Burton originally did not want to direct a sequel because of his mixed emotions toward the previous film. Daniel Waters delivered a script that satisfied Burton; Wesley Strick did an uncredited rewrite, deleting the character of Robin and rewriting the climax. Filming started at Burbank, California in June 1991. Batman Returns was released to financial and critical success, though it caused some controversy for being darker than its predecessor.
A deformed baby boy is thrown into Gotham City's river by his horrified parents. Thirty-three years later, the child, Oswald Cobblepot, resurfaces as the hideous Penguin (Danny DeVito), who blackmails Max Shreck (Christopher Walken)
into helping him discover the identity of his parents. When the
Penguin's plight becomes news, Shreck hatches a plan to recall Gotham
City's current mayor and elect Cobblepot in his place, in order to
cement his control over the city and complete the power plant project
he has been working on. Batman (Michael Keaton)
is unconvinced by the Penguin, believing that he and his gang are
responsible for several child murders. Meanwhile, Shreck throws his
secretary, Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer), from the top of his company's building when she discovers the true nature of his plans: to build a super power station and drain Gotham of its electricity.
Resuscitated by a group of cats, Selina returns home and designs a new costume, becoming Catwoman. Selina, meanwhile, is being romanced by Batman's alter-ego Bruce Wayne,
a situation complicated by Catwoman's teaming with the Penguin in an
effort to rid Gotham of Batman. When Batman exposes the Penguin's
villainous ways, thereby ruining his political chances, the Penguin
mounts an attack to kill all of Gotham's first-born infants. Batman
foils his scheme and Catwoman, after killing Shreck, is presumed dead.
The Penguin, having been wounded during his fight with Batman, dies
from his injuries. Some time later, Bruce is driving around the city at
night with butler Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Gough),
thinking he sees Selina's shadow on a wall. Alfred stops the car and
Bruce searches for Selina in vain. He does find Selina's cat, however,
which he takes with him and leaves. The camera then pans up to the top
of the city, amidst the sky scrapers. As the Bat-Signal lights up the night sky, Catwoman appears.
Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne / Batman: Continuing his quest as Gotham City's
sole protector, in his wake he meets Selina Kyle, and clashes with new
anti-heroine Catwoman. His situation becomes complicated due to the
arrival of a mysterious "Penguin-like Man" spotted throughout Gotham.
Danny DeVito as Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin:
Abandoned at birth due to his hideous appearance by his aristocratic
parents, he spends his life living in the sewers of Gotham City. His
real intentions are to dispose of every first born son in Gotham City
out of vengeance against his parents for abandoning him as a child.
Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle / Catwoman:
Formerly a quiet and shy secretary for Max Shreck, Selina transforms
into Catwoman after an attempt on her life. She becomes a romantic
interest for Bruce Wayne and a deadly adversary for Batman. She has nine lives, manifesting as a supernatural ability to live through mortal injuries eight times.
Christopher Walken as Max Shreck: A powerful business mogul who serves as the boss of Selina Kyle and unusual ally to the Penguin.
After the success of Batman, Warner Bros. was hoping for a sequel to start filming in May 1990 at Pinewood Studios. They spent $250,000 storing the sets from the first film. Tim Burton
had mixed emotions from the previous film. "I will return if the sequel
offers something new and exciting," he said in 1989. "Otherwise it's a
most-dumbfounded idea."[2] Burton decided to direct Edward Scissorhands for 20th Century Fox. Meanwhile, Sam Hamm from the previous film delivered the first two drafts of the script, while Bob Kane was brought back as a creative consultant.[3] Hamm's script had Penguin and Catwoman going after hidden treasure.[4]
Burton was impressed with Daniel Waters' work on Heathers; Burton originally brought Waters aboard on a sequel to Beetlejuice. Warner Bros. then granted Burton a large amount of creative control, demoting producers Jon Peters and Peter Guber to executive producers. Dissatisfied with the Hamm script, Burton commissioned a rewrite from Waters.[3][5][6]
Waters "came up with a social satire that had an evil mogul backing a
bid for the Mayor's office by the Penguin," Waters reported. "I wanted
to show that the true villains of our world don't necessarily wear
