reprise his role, as Scarecrow, in the ultimately cancelled sequel, Batman Unchained.[17] Michael Paul Chan and Kimberly Scott both appear in small roles as the telescope scientists whom Batman saves at the film's conclusion. Both actors were regular actors of Schumacher and had both appeared in the previous film.

Production

Development

With the box office success of Batman Forever in June 1995, Warner Bros. immediately commissioned a sequel.[18] They hired director Joel Schumacher and writer Akiva Goldsman to reprise their duties the following August,[13] and decided it was best to fast-track production for a June 1997 target release date, which is a break from the usual 3-year gap between films.[18] Schumacher wanted to pay homage to both the broad camp style of the 1960s television series and the work of Dick Sprang.[19] The storyline of Batman & Robin was conceived by Schumacher and Goldsman during pre-production on A Time to Kill.[20] Portions of Mr. Freeze's backstory were based on the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Heart of Ice", written by Paul Dini.[21] Goldsman, however, expressed concerns about the script during pre-production discussions with Schumacher.[22]

While Chris O'Donnell reprises the role of Robin, Val Kilmer decided not to reprise the role of Batman from Batman Forever. Schumacher admitted he had difficulty working with Kilmer on Forever. "He sort of quit," Schumacher said, "and we sort of fired him."[23] Schumacher would later go on to say that Kilmer wanted to work on The Island of Dr. Moreau because Marlon Brando was cast in the film.[22] Kilmer said he was not aware of the fast-track production and was already committed to The Saint (1997).[13] David Duchovny claims he was considered for the role of Batman, but he joked the reason they did not cast him because his nose was too big.[24] Schumacher originally had a strong interest in casting William Baldwin in Kilmer's place, but George Clooney was cast instead.[25] Schumacher believed Clooney could provide a lighter interpretation of the character than Michael Keaton (in Batman and Batman Returns) and Kilmer.[13][26] The shooting schedule allowed Clooney to simultaneously work on ER without any scheduling conflicts.[19] In the documentary Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of The Dark Knight, Schumacher said he was given the mandate by the studio to make the film even more "toyetic" even when compared to Batman Forever.[27]

Ed Harris, Anthony Hopkins, and Patrick Stewart were considered for the role of Mr. Freeze,[10][11] before the script was rewritten to accommodate Arnold Schwarzenegger's casting.[28] Schumacher decided that Mr. Freeze must be "big and strong like he was chiseled out of a glacier".[13] Schwarzenegger was paid a $25 million salary for the role.[29][15] Mr. Freeze's armor was made by armorer Terry English, who estimated the costume cost some $1.5 million to develop and make.[13][30] To prepare for the role, Schwarzenegger wore a bald cap after declining to shave his head and wore a blue LED in his mouth.[22] His prosthetic makeup and wardrobe took six hours to apply each day.[31] Thurman took the role of Poison Ivy because she liked the femme fatale characterization of the character.[13] Alicia Silverstone was the only choice for the role of Batgirl.[10]

According to Schumacher, during the scene in which the costumes of the Riddler and Two-Face are seen, he originally planned to put Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze escaping from Arkham Asylum while many other villains saw them from their cells.[22] The scene was not included in the final film.

Filming

The original start date was August 1996,[23] but principal photography did not begin until September 12, 1996.[32] Batman & Robin finished filming in late January 1997,[33] two weeks ahead of the shooting schedule.[19] The film was mostly shot at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.[13]

When comparing work on Batman Forever, O'Donnell explained, "[...] First movie, things felt much sharper and more focused, and it just felt like everything got a little softer on the second one. The first one, I felt like I was making a movie. The second one, I felt like I was making a toy commercial."[13] He also complained about the Robin costume, saying it was more involved and less comfortable than the one he wore in Batman Forever, with a glued-on mask that caused sweat to pool on his face.[34] According to John Glover, who played Dr. Jason Woodrue, "Joel [Schumacher] would sit on a crane with a megaphone and yell before each take, 'Remember, everyone, this is a cartoon'. It was hard to act because that kind of set the tone for the film."[13] Production designer Barbara Ling admitted her influences for the Gotham City design came from "neon-ridden Tokyo and the Machine Age. Gotham is like a World's fair on ecstasy."[35] Rhythm and Hues and Pacific Data Images created the visual effects sequences, with John Dykstra and Andrew Adamson credited as the visual effects supervisors.[36]

