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1992 superhero film by Tim Burton From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Batman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton and written by Daniel Waters. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Batman (1989) and the second installment in the 1989–1997 Batman series. In the film, Batman comes into conflict with wealthy industrialist Max Shreck and malformed crime boss Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin, who seek power regardless of the cost to Gotham City. Their plans are complicated by Shreck's former secretary, Selina Kyle, who seeks revenge against him as Catwoman. The cast includes Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, and Michael Murphy.
| Batman Returns | |
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Theatrical release poster by John Alvin | |
| Directed by | Tim Burton |
| Screenplay by | Daniel Waters |
| Story by |
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| Based on |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Stefan Czapsky |
| Edited by | Chris Lebenzon |
| Music by | Danny Elfman |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release dates |
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Running time | 126 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $50–80 million |
| Box office | $266.8 million |
Burton had no interest in making a sequel to Batman, believing that he was creatively restricted by the expectations of Warner Bros. He agreed to return in exchange for creative control, including replacing original writer Sam Hamm with Daniel Waters, and hiring many of his previous creative collaborators. Waters's script focused on characterization over an overarching plot, and Wesley Strick was hired to complete an uncredited re-write which, among other elements, provided a master plan for the Penguin. Filming took place between September 1991 and February 1992, on a $50–80 million budget, on sets and sound stages at Warner Bros. Studios and the Universal Studios Lot in California. Special effects primarily involved practical applications and makeup, with some animatronics and computer-generated imagery.
The film's marketing campaign was substantial, including brand collaborations and a variety of merchandise, aiming to repeat Batman's financial success. Released on June 19, 1992, Batman Returns broke several box-office records and earned $266.8 million worldwide. However, it failed to replicate the success or longevity of Batman ($411.6 million); this was blamed on the darker tone as well as violent and sexual elements, which alienated family audiences and led to a backlash against marketing partners for promoting the film to young children. Reviews were polarized about the film, but praised most of the main cast.
After the relative failure of Batman Returns, Burton was replaced as director of the third film, Batman Forever (1995), with Joel Schumacher to take the series in a family-friendly direction. Keaton chose not to reprise his role, disagreeing with Schumacher's vision. Batman Forever and its sequel, Batman & Robin (1997), were financial successes but fared less well critically. Batman Returns has been reassessed as one of the best Batman films in the decades since its release, and its incarnations of Catwoman and Penguin are considered iconic. A comic book, Batman '89 (2021), continued the narrative of the original two Burton films, and Keaton reprised his version of Batman in The Flash (2023).
In Gotham City, two wealthy socialites, dismayed at the birth of their malformed and feral son Oswald, discard the infant in the sewers, where he is adopted by a family of penguins. Thirty-three years later, during the Christmas season, wealthy industrialist Max Shreck is abducted by the Red Triangle gang—a group of former circus workers connected to child disappearances across the country—and brought to their hideout in the Arctic exhibit at the derelict Gotham Zoo. Their leader, Oswald—now named the Penguin—blackmails Shreck with evidence of his corruption and murderous acts to compel his assistance in reintegrating Oswald into Gotham's elite. Shreck orchestrates a staged kidnapping of the mayor's infant child, allowing Oswald to rescue it and become a public hero. In exchange, Oswald requests access to the city's birth records, ostensibly to learn his true identity by researching Gotham's first-born sons.
Shreck attempts to murder his timid secretary, Selina Kyle, by pushing her out of a window after she accidentally uncovers his scheme to construct a power plant that would secretly drain and store Gotham's electricity. Selina survives, returns home, angrily crafts a costume and adopts the name Catwoman. To Shreck's surprise, Selina returns to work with newfound confidence and assertiveness, immediately capturing the attention of visiting billionaire Bruce Wayne. As his alter ego, the vigilante Batman, Wayne investigates Oswald, suspecting a connection to the Red Triangle gang. To remove obstacles to his power plant, Shreck persuades Oswald to run for mayor and undermine the incumbent by unleashing Red Triangle on Gotham. Batman's attempts to stop the chaos lead to a confrontation with Catwoman. Meanwhile, Selina and Wayne start dating, while Catwoman teams up with Oswald to tarnish Batman's reputation.
During Gotham's Christmas-tree lighting, Oswald and Catwoman kidnap Gotham's beauty queen, the Ice Princess, and lure Batman to a rooftop above the ceremony. Oswald pushes the Ice Princess to her death with a swarm of bats, framing Batman. When Catwoman objects to the murder and rebuffs Oswald's romantic advances, he attacks her, sending her crashing through a glasshouse. Batman escapes in the Batmobile, unaware that the Red Triangle gang has sabotaged it, allowing Oswald to take it on a remote-controlled rampage. Before regaining control, Batman records Oswald's insulting tirade against Gotham's citizens and plays it during Oswald's mayoral rally, destroying his public image and forcing him to retreat to Gotham Zoo. There, Oswald renounces his humanity, fully embracing his identity as the Penguin, and sets his plan in motion to abduct and kill Gotham's first-born sons as revenge for his own abandonment.
