Batman Returns 1992: The Bat, The Cat, The Bird, and The History4 min read

Batman Returns opened June 19th, 1992. It starred some of Hollywood’s greatest actors, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken.

After the success of the 1st Batman film, Warner Brothers was eager to make a sequel. Director Tim Burton (who directed the 1st film) originally had no interest in making a sequel, but that later changed when he agreed to return in exchange for more creative control on Batman Returns than he had on the previous Batman film (1989).

After negotiations, Michael Keaton agreed to return as well, but only after an increase in his salary of $10 million. And Catwoman? Well, she was originally going to be played by Annette Bening. But she dropped out due to pregnancy. Now who was going to play the cat? Stars like Raquel Welch, Cher and Bridget Fonda were all in competition to be the famous feline. But after just 1 meeting with Michelle Pfeiffer, Tim was sold.

The Penguin? Well, Danny DeVito’s casting was actually decided beforehand by the studio, so he was all set.

Filming of Batman Returns was done from September of 1991 to February of 1992. They filmed on sets/sound stages at Warner Bros. Studios and the Universal Studios Backlot in Los Angeles, California.

Fun Fact: Did you know that at least fifty percent of the Warner Bros. lot was taken up with Gotham City sets? (Fact taken from IMDb)

What eventually comes after filming? Marketing! The film’s marketing campaign was huge! Including collaborations with companies such as McDonalds, Hasbro and Topps. The film was releasing everything for the fans, such as a variety of toys, lunch boxes, books, shirts, etc.

The film was released on June 19, 1992, and broke box-office records. In the first 3 days, the film made $47.7 million, which was a record at the time. Overall, the film earned about $266.8 million. Unfortunately, it did fail to copy the success of the first Tim Burton Batman (1989), which grossed 411.6 million at the box office. How about the reviews? The reviews were mixed. Some movie-goers were calling it too dark and inappropriate for kids. While others were loving the film, even having nominations such as

Some of the Award Nominations:

• A nomination for Best Makeup (Ve Neill and Stan Winston) at the 46th British Academy Film Awards 

• A Saturn Award nomination for Best Director (Tim Burton)  

• A Saturn Award nomination for Best Costume Design (Bob Ringwood, Mary Vogt, and Vin Burnham) 

•A Hugo Award nominated for Best Dramatic Presentation.

The negative reactions to the film encouraged Terry Semel and Bob Daly to hand the series to director Joel Schumacher, who adopted a family friendly approach to the characters.

Some Fun Facts about Batman Returns (from IMDb)

• The first film made in Dolby Digital (then known as Dolby SR-D).

•Several modifications were made to the Batsuit, including the color scheme and chestplate logo. At the request of Michael Keaton, a zipper was also added to the pants.

• (at around 1h 30 mins) Danny DeVito refused a stand-in for the scene where the Penguin gets pelted with rotten food by an angry mob.

• For the role of Catwoman, Michelle Pfeiffer trained at the Steeleboxer kick boxing gym two hours a day for six months. She also practiced yoga, weight lifting and karate. Additionally she spent three months training with a 12-foot bullwhip. Pfeiffer called that one of her most “challenging roles” and critics called it one of her most “iconic roles” that is famous forever.

• According to the book “Movie Magic” by Robin Cross, the Penguin’s army consisted of real penguins, actors in glass fiber suits, robotic puppets controlled by puppeteers, and computer animation. A technique called flocking was used, where several penguins would imitate a master penguin, allowing control over large numbers.