O'Donnell said that despite hanging out with Schwarzenegger a lot off set and during promotion for the film, they never worked a single day together; this was achieved with stand-ins when one of the actors was not available.[13] Stunt coordinator Alex Field taught Silverstone to ride a motorcycle so that she could play Batgirl.[34]

Music

Main article: Batman & Robin (soundtrack)

Like Batman Forever, the original score for the film was written by Elliot Goldenthal.[37] The soundtrack featured a variety of genres by various bands and performers, showcasing alternative rock on the lead single "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" by The Smashing Pumpkins, on the Goo Goo Dolls' contribution, "Lazy Eye" and with R.E.M.'s song "Revolution". R&B singer R. Kelly also wrote "Gotham City" for the soundtrack, which became the other song featured in the end credits, as well as one of the singles, reaching the top 10 in the United States and in the UK. Eric Benét and Meshell Ndegeocello also contributed R&B songs. Also included was the top 5-second single, "Look into My Eyes" by the hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Other songs featured included electronic dance elements, including those by Moloko and Arkarna. The soundtrack was released on May 27, 1997, two weeks and three days before the film's American premiere.[38][39] "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" by The Smashing Pumpkins, won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards.[8]

Marketing

The Batman & Robin film trailer debuted on the February 19, 1997 episode of Entertainment Tonight.[40] Warner Bros. spent $125 million to market and promote the film,[41][4] in addition to its $160 million production budget.[2][3] The studio also reportedly included toy companies in pre-production meetings,[42] including the design of concept art and character illustrations. Director Joel Schumacher criticized Warner Bros.' strategy for Batman & Robin as being overtly "toyetic".

Several Six Flags amusement parks introduced new roller coasters themed to the film. Batman & Robin: The Chiller opened at Six Flags Great Adventure in 1997, and Mr. Freeze opened at both Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags St. Louis in 1998.[13] Taco Bell featured a promotional campaign including collectible cups and a contest with a replica of the film's Batmobile as a grand prize. A junior novelization of the screenplay, written by Alan Grant, was published along with the release of the film in 1997.[43]

Reception

Box office

Batman & Robin was released on June 20, 1997 in North America, earning $42,872,605 in its opening weekend,[4] making it the third-highest opening weekend of 1997, behind Men in Black and The Lost World: Jurassic Park.[44] It would hold the record for having the highest opening weekend for an Arnold Schwarzenegger film until it was surpassed by Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines in 2003.[45] The film declined by 63% in its second week.[46] Batman & Robin faced early competition with Face/Off, Hercules, and Men in Black.[47] Schumacher blamed it on yellow journalism started by Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News and other film websites such as Dark Horizons.[48] The film went on to gross $107.3 million in North America and $130.9 million internationally, coming to a worldwide total of $238.2 million.[4] Warner Bros. acknowledged Batman & Robin's shortcomings in the domestic market but pointed out success in other markets.[47]

Critical response

If there's anybody watching this, that... let's say, loved Batman Forever, and went into Batman & Robin with great anticipation, if I've disappointed them in any way, then I really want to apologize. Because it wasn't my intention. My intention was just to entertain them.

—Joel Schumacher's apology for his work on the film[13]

Batman & Robin would go down in history as one of the worst superhero films of all time.[49] On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Batman & Robin has an approval rating of 12%, based on 97 reviews, with an average rating of 3.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Joel Schumacher's tongue-in-cheek attitude hits an unbearable limit in Batman & Robin, resulting in a frantic and mindless movie that's too jokey to care much for."[50] On Metacritic, the film has an average score of 28 out of 100, based on reviews from 21 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[51] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.[52]

Schumacher and producer Peter MacGregor-Scott blamed the negative reception of Batman & Robin on Warner Bros.' decision to fast track production. "There was a lot of pressure from Warner Bros. to make Batman & Robin more family-friendly," Schumacher explained. "We decided to do a less depressing Batman movie, and less torture and more heroic. I know I have been criticized a lot for this, but I didn't see the harm in that approach at all."[13]

Upon release, the film received near unanimous negative reviews. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times criticized the toyetic approach and Mr. Freeze's one-liner jokes in his "thumbs down" review of the film.[53] Ebert’s partner Gene Siskel who gave positive reviews to the previous Batman films, also gave this film a thumbs down; it was the last Batman movie he reviewed before his death in 1999. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times believed the film "killed" the Batman film series.[54] Desson Howe of The Washington Post disapproved of Schumacher's direction and Akiva Goldsman's script, as well as the returning costume design from the first film.[55] Mick LaSalle, writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, said, "George Clooney is the big zero of the film, and should go down in history as the George Lazenby of the series."[56] However, Janet Maslin of The New York Times gave a more positive review, and praised Uma Thurman's performance.[57] Andrew Johnston, writing in Time Out New York, remarked, "It's hard to tell who B&R is intended for. Anyone who knows the character from the comics or the superb animated show on Fox will be alienated. And though Schumacher treats the Adam West version as gospel, that show's campy humor is completely incompatible with these production values."[58]