Selina attempts to kill Shreck at his charity ball, but Wayne intervenes, and they accidentally discover each other's secret identities. Penguin crashes the event, intending to kidnap Shreck's son, Chip, but Shreck offers himself instead. Batman disrupts the Red Triangle gang and halts the kidnappings, forcing the Penguin to unleash his missile-equipped penguin army to destroy Gotham. However, Batman's butler, Alfred Pennyworth, overrides the control signal, redirecting the penguins back to Gotham Zoo. As the missiles obliterate the zoo, Batman unleashes a swarm of bats, causing the Penguin to fall into the contaminated waters of the Arctic exhibit. Catwoman arrives to confront Shreck, rejecting Batman's plea to abandon her quest for vengeance and leave with him. Shreck shoots her four times, but she seems unaffected, claiming she has two of her nine lives left. Catwoman electrocutes Shreck, causing a power surge that appears to kill them both; however, Batman finds only Shreck's charred remains. The Penguin emerges one last time but succumbs to his injuries before he can attack Batman. His penguins lay him to rest in the water.
Sometime later, as Alfred drives Wayne home, he spots Selina's silhouette but finds only a cat, which he takes with him. The Bat-Signal shines above the city as Catwoman gazes up at it.
The cast of Batman Returns includes Andrew Bryniarski as Max's son Charles "Chip" Schreck and Cristi Conaway as the Ice Princess, Gotham's beauty queen-elect.[13][14][15] Paul Reubens and Diane Salinger appear as Tucker and Esther Cobblepot, Oswald's wealthy, elite parents.[16] Sean Whalen appears as a paperboy; Jan Hooks and Steve Witting play Jen and Josh, Oswald's mayoral image consultants.[a]
The Red Triangle gang includes the monkey-toting Organ Grinder (Vincent Schiavelli), the Poodle Lady (Anna Katarina), the Tattooed Strongman (Rick Zumwalt), the Sword Swallower (John Strong), the Knifethrower Dame (Erika Andersch), the Acrobatic Thug (Gregory Scott Cummins), the Terrifying Clown (Branscombe Richmond), the Fat Clown (Travis Mckenna), and the Thin Clown (Doug Jones).[15][20][21]
Following the success of Batman (1989), which became the fifth-highest-grossing film of its time, a sequel was considered inevitable. Warner Bros. Pictures was confident in its potential, with discussions about a follow-up beginning by late 1989 and plans to start filming in May of the next year.[b] The studio wanted Robin Williams and Danny DeVito to play the rogues Riddler and Penguin, respectively,[23] and had also invested $2 million in acquiring the Gotham City sets at Pinewood Studios in England, intending to use them for at least two more sequels. These sets were kept under 24-hour surveillance as it was more cost-effective to maintain them than to build new ones.[23] Despite pressure from Warner Bros. to finalize a script and begin production, director Tim Burton was hesitant about returning for a sequel.[9][23][25] He called the idea "dumbfounded," particularly before analyzing the performance of the first film.[23][25][26] Burton was generally skeptical of sequels, believing they were only worthwhile if they offered a chance to explore something new and different.[23][26]
Batman writer Sam Hamm's initial story idea expanded the character of district attorney Harvey Dent, played in Batman by Billy Dee Williams, and his descent into the supervillain Two-Face. Warner Bros. wanted the main villain to be the Penguin, however, whom Hamm believed the studio saw as Batman's most prominent enemy after the Joker. Catwoman was added because Burton and Hamm were interested in the character.[25] Hamm's drafts continued directly from Batman, focusing on the relationship between Wayne and Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) and their engagement.[9][25] The Penguin was written as an avian-themed criminal who uses birds as weapons; Catwoman was more overtly sexualised, wore "bondage" gear, and nonchalantly murdered groups of men.[25] The main narrative teamed Penguin and Catwoman to frame Batman for the murders of Gotham's wealthiest citizens in their pursuit of a secret treasure. Their quest leads them to Wayne Manor, and reveals the Waynes's secret history. Among other things, Hamm originated the Christmastime setting and introduced Robin, Batman's sidekick, although his idea for assault rifle-wielding Santas was abandoned. Hamm ensured that Batman did not kill anyone and focused on protecting Gotham's homeless.[9][25] The two drafts produced by Hamm failed to renew Burton's interest,[25][26] and the director concentrated on directing Edward Scissorhands (1990) and writing The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) instead.[9]
Burton was confirmed to direct the sequel in January 1991, with filming scheduled to begin later that year for a 1992 release date.[27] He agreed to return in exchange for creative control on the sequel; Burton considered Batman the least favorite of his films, describing it as occasionally boring.[9][25][28] According to Denise Di Novi, his long-time producer, "Only about 50% of Batman was [Burton]"; the studio wanted Batman Returns to be "more of a Tim Burton movie ... [a] weirder movie but also more hip and fun."[28]
