When Batman (1989) became the biggest hit at the domestic box office, Warner Brothers greenlit a sequel almost immediately. However, many hurdles in the pre-production process kept it out of theatres longer than they would have liked. This article discusses these aspects and many others in making 1992’s Batman Returns.
Important Negotiations
The biggest problem for the studio was that neither their director, Tim Burton, nor lead actor, Michael Keaton, was signed on for a sequel. Keaton signed on as soon as the studio doubled his salary from the first film to over $10 million dollars. Burton, however, proved to be more difficult.
Michael Keaton’s stuntman looks cool hanging out on the set of “Batman Returns” (1992). Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Entertainment.
Burton agreed to return on the condition of having creative control of the movie including full script approval. Without hesitation, the studio agreed.
“Sequels are only worthwhile if they give you the opportunity to do something new and interesting. It has to go beyond that, really, because you do the first for the thrill of the unknown. A sequel wipes all that out, so you must explore the next level.”
– Tim Burton
Screenplay
Prior to Burton signing on, the studio brought in Batman scribe, Sam Hamm, to handle script duties. Apparently, the Penguin was always going to be a villain in the sequel but different scripts he penned featured either the Riddler or Catwoman. Eventually, they settled on the latter.
As this was intended to be a direct sequel to Batman both Vivki Vale (Kim Basinger) and Harvey Dent (Billy Dee Williams) were also included in these early scripts. Dent was to become Two-Face over the course of the film. Robin was also included with comic book artists Norm Breyfogle and Neal Adams brought in to give the Boy Wonder’s costume an update, which was also featured in the comics.
The revised Robin costume, as drawn by Norm Breyfogle in Batman #457 (1990).
Dissatisfied with most of the ideas in Hamm’s script, Burton turned to Heathers (1988) writer Daniel Waters to come up with a new script. Waters didn’t like Burton’s Batman movie at all and wanted to do something that wasn’t faithful to the comics but, rather, what they thought would work in Burton’s own style. The studio agreed and actually wanted more of a “Tim Burton movie” than the previous offering.
“(Burton) and I never had a conversation about ‘what are fans of the comic books going to think?’…we never thought about them. We were really just about the art.”
– Daniel Waters
Vale, Robin, and Dent got the axe in Waters’ drafts, which was much darker in tone than the previous scripts by Hamm. Burton wanted the tone to be lightened a little and when Waters refused Wesley Strick replaced him. Strick was also mandated by Warner Brothers to include a “master plan” for the Penguin. The plan that was decided upon was what was used in the final film – the plot to kidnap Gotham’s first-born sons and threaten the city with missiles. Although Strick was on-set for the entirety of filming only Waters received screenwriting credit.
Michael Keaton poses on the set of “Batman Returns” (1992) with The Red Triangle Gang. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Entertainment.
Casting
Burton’s top choice for the Penguin was Marlon Brando which the studio balked at. Instead, they wanted Dustin Hoffman (who turned it down), Dudley Moore, or Bob Hoskins. Waters had written The Penguin with Danny DeVito in mind and he was ultimately cast.
For Catwoman, Burton wanted a star. He considered Jennifer Jason Leigh, Cher, and Demi Moore. However, Sean Young was determined to get the role of Catwoman. She campaigned for the part, sending Burton an audition video and even going on the Joan Rivers Show dressed as Catwoman. Needless to say, neither Burton nor the brass at Warner Brothers were impressed and Annette Bening got the part.
Before filming began, Bening was forced to drop out when she became pregnant. Burton approached Michelle Pfeiffer, and the studio agreed to pay her $3 million dollars (three times what Bening would’ve been paid).
Tim Burton and Danny DeVito on the set of “Batman Returns” (1992). Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Entertainment.
Filming
After Batman wrapped, Warner Brothers purchased the Gotham City sets housed at Pinewood Studios for $2 million dollars. They anticipated that they would be needed again for potential sequels and since it would be cheaper to keep these sets than to build new ones, the costly decision was made. These sets were kept safe from trespassers via armed guards during this time.