Many observers thought Schumacher added possible homoerotic innuendo in the storyline.[13] James Berardinelli questioned the "random amount [sic] of rubber nipples and camera angle close-ups of the Dynamic Duo's butts and Bat-crotches."[59] Similar to Batman Forever, this primarily included the decision to add nipples and enlarged codpieces to the Batman and Robin suits. Schumacher stated, "I had no idea that putting nipples on the Batsuit and Robin suit were going to spark international headlines. The bodies of the suits come from ancient Greek statues, which display perfect bodies. They are anatomically correct."[13] Chris O'Donnell, who portrayed Robin, felt "it wasn't so much the nipples that bothered me. It was the codpiece. The press obviously played it up and made it a big deal, especially with Joel directing. I didn't think twice about the controversy, but going back and looking and seeing some of the pictures, it was very unusual."[13]

Clooney himself has spoken critically of the film, saying in 2005, "I think we might have killed the franchise",[60] and called it "a waste of money".[61] In 2015, while promoting Disney's Tomorrowland at New York Comic-Con, Clooney said that he had met former Batman actor Adam West and apologized to him.[62] Furthermore, when asked during a 2015 interview on The Graham Norton Show about whether he had ever had to apologize for Batman & Robin, Clooney responded, "I always apologize for Batman & Robin".[63]

In his book Batman: the Complete History, Les Daniels analyzed the film's relatively strong performance internationally: "nuances of languages or personality were likely to be lost in translation and admittedly eye-popping spectacle seemed sufficient."[64]

Accolades

Batman & Robin was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film, as well as Best Make-up and Best Costume. Alicia Silverstone won the Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress. Other nominations at the Razzie Awards included Schumacher (Worst Director), George Clooney and Chris O'Donnell (Worst Screen Couple), Akiva Goldsman (Worst Screenplay), both Chris O'Donnell and Arnold Schwarzenegger (Worst Supporting Actor), Uma Thurman (Worst Supporting Actress), as well as Billy Corgan (Worst Song for "The End Is the Beginning Is the End"). Batman & Robin also received nominations for Worst Picture, Worst Remake or Sequel and Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property. Ultimately, out of 11 nominations, Batman & Robin garnered only one Razzie Award.[citation needed]

At the Stinkers Bad Movie Awards, the film garnered five nominations, of which it won four: Worst Picture, Worst Director (Joel Schumacher), Worst Supporting Actress (Alicia Silverstone), and Worst Screenplay for a Film Grossing More Than $100M Worldwide Using Hollywood Math. However, it lost Worst Sequel to Speed 2: Cruise Control.[65] Later, the Stinkers Bad Movie Awards unveiled their "100 Years, 100 Stinkers" list which "honored" the 100 worst films of the 20th century. Batman and Robin managed to rank as the #3 worst film of the century, behind Wild Wild West at #2 and Battlefield Earth at #1.[66][67]

Post-release

Cancelled sequel

During the filming of Batman & Robin, Warner Bros. was impressed with the dailies, prompting them to immediately hire Joel Schumacher to return as director for a fifth film. However, writer Akiva Goldsman turned down an offer to write the script.[19] In late 1996, Warner Bros. and Schumacher hired Mark Protosevich to write the script for a fifth Batman film. A projected mid-1999 release date was announced.[68] Los Angeles Times described their film as "continuing in the same vein with multiple villains and more silliness".[42] Titled Batman Unchained, Protosevich's script had the Scarecrow as the main villain. Through the use of his fear toxin, he resurrects the Joker as a hallucination in Batman's mind. Harley Quinn appeared as a supporting character, written as the Joker's daughter.[69] Clooney, O'Donnell, Silverstone, and Coolio were set to reprise the roles of Batman, Robin, Batgirl, and Scarecrow. It was hoped that the villains from previous films would make cameo appearances in the hallucinations caused by Scarecrow, culminating with Jack Nicholson reprising the role of the Joker. Following the poor critical and financial reception of Batman & Robin, Clooney vowed never to reprise his role.[17][70]