Burton replaced key Batman crew with some of his former collaborators, including cinematographer Stefan Czapsky, production designer Bo Welch, creature-effects supervisor Stan Winston, makeup artist Ve Neill, and art directors Tom Duffield and Rick Henrichs.[29] Daniel Waters was hired to replace Hamm because Burton wanted someone with no emotional attachment to Batman and liked Waters's script for the dark comedy Heathers (1988), which matched Burton's intended tone and creative direction.[25][26][28] Burton reportedly disliked Batman producer Jon Peters, demoted him to executive producer of Batman Returns, and effectively barred him from the set.[9] Warner Bros. was the production company and distributor, with production assistance from executive producer Peter Guber's and Peters's Polygram Pictures.[30][31]
Waters began writing his first draft in mid-1990.[32] Burton's only instructions were that the script have no connection to Batman, outside of a singular reference to Vale as Wayne's ex-girlfriend, and that Catwoman have a greater characterization than sexy vixen.[22][33][34] Waters did not like the 1989 film, and had no interest in following its narrative threads, acknowledging the comic-book histories of Batman Returns' characters, or considering the opinions of their fans, saying: "We were really just about the art."[25][33][34] Unlike Hamm, Waters was not opposed to Batman killing people, believing the character should reflect contemporary, darker times, and that the idea of a hero leaving captured villains for the authorities was outdated.[25] Even so, Waters only had Batman kill when necessary so it would be more meaningful; he was unhappy with some of the unscripted on-screen deaths in the finished film, such as Batman blowing up a Red Triangle member.[8] Much of Waters's "bitter and cynical" dialogue for Batman (such as Gotham City not deserving protection) was removed because Keaton said that Batman should rarely speak in costume and Burton wanted Batman to be driven by trauma not nihilism.[c]
As a result, the script focused on villains. Burton said that he initially struggled to understand the appeal of the Penguin's comic-book counterpart; Batman, Catwoman, and the Joker had clear psychological profiles, but the Penguin was "just this guy with a cigarette and a top hat."[25] The initial draft made the character resemble a stereotypical DeVito character (an abrasive gangster), but Waters and Burton agreed to make him more "animalistic".[32] They decided to make the Penguin a tragic figure, abandoned as an infant by his parents—a reflection of Batman's childhood trauma of losing his parents.[25] Political and social satire was added, influenced by two episodes of the 1960s television series, Batman, ("Hizzoner the Penguin" and "Dizhonner the Penguin") in which the Penguin runs for mayor.[9][25] Waters changed Hamm's Catwoman from a "fetishy sexual fantasy" femme fatale to a working-class, disenchanted secretary, writing her as an allegory of contemporary feminism.[25][26] Although the character is influenced by feline mythology (such as cats having nine lives), Waters and Burton never intended the supernatural elements to be taken literally and planned for Catwoman to die with Shreck during the electrical explosion in the film's denouement.[8][36]
Waters created Max Shreck—an original character named in honor of actor Max Schreck—to take the place of Harvey Dent/Two-Face.[25][26] Shreck was written satirically as an evil industrialist who orchestrates the Penguin's mayoral run, in order to convey the message that true villains do not always wear costumes. In one version of the script, Shreck was the Penguin's more-favored brother.[9][25] With four central characters to depict, Waters and Burton decided to remove Robin, a garage mechanic who helps Batman after Penguin crashes the Batmobile. They were not particularly interested in retaining the character, whom Waters described as worthless.[25][29] The Red Triangle gang, initially conceived as a troupe of performance artists, were changed to circus clowns at Burton's request.[37]
Waters said that his 160-page first draft was too outlandish and would have cost $400 million to produce, leading him to become more restrained.[32] His fifth (and final draft) focused more on characterization and interaction than on plot.[d] Burton and Waters eventually fell out over disagreements about the script and Waters's refusal to implement requested changes. Burton hired Wesley Strick to refine Waters's work, streamline dialogue, and lighten the tone.[35] Warner Bros. executives mandated that Strick introduce a master plan for the Penguin, resulting in the addition of the plot to kidnap Gotham's first-born sons and threaten the city with missiles.[25][33][39] Waters said that the changes to his work were relatively minor, but he was baffled by the Penguin's master plan.[22][33][35] He made a final revision to Strick's shooting screenplay and, although Strick was on set for four months of filming and agreed-upon rewriting, Waters was the only screenwriter credited.[22][33][40]
