Batman movies have seen many ups and downs over the years, but we can safely say most of them have been a grand financial and critical success. But there was a movie that entirely killed Batman Franchise for more than a decade until Nolan revived it with Batman Begins. Yes, we are talking about the bottom of the barrel, “Batman & Robin” directed by none another than Joel Schumacher, one of the greatest storytellers in Hollywood. The movie was so bad that Joel apologized for the film recently in any interview with Vice.com, and he told that after the failure of his last Batman movie:-
“People were treating him like he had murdered a baby or something.”
Joel’s last movie in the same franchise, Batman Forever was a mega blockbuster, and not just that nearly all of his movies in that timeframe were striking home runs on the box-office. He was even designated the title of “Blockbuster King.”
Warner Bros wanted him to direct the next movie and gave him a free pass to go and do whatever the hell he wants with the franchise. So Joel thought of giving Batman some Bat-Nipples and sexualized the characters to the max by focusing the camera on their butts covered only with skin-tight rubber. Not just the costumes, the whole atmosphere in the movie seemed crazy rave party from 90’s filled with neon lights illuminating every background set piece, and all the actors were specially told to “Over-act” through the film as if it was theater play.
People around him knew that this film is going to be a train-wreck, but nobody had the courage to cut the talks of “The Blockbuster King” Joel, who was pouring money for the studio by his ingenious movies. The producers involved were so sure about the success of this film that they brought in some of the best and most expensive actors at that time like Arnold Schwarzenegger (Mr. Freeze), Uma Thurman (Poison Ivy), George Clooney (Batman) etcetera. When creative heads enquired Joel that why he needs Bat-Nipples, he said –
“It makes Batman’s costume more organic, and the audience would be able to relate to it better with the nipples.”
George Clooney, who had worn that Bat-Costume and played the character of Batman in the film has already apologized for being part of that debacle.
Joel also explained that he wanted to follow his gut feeling because that’s what he has been doing with all his other movies that were succeeding. This is how Joel recalls his thought process during the making of this film:-
“I never planned on being, that dreadful quote, a blockbuster king because my other films were much smaller and had just found success with the audience and not often with the critics, which is really why we wrote them. And then after Batman & Robin, I was scum. It was like I had murdered a baby… I take full responsibility. I walked into it with my eyes open and what I really feel bad about is the crew. We all know how great movie crews are. The special effects, stunt people, and everybody that breaks their asses along with the cast. Everybody worked really hard under very long hours. So I feel like their work wasn’t acknowledged like it could have been.”
The failure of Batman & Robin conveyed the producers that they shouldn’t try to damage the sanctity of Batman’s content at least for a decade. Even today Joel says that if he gets to direct a new Batman movie, he will fix all of his errors and create the best Batman movie ever! But we are sure that he is never going to get that opportunity when the DC extended universe is at its prime.
However, when the interviewer asked him if he regrets putting Bat-Nipples on the costumes, Joel explicitly denies saying that “He would do it again if he gets the chance. It was the need for the plot.”