costumes."[4] The plot device of Penguin running for Mayor came from the 1960s TV series episodes "Hizzoner the Penguin" and "Dizzoner the Penguin".[4] Waters wrote a total of five drafts.[6]
On the characterization of Catwoman, Waters explained "Sam Hamm went
back to the way comic books in general treat women, like fetishy sexual
fantasy. I wanted to start off just at the lowest point in society, a
very beaten down secretary."[5]Harvey Dent
appeared in early drafts of the script, but was deleted. Waters quoted,
"Sam Hamm definitely planned that. I flirted with it, having Harvey
start to come back and have one scene of him where he flips a coin and
it's the good side of the coin, deciding not to do anything, so you had
to wait for the next movie."[5] In early scripts Max Shreck was the "golden boy"
of the Cobblepot family, whereas Penguin was the deformed outsider. It
turned out that Shreck would be the Penguin's long-lost brother.[7] Max Shreck was also a reference to actor Max Schreck, known for his role as Count Orlok in Nosferatu.[6]
Burton hired Wesley Strick to do an uncredited rewrite. Strick recalled, "When I was hired to write Batman Returns (Batman II at the time), the big problem of the script was Penguin's lack of a 'master plan'."[8] Warner Bros. presented Strick with warming or freezing Gotham City (later to be used in Batman & Robin). Strick gained inspiration from a Moses
parallel that had Penguin killing the firstborn sons of Gotham. A
similar notion was used when the Penguin's parents threw him into a
river as a baby.[8]Robin
appeared in the script, but was deleted due to too many characters.
Waters feels Robin is "the most worthless character in the world,
especially with [Batman as] the loner of loners." Robin started out as
a juvenile gang leader, who becomes an ally to Batman. Robin was later changed to a black teenager who's also a garage mechanic.[5] Waters explained, "He's wearing this old-fashioned garage mechanic uniform and it has an 'R' on it. He drives the Batmobile, which I notice they used in the third film!"[5]Marlon Wayans
was cast, and signed for a sequel. The actor had attended a wardrobe
fitting, but it was decided to save the character for a third
installment.[9]
Michael Keaton returned after a significant increase in his salary at $10 million. Annette Bening was cast as Catwoman after Burton saw her performance in The Grifters, but dropped out due to pregnancy.[4][10]Raquel Welch, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Lena Olin, Ellen Barkin, Cher, Bridget Fonda and Susan Sarandon were then in competition for the role.[3][11]Sean Young, who was originally cast as Vicki Vale
in the first film, believed the role should have gone to her. Young
visited production offices dressed in a homemade Catwoman costume,
demanding an audition. Burton was unfamiliar with Michelle Pfeiffer's work, but was convinced to cast her after one meeting.[12] Pfeiffer received a $3 million salary ($2 million more than Bening) and a percentage of the box office.[4] Pfeiffer took kickboxing lessons for the role.[13]Kathy Long served as Pfeiffer's body double. On Danny DeVito's
casting, Waters explained, "I kind of knew that DeVito was going to
play The Penguin. We didn't really officially cast it, but for a short
nasty little guy, it's a short list. I ended up writing the character
for Danny DeVito."[5]
In early-1991, two of Hollywood's largest sound stages (Stage 16 at Warner Bros. and Stage 12 at Universal Studios) were being prepared for the filming of Batman Returns.[4] Filming started in June 1991.[12] Stage 16 held Gotham Plaza, based on Rockefeller Center. Universal's Stage 12 housed Penguin's underground lair. A half-a-million gallon tank filled with water was used.[4] Burton wanted to make sure that the penguins felt comfortable.[12] Eight other locations on the Warner Bros. lot were used, over 50% of their property was occupied by Gotham City sets.[4]
Animal rights
groups started protesting the film after finding out that penguins
would have rockets strapped on their backs. Richard Hill, the curator of the penguins explained that Warner Bros. was very helpful in making sure the penguins were comfortable.[14]
"On the flight over the plane was refrigerated down to 45 degrees,"
recalls Hill. "In Hollywood, they were given a refrigerated trailer,
their own swimming pool, half-a-ton of ice each day, and they had fresh
fish delivered daily straight from the docks. Even though it was 100
degrees outside, the entire set was refrigerated down to 35 degrees."[14]
Warner Bros. devoted a large amount of secrecy for Batman Returns. The art department was required to keep their office blinds pulled down. Cast and crew had to have photo ID badges with the movie's fake working titleDictel to go anywhere near the sets.[15]Kevin Costner