However, these sets were never actually used in the making of the sequel because the studio wanted to film in the United States and the costs of filming in England had increased dramatically since the first film three years earlier. Instead, the film was shot on sound stages at the Warner Brothers lot in Burbank as well as at the nearby Universal Studios lot.
Principal photography on Batman Returns began on September 3, 1991, and concluded on February 20, 1992. In total filming lasted for one-hundred-seventy days.
An example of the massive sets built at Warner Brothers for “Batman Returns” (1992). Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Entertainment.
Michael Keaton was unhappy with the large amount of dialogue that he had in the script, feeling it was overkill and that it would make the movie worse (i.e. less is more). Some lines were cut and when Waters saw the finished movie he agreed that Keaton was right in the changes.
Michelle Pfeiffer threw herself into the role. She trained in the gym for six months, worked on lowing the register of her voice, and learned how to handle a twelve-foot bullwhip. She became so accomplished with the whip by the time filming began she was able to take the heads off of the department store mannequins in a single take.
The Catwoman costume was so tight that Pfeiffer had to be vacuum-sealed into it. Each costume costs $1,000 to make and she went through sixty of them during filming.
Michelle Pfeiffer gets whip instruction on the set of “Batman Returns” (1992). Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Entertainment.
Stan Winston designed the look of The Penguin. It took three hours to apply the Penguin makeup every morning.
“The concept was just a pointy nose, but I wasn’t happy with that. Years ago, for The Wiz, I had created crow characters with enormous beak faces. I felt that I could use a similar concept for the Penguin.”
– Stan Winston
Danny DeVito in the makeup chair for “Batman Returns” (1992). Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Entertainment.
Due to the amount of secrecy around the appearance of The Penguin, DeVito was forbidden to describe the Penguin’s look to anyone, even his family. They also instructed the art department to keep their blinds closed. Even Kevin Costner was denied a request to visit the set.
For the penguins that appeared in the movie, Burton wanted to use real penguins as much as possible. Twelve King Penguins and thirty African penguins were used in the film. They had their own refrigerated trailer and swimming pool, which was watched closely by a security team. However, when that proved unfeasible for many scenes Stan Winston’s team created animatronic penguins, which were seamlessly used alongside the real penguins.
The crew poses with animatronic penguins created for “Batman Returns” (1992). Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Entertainment.
Late in the filming process, the production ran into a good problem to have – Catwoman. Warner Brothers executives went nuts for her footage and decided they didn’t want her to die at the movie’s ending moments. Her death footage had already been shot and Pfeiffer was unavailable for reshoots so a stunt double was used. These reshoots cost approximately $250,000.
Music
Danny Elfman reluctantly returned to score Batman Returns. He didn’t like the inclusion of Prine’s music in the previous movie. Due to a tight timeline, he was under tremendous pressure to complete the score expediently. This caused a falling out between Burton and Elfman, which dissipated after the movie was finished.
Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Keaton, and Tim Burton on the set of “Batman Returns” (1992). Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Entertainment.
Release and Backlash
Batman Returns was expected to be the biggest movie at the box office in 1992. Because of this over $100 million was expected to be spent on marketing with partnerships including McDonald’s which converted nine-thousand outlets into Gotham City restaurants, offering Batman-themed packaging and a cup lid which was also a frisbee.
After the film was released in theatres on June 19, 1992, parents, who expected a more child-friendly movie based on the marketing and promotional tie-ins were upset. A campaign against McDonald’s took place and the movie’s promotional tie-in was discontinued at the fast food chain by late Summer.
Animatronic penguin heads created at Stan Winston’s studio. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Entertainment.
“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.”
– Tim Burton
The box office was also less than was anticipated coming in at sixth place for the year, earning $266.8 million in its release. The backlash and weaker-than-anticipated box office caused Warner Brothers to move away from Burton and Keaton for the next installment, which would be more family-friendly, Batman Forever (1995), starring Val Kilmer.
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