Legacy

In "Legends of the Dark Knight", an episode of The New Batman Adventures, three teenagers discuss their ideas about what Batman is really like. They briefly meet a youth called Joel whose idea of Batman reflects characterizations and costumes portrayed within Schumacher's Batman & Robin. The teens treat Joel's ideas with utter disdain.[71] In Watchmen, director Zack Snyder and comic book artist Dave Gibbons chose to parody the molded muscle and nipple Batsuit design from Batman & Robin for the Ozymandias costume.[72][73] The film is referenced in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Legends of the Dark Mite!", when Bat-Mite briefly uses his powers to transform Batman's costume into the same suit shown in the Schumacher Batman films, before declaring it "Too icky".[74]

Additionally, there were worries within Warner Bros. surrounding the negative critical reception of Batman & Robin and how it could come to harm the success of the subsequent direct-to-video animated film Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, which was originally planned for release at around the same time as Batman & Robin but was subsequently delayed.[75] SubZero received a far stronger positive response from critics than Batman & Robin, with Mr. Freeze's role within it being seen in a much more positive light, returning his popularity as a Batman villain to a level comparable to that reached by him within the two Emmy-winning episodes the character featured in Batman: The Animated Series.[75]

Batman '89

Main article: Batman '89 (comic book)

In March 2016, comic book artist Joe Quinones revealed that he and Kate Leth had pitched a Batman comic book series set in the world of Tim Burton's Batman universe to DC Comics in 2015. He also revealed the concept art they had submitted. Similar to how Batman '66 picked up after the events of the 1966–68 television series, the book would also have picked after the events of 1992's Batman Returns.[76] Quinones said about the inclusion of the characters in the comic: "We would have seen the return of Selina Kyle/Catwoman as well as introductions to 'Burton-verse' versions of Robin, Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. It also would have showcased the turn of Billy Dee Williams' Harvey Dent into Two-Face".[77] The pitch was rejected by DC. In 2019, DC's Chief Creative Officer and publisher at DC, Jim Lee, acknowledged that many artists and writers had proposed a comic book series set in the Burtonverse over the years and that the book being made in the future was not out of the realm of possibility.[78]

In February 2021, DC announced to release a comic book continuation of Batman Returns entitled Batman '89, ignoring Batman Forever and Batman & Robin in which actor Michael Keaton did not appear following Tim Burton's departure from the franchise. DC further revealed that the series would be written by Sam Hamm and illustrated by Joe Quinones and would include the return of Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) while also introducing a new version of Robin (whose appearance is inspired by Marlon Wayans, who was originally attached to play the role in the Burton films)[79] and showing the transformation of Billy Dee Williams' Harvey Dent into Two-Face.[80] The series published its first issue on August 10, 2021, delayed from an initial July release, and will release the next five issues until January 2022.[81]

In response to a question as to whether Schumacher's Batman films are canon to the world of Batman '89, writer Sam Hamm responded that said films take place on the alternate universe of "Earth-97" as opposed to Batman '89's "Earth-89".[82]

DC Extended Universe

Michael Keaton is set to reprise the role of Batman from Tim Burton's Batman films (which Batman Forever and Batman & Robin were sequels to) in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) in Batgirl (2022) and The Flash (2023).[83][84]

See also

References

  1. ^ Couch, Aaron (June 20, 2017). "'Batman & Robin' at 20: Joel Schumacher and More Reveal What Really Happened". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 7, 2022. Still, Batman & Robin opened at No. 1 on June 20, 1997, with $42 million on its way to $238 million worldwide on a $125 million budget.
  2. ^ a b Hirschberg, Lynn (November 3, 2002). "THE WAY WE LIVE NOW: 11-3-02: QUESTIONS FOR GEORGE CLOONEY; True Confessions". The New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020. Batman and Robin cost $160 million.
  3. ^ a b Hartl, John (June 20, 1997). "'Batman' Bites! -- 'Er's' Clooney Brings His Bedside Manner To This Cloyingly Cuddly Caped Crusader". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on March 23, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d "Batman and Robin". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved November 12, 2008.
  5. ^ Nelson, Michael J (June 20, 2000). Mike Nelson's Movie Megacheese. HarperCollins. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-380-81467-1.
  6. ^ "The 50 Worst Movies Ever". Empire. Archived from the original on May 14, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  7. ^ "Batman Franchise Box Office History". the-numbers.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  8. ^ a b Campbell, Mary (January 7, 1998). "Grammys' dual Dylans". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 8B. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
  9. ^ Couch, Aaron (June 14, 2015). "'Batman' Movie Series: List of Unmade Projects". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
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