was refused a chance to visit the set. An entertainment magazine leaked
the first photos of Danny DeVito as the Penguin; in response Warner
Bros. employed a private investigator to track down the accomplice.[4] $65 million was spent during the production of Batman Returns, while $15 million was used for marketing, coming to a total cost of $80 million.[1] The final shot of Catwoman looking at the Bat-Signal was completed during post-production and was not part of the shooting script. After Batman Returns
was completed Warner Bros. felt it was best for Catwoman to survive,
saving more characterizations in a future installment. Pfeiffer was
unavailable and a body double was chosen.[3]
More than 60 Catsuits were designed in the six-month shoot at $1,000 each.[19] The Batsuit was updated, which was made out of a thinner, slightly more flexible foam rubber material than the suit from Batman. DeVito was uncomfortable with his costume, but this made it easy for him to get into character. J. P. Morgan's wardrobe was used for inspiration on Max Shreck's costume design.[20]
The bats were entirely composed of computer-generated imagery since it was decided directing real bats on set would be problematic.[4] The Penguin's "bird army" was a combination of CGI, robotic creatures, men in suits and even real penguins.[12] Robotic penguin puppets were commissioned by Stan Winston. In total 30 African Penguins and 12 King Penguins were used.[21] A miniature effect was used for the exteriors of the Cobblepot Mansion in the opening scene and for Wayne Manor. The same method was used for the Bat Ski-boat and the exterior shots of the Gotham Zoo.[22]
Danny Elfman had great enthusiasm for returning because "I didn't have to prove myself from the first film. I remember Jon Peters was very skeptical at first to hire me."[23] Elfman's work schedule was 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. "When completing this movie I realized it was something of a film score and an opera. It was 95 minutes long, twice the amount of the average of film score."[23] The musician co-orchestrated "Face to Face", which was written and performed by Siouxsie and the Banshees. The song can be heard in one scene during the film and during the end credits.[23]
Batman Returns was released in America on June 19, 1992, earning $45.69 million in 2,644 theaters on its opening weekend.[24] This was the highest opening weekend in 1992 and the highest opening weekend of any film up to that point.[25]
The film went on to gross $162.83 million in North America, and $104
million in foreign countries, coming to a worldwide total of $266.83
million.[24]Batman Returns was the third highest grossing film in America of 1992,[25] and sixth highest in worldwide totals.[26]
The film was declared a financial success, but Warner Bros. felt the
film should have been more successful. A "parental backlash" criticized
Batman Returns with violence and sexual references that were unsuitable for children. McDonald's shut down their Happy Mealtie-in for the film.[27] Burton responded, "I like Batman Returns better than the first one. There was this big backlash that it was too dark, but I found this movie much less dark."[12]
Based on 47 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, 79% of reviewers enjoyed the film.[28]
Janet Maslin in The New York Times
thought that "Mr. Burton creates a wicked world of misfits, all of them
rendered with the mixture of horror, sympathy and playfulness that has
become this director's hallmark." She described Michael Keaton as showing "appropriate earnestness," Danny Devito as "conveying verve," Christopher Walken as "wonderfully debonair," Michelle Pfeiffer as "captivating... fierce, seductive," Bo Welch's production design as "dazzling," Stefan Czapsky's cinematography as "crisp," and Daniel Waters's screenplay as "sharp."[29]
Peter Travers in Rolling Stone
wrote: "Burton uses the summer's most explosively entertaining movie to
lead us back into the liberating darkness of dreams." He praised the
performances: "Pfeiffer gives this feminist avenger a tough core of
intelligence and wit; she's a classic dazzler... Michael Keaton's
manic-depressive hero remains a remarkably rich creation. And Danny
DeVito's mutant Penguin - a balloon-bellied Richard III with a kingdom of sewer freaks - is as hilariously warped as Jack Nicholson's Joker and even quicker with the quips."[30]
Desson Howe in the Washington Post
wrote: "Director Burton not only re-creates his one-of-a-kind
atmosphere, he one-ups it, even two-ups it. He's best at evoking the
psycho-murky worlds in which his characters reside. The Penguin holds
court in a penguin-crowded, Phantom of the Opera-like
sewer home. Keaton hides in a castlelike mansion, which perfectly
mirrors its owner's inner remoteness. Comic strip purists will probably
