So why can't they keep an actor to play Batman?
05-11-04, 06:00 PM
#1
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So why can't they keep an actor to play Batman?
Why can't they get an actor to play Batman more than once (aside from Michael Keaton)?
Batman - Michael Keaton
Batman Returns - Michael Keaton
Batman Forever - Val Kilmer
Batman and Robin - George Cloony
Batman Begins -- Christian Bale
Is it money$
DAC
Batman - Michael Keaton
Batman Returns - Michael Keaton
Batman Forever - Val Kilmer
Batman and Robin - George Cloony
Batman Begins -- Christian Bale
Is it money$
DAC
05-11-04, 06:08 PM
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I agree that Keaton was Batman. The question is why did he quit? If it was just because he didn't want to do it anymore, then why did Kilmer quit? And Clooney?
05-11-04, 06:11 PM
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Keaton was quoted as saying " I have the movies I love doing and I have Batman." He didn't like doing it and probably turned down Batman Forever to do Jack Frost and all the other great movies he has since Batman.
05-11-04, 06:17 PM
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Originally posted by BernieStolar
Keaton was quoted as saying " I have the movies I love doing and I have Batman." He didn't like doing it and probably turned down Batman Forever to do Jack Frost and all the other great movies he has since Batman.
Keaton was quoted as saying " I have the movies I love doing and I have Batman." He didn't like doing it and probably turned down Batman Forever to do Jack Frost and all the other great movies he has since Batman.
First Daughter (2004) (post-production) .... President Mackenzie
White Noise (2004) (post-production) .... John Rivers
Live From Baghdad (2002) (TV) .... Robert Wiener
Quicksand (2001/I) .... Martin Raikes
Shot at Glory, A (2000) .... Peter Cameron
Jack Frost (1998) .... Jack Frost
... aka Frost (1998)
Out of Sight (1998) (uncredited) .... Ray Nicolette
Desperate Measures (1998) .... Peter McCabe
Jackie Brown (1997) .... Ray Nicolette
Inventing the Abbotts (1997) (uncredited) .... Narrator
'Weird Al' Yankovic: The Videos (1996) (V) .... Johnny Kelly (AKA Johnny Dangerously)(This Is The Life)
Multiplicity (1996) .... Doug Kinney
Speechless (1994) .... Kevin Vallick
Paper, The (1994) .... Henry Hackett, Metro Editor New York Sun
My Life (1993/I) .... Bob Jones
Much Ado About Nothing (1993) .... Constable Dogberry
Kurenai no buta (1992) (voice: English version) .... Porco Rosso
... aka Crimson Pig (1992)
... aka Porco rosso (1995) (France)
Batman Returns (1992) .... Batman (Bruce Wayne)
One Good Cop (1991) .... Artie Lewis
Pacific Heights (1990) .... Carter Hayes
Batman (1989) .... Batman/Bruce Wayne
White Noise (2004) (post-production) .... John Rivers
Live From Baghdad (2002) (TV) .... Robert Wiener
Quicksand (2001/I) .... Martin Raikes
Shot at Glory, A (2000) .... Peter Cameron
Jack Frost (1998) .... Jack Frost
... aka Frost (1998)
Out of Sight (1998) (uncredited) .... Ray Nicolette
Desperate Measures (1998) .... Peter McCabe
Jackie Brown (1997) .... Ray Nicolette
Inventing the Abbotts (1997) (uncredited) .... Narrator
'Weird Al' Yankovic: The Videos (1996) (V) .... Johnny Kelly (AKA Johnny Dangerously)(This Is The Life)
Multiplicity (1996) .... Doug Kinney
Speechless (1994) .... Kevin Vallick
Paper, The (1994) .... Henry Hackett, Metro Editor New York Sun
My Life (1993/I) .... Bob Jones
Much Ado About Nothing (1993) .... Constable Dogberry
Kurenai no buta (1992) (voice: English version) .... Porco Rosso
... aka Crimson Pig (1992)
... aka Porco rosso (1995) (France)
Batman Returns (1992) .... Batman (Bruce Wayne)
One Good Cop (1991) .... Artie Lewis
Pacific Heights (1990) .... Carter Hayes
Batman (1989) .... Batman/Bruce Wayne
05-11-04, 06:18 PM
#8
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Keaton turned it down because of the direction Joel Shumacher wanted to take the franchise
aka
Getting in a lifeboat before the Titanic hit an iceberg.