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Keaton reprised his role as Bruce Wayne / Batman for $10 million, double his salary for Batman.[25][26][41] Burton wanted to cast Marlon Brando as the Penguin, but Warner Bros. preferred Dustin Hoffman. Christopher Lloyd and Robert De Niro were also considered, but Danny DeVito became the frontrunner when Waters re-envisioned the character as a deformed human-bird hybrid.[22][26][42] DeVito was initially reluctant to accept the role until he was convinced by his close friend, Jack Nicholson, who played the Joker in Batman.[26][42] To convey his vision, Burton gave DeVito a picture he had painted of a diminutive character sitting on a red-and-white striped ball with the caption, "my name is Jimmy, but my friends call me the hideous penguin boy."[8][25][39]
Casting Selina Kyle / Catwoman was difficult.[25][39] Annette Bening initially secured the role, but had to drop out after becoming pregnant. Actresses lobbying for the part then included Ellen Barkin, Cher, Bridget Fonda, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Madonna, Julie Newmar, Lena Olin, Susan Sarandon, Raquel Welch, and Basinger. The most prominent candidate, however, was Sean Young (who was cast as Vale in Batman before she was injured).[e] Young went to the Warner Bros. lot in a homemade Catwoman costume for an impromptu audition for Burton, who reportedly hid under his desk (although Keaton and producer Mark Canton briefly met with her). She shared video of her efforts with Entertainment Tonight. Warner Bros. said that Young did not fit their vision for Catwoman.[f]
The role went to Pfeiffer who was described as a proven actress who got along with Burton (although some publications said that it would stretch her acting abilities).[8][26][43] Pfeiffer had also been considered for Vale in Batman, but Keaton vetoed the casting because they had been romantically involved and he believed that her presence would interfere with attempts to reconcile with his wife.[46] She received a $3 million salary ($2 million more than Bening), plus a percentage of the gross profits.[g] Pfeiffer trained for months in kickboxing with her stunt double, Kathy Long, mastering the whip and becoming proficient enough to perform her own stunts with the weapon.[h]
Shreck's appearance was modeled on Vincent Price in an (unnamed) older film, and Walken based his performance on moguls such as Sol Hurok and Samuel Goldwyn.[5][8] He said, "I tend to play mostly villains and twisted people. Unsavory guys. I think it's my face, the way I look."[50] Burgess Meredith (who played the Penguin in the 1960s TV series) was scheduled to make a cameo appearance as Penguin's father, Tucker Cobblepot, but became ill during filming. He was replaced by Paul Reubens; Diane Salinger played his wife, Esther. Both had starred in Burton's feature-film debut, Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985).[9][26][51]
Although Robin was removed from the screenplay, the character's development was far enough along that Marlon Wayans was cast in the role (Burton had specifically wanted an African-American Robin) and costumes, sets, and action figures were made. In a 1998 interview, Wayans said that he still received residual checks as part of the two-film contract he signed.[i] Early reports suggested that Nicholson had been asked to return as the Joker, but refused to film in England because of the salary tax on foreign talent. Nicholson denied being asked, however, believing that Warner Bros. would not want to replicate his generous compensation for Batman.[53][54][55]
Principal photography began on September 3, 1991.[50][51][56] Burton wanted to film in the United States with American actors because he believed that Batman, which had been filed in the United Kingdom, had "suffered from a British subtext."[j] The economics of filming Batman in the United Kingdom had also changed, making it more cost-effective to remain in the U.S.[29] This meant abandoning the Pinewood Studios sets in favor of Burton's new design. Batman Returns was filmed entirely on up to eight soundstages at Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, California, including Stage 16 (which housed the expansive Gotham Plaza set).[k] An additional soundstage, Stage 12 at the Universal Studios Lot, was used for the Penguin's Arctic-exhibit lair.[l]
Some sets were kept very cold for the live Emperor, black-footed, and King penguins.[8][22][26] The birds were flown in on a refrigerated airplane for filming, and had a chilled waiting area containing a swimming pool stocked with half a ton of ice daily and fresh fish.[8][26] DeVito said that he generally liked being on set but disliked the cold conditions, and was the only person somewhat comfortable because of his costume's heavy padding.