never be happy with a Batman movie. But Returns comes closer than ever to Bob Kane's
dark, original strip, which began in 1939." He described Walken as
"engaging," DeVito as "exquisite" and Pfeiffer as "deliciously purry."[31]
Todd McCarthy in Variety
wrote that "the real accomplishment of the film lies in the amazing
physical realization of an imaginative universe. Where Burton's ideas
end and those of his collaborators begin is impossible to know, but the
result is a seamless, utterly consistent universe full of nasty notions
about societal deterioration, greed and other base impulses." He
praised the contributions of Stan Winston, Danny Elfman, Bo Welch
and cinematographer Stefan Czapsky, and in terms of performances,
opined that "the deck is stacked entirely in favor of the villains,"
calling DeVito "fascinating" and Pfeiffer "very tasty."[32]
Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times
wrote: "I give the movie a negative review, and yet I don't think it's
a bad movie; it's more misguided, made with great creativity, but
denying us what we more or less deserve from a Batman story. No matter
how hard you try, superheroes and film noir
don't go together; the very essence of noir is that there are no more
heroes." He compared the Penguin negatively with the Joker of the first
film, writing that "the Penguin is a curiously meager and depressing
creature; I pitied him, but did not fear him or find him funny. The
genius of Danny DeVito is all but swallowed up in the paraphernalia of
the role. Batman Returns is odd and sad, but not exhilarating."[33]
Jonathan Rosenbaum called DeVito "a pale substitute for Jack Nicholson from the first film" and felt that "there's no suspense in Batman Returns whatsoever".[34] Batman comic book writer/artist Matt Wagner was quoted as saying: "I hated how Batman Returns
made Batman little more than just another costumed creep, little better
than the villains he's pursuing. Additionally, Burton is so blatantly
not an action director. That aspect of both his films just sucked."[35]
"After the traumas of the Batman Returns she has amnesia, and
she doesn't really remember why she has all these bullet holes in her
body, so she goes to relax in Oasisburg. What Gotham City is to New York, Oasisburg is to Las Vegas-Los Angeles-Palm Springs.
[It's a] resort area in the middle of the desert. It's run by
superheroes, and the movie has great fun at making fun at the whole
male superhero mythos. Then they end up being not very good at all deep
down, and she's got to go back to that whole Catwoman thing."
Batman Returns would be the last film in the Batman film series that featured Tim Burton and Michael Keaton as director and leading actor, respectively. With Batman Forever, Warner Bros. decided to go in a "lighter" direction to be more mainstream in the process of a family film. Burton had no interest in returning to direct a sequel, but he did serve as a producer.[36] With Warner Bros. moving on development for Batman Forever in June 1993, a Catwomanspin-off was announced. Michelle Pfeiffer was to reprise her role, with the character not to appear in Forever because of "her own little movie".[37]
Burton became attached as director, while producer Denise Di Novi and writer Daniel Waters also returned to the Catwoman spin-off with Burton.[38] In January 1994, Burton was unsure of his plans to direct Catwoman or an adaptation of The Fall of the House of Usher.[39] On June 6, 1995, Waters turned in his Catwoman script to Warner Bros., the same day Batman Forever was released. Burton was still being courted to direct. Waters joked, "turning it in the day Batman Forever opened may not have been my best logistical move, in that it's the celebration of the fun-for-the-whole-family Batman. Catwoman is definitely not a fun-for-the-whole-family script."[5] The film labored in development hell for years, with Pfeiffer getting replaced by Ashley Judd. The film ended up becoming the critically-panned Catwoman (2004) starring Halle Berry.[40][41]
Despite its mixed reception on initial release, Batman Returns has attracted a cult following among fans due to its production design and gloomy tone. For example, animation director Satoshi Kon has cited it as one of his 100 favorite movies.[42]
The idea of Penguin taking over the Batmobile was later used in the episode "The Mechanic" of Batman: The Animated Series.
^ abcdefghij Jeffrey Resner (August 1992). "Three Go Mad in Gotham", Empire, pp. 39—46. Retrieved on 2008-08-14.
^ abcdefgh Judy Sloane (August 1995). "Daniel Waters on Writing", Film Review, pp. 67—69. Retrieved on 2008-08-14.
^ abcKen Hanke (1999). "Batman on Burton's Terms". Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker. Renaissance Books. pp. 117–122. ISBN1-58063-162-2.