Smart move.
aka
Getting in a lifeboat before the Titanic hit an iceberg.
Smart move.
05-11-04, 06:32 PM
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Originally posted by RyoHazuki
Keaton turned it down because of the direction Joel Shumacher wanted to take the franchise
aka
Getting in a lifeboat before the Titanic hit an iceberg.
Smart move.
Keaton turned it down because of the direction Joel Shumacher wanted to take the franchise
aka
Getting in a lifeboat before the Titanic hit an iceberg.
Smart move.
Aye. The series became unwatchable after Batman Returns, with any semblance of a plot giving way to showboat costumes and special effects that look childish rather than cool. The first 2 Batman movies were quite good (IMO) with excellent acting all around.
05-11-04, 06:34 PM
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I thought Val Kilmer was just as good as Batman, if not better. He certainally seemed to handle the dual thing better (Bruce/Batman) IMO.
Clooney of course was just a poor choice, but then again, he also had a sub-par script to work with.
An actor is not going to want to stick with Batman for a long time because they will not want to get typecast as him (for reference, see Adam West).
Clooney of course was just a poor choice, but then again, he also had a sub-par script to work with.
An actor is not going to want to stick with Batman for a long time because they will not want to get typecast as him (for reference, see Adam West).
05-11-04, 07:29 PM
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Originally posted by nightwing82
I thought Val Kilmer was just as good as Batman, if not better. He certainally seemed to handle the dual thing better (Bruce/Batman) IMO.
I thought Val Kilmer was just as good as Batman, if not better. He certainally seemed to handle the dual thing better (Bruce/Batman) IMO.
Personally, I blame Joel Schlockmaker for the death of the Batman franchise.
05-11-04, 07:40 PM
#15
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Originally posted by Abob Teff
Personally, I blame Joel Schlockmaker for the death of the Batman franchise.
Personally, I blame Joel Schlockmaker for the death of the Batman franchise.
05-11-04, 07:49 PM
#16
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Bale is justified since it's a prequel. (and well, if they were still using Keaton that'd just be akward.)
Clooney and the entire Batman and Robin movie was just horrible. It wasn't Clooney's fault, but my god was that movie painful.
Keaton was great, and Kilmer was quite good.
Dunno why it can't keep a single one, but I bet Keaton is happy as hell he didn't do Forever and & Robin, even with his record of recent movies - nothing stings worse than having to admit you're in Batman and Robin.
...Of course, they could have just made Kevin Conroy into Batman and kept him animated, with CG these days only 80% of the population would be able to tell.
Clooney and the entire Batman and Robin movie was just horrible. It wasn't Clooney's fault, but my god was that movie painful.
Keaton was great, and Kilmer was quite good.
Dunno why it can't keep a single one, but I bet Keaton is happy as hell he didn't do Forever and & Robin, even with his record of recent movies - nothing stings worse than having to admit you're in Batman and Robin.
...Of course, they could have just made Kevin Conroy into Batman and kept him animated, with CG these days only 80% of the population would be able to tell.
05-11-04, 07:56 PM
#17
Banned by request
Two reasons I can think of why an actor would not want to be Batman.
1. Batman is far more interesting than Bruce Wayne, but since being Batman means almost all of your body is covered in a suit, it's not such a great role for an actor.
2. The villains almost always upstage Batman. They did in the first three. I didn't see the fourth.
1. Batman is far more interesting than Bruce Wayne, but since being Batman means almost all of your body is covered in a suit, it's not such a great role for an actor.
2. The villains almost always upstage Batman. They did in the first three. I didn't see the fourth.
05-11-04, 08:56 PM
#18
Banned
Keaton jumped ship because it was obvious the series was going in the wrong direction but also, I think, because the role wasn't offering him anything to work with. As cool as Keaton looks in the suit, that's all the role really requires. He barely makes an impression in Batman Returns. Speaking of which, nothing else really does in that mess of a movie besides Pfeiffer's Catwoman. Sometimes people talk like the Burton films are destined to be classics or something but let's get serious: the original movie has a weak script and Returns is flat-out preposterous with so many asinine ideas that go nowhere and such a horrible re-imagining of the Penguin that I would say that that was the end of the Batman film franchise as a respectable series right then and there.
05-11-04, 09:08 PM
#19
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Would it be too much of a stretch to say that the Batman films are following a similar pattern to the comics? Which would suggest the next film should kick ass.
05-11-04, 09:39 PM
#20
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Originally posted by Rivero
Keaton jumped ship because it was obvious the series was going in the wrong direction but also, I think, because the role wasn't offering him anything to work with. As cool as Keaton looks in the suit, that's all the role really requires. He barely makes an impression in Batman Returns. Speaking of which, nothing else really does in that mess of a movie besides Pfeiffer's Catwoman. Sometimes people talk like the Burton films are destined to be classics or something but let's get serious: the original movie has a weak script and Returns is flat-out preposterous with so many asinine ideas that go nowhere and such a horrible re-imagining of the Penguin that I would say that that was the end of the Batman film franchise as a respectable series right then and there.
Keaton jumped ship because it was obvious the series was going in the wrong direction but also, I think, because the role wasn't offering him anything to work with. As cool as Keaton looks in the suit, that's all the role really requires. He barely makes an impression in Batman Returns. Speaking of which, nothing else really does in that mess of a movie besides Pfeiffer's Catwoman. Sometimes people talk like the Burton films are destined to be classics or something but let's get serious: the original movie has a weak script and Returns is flat-out preposterous with so many asinine ideas that go nowhere and such a horrible re-imagining of the Penguin that I would say that that was the end of the Batman film franchise as a respectable series right then and there.
Penguin was great also.
05-11-04, 09:42 PM
#21
Guest
As others have expressed, I think it is obvious that Keaton jumped ship at, what turned out to be, the right time.
As for the others, they probably signed on for 2 factors: 1. Deals that they couldn't pass on $-wise and 2. They thought the film would be a hit/comeback hit/vehicle.
When factor 2. turned out to be wrong, they studio probably didn't want and/or offer such good $ for them to return or they new it was time to cash in their chips and leave the dead franchise.
As for the others, they probably signed on for 2 factors: 1. Deals that they couldn't pass on $-wise and 2. They thought the film would be a hit/comeback hit/vehicle.
When factor 2. turned out to be wrong, they studio probably didn't want and/or offer such good $ for them to return or they new it was time to cash in their chips and leave the dead franchise.
05-11-04, 10:57 PM
#22
Banned
Originally posted by RyoHazuki
I disagree. Batman was (and probably still is) THE definitive comic book film.
Penguin was great also.
I disagree. Batman was (and probably still is) THE definitive comic book film.
Penguin was great also.
05-11-04, 11:05 PM
#23
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I think Keaton quit because of the direction of Schumacher, and also because of the fact he had a devotion to Burton. He probably would've done the film if Burton had agreed.
Kilmer...difficult to work with, didn't want to return...I'm sure those are the reasons.
Why didn't Clooney return? Well, that's obvious...Warner wanted to restart the franchise, and I doubt Clooney would've even considered doing another Batman movie. He's been quoted as saying that movie is awful.
Kilmer...difficult to work with, didn't want to return...I'm sure those are the reasons.
Why didn't Clooney return? Well, that's obvious...Warner wanted to restart the franchise, and I doubt Clooney would've even considered doing another Batman movie. He's been quoted as saying that movie is awful.
05-12-04, 02:49 AM
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Originally posted by Rivero
Sometimes people talk like the Burton films are destined to be classics or something but let's get serious: the original movie has a weak script and Returns is flat-out preposterous with so many asinine ideas that go nowhere and such a horrible re-imagining of the Penguin that I would say that that was the end of the Batman film franchise as a respectable series right then and there.
Sometimes people talk like the Burton films are destined to be classics or something but let's get serious: the original movie has a weak script and Returns is flat-out preposterous with so many asinine ideas that go nowhere and such a horrible re-imagining of the Penguin that I would say that that was the end of the Batman film franchise as a respectable series right then and there.
05-12-04, 04:42 AM
#25
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
the original batman 1990 was a great movie. the other three weren't good but they had a good performence in each of them. batman returns, catwomen was awesome, pfeiffer can lick me anytime. batman forever, i loved jim carrey as the riddler. sure he was just doing his normal jim carrey thing, but he's very funny while doing it. batman and robin, the movie was horrible. i like howard stern's description of it, the gay ice capades, not that there's anything wrong with that. i did enjoy arnold's mr. freeze. although i am a big arnold fan, so i do have a bias.