Tim Burton’s Batman Returns, and rightfully so, feels more like a true Tim Burton movie than a Batman movie. After 1989’s Batman became a massive hit, Burton opted to return for a sequel if he could make it more of his own. This is something he certainly did with darker undertones, particularly with his depiction of Danny DeVito’s Penguin, and more adult innuendo. It’s a divisive film that has grown in popularity over the years but the film’s screenwriter believes that the sequel has never been popular with true Batman fans.
Daniel Waters, the screenwriter behind Batman Returns, recently spoke with Vulture and says that Burton’s Batman Returns has “never been popular with true Batman fans.” He seems to insinuate it’s a sort of anti-Batman movie because it heavily goes against what made the first film successful but he does acknowledge that people have come around to the movie a bit more in recent years:
“I think now — especially since the 2022 Batman came out, which I quite enjoyed — people are coming around to Batman Returns. Not that it wasn’t respected when it came out, but it’s never been popular with true Batman fans. A friend, fellow screenwriter Josh Olson, who wrote A History of Violence, has a line: “Batman Returns is a movie for people who hate Batman.” I accept that criticism.”
Batman Returns was released in 1992 and, although it did set opening weekend box office records upon its, the film saw a more swift drop off and it didn’t reach the financial heights of its 1989 predecessor. Its darker themes made it a tough sell as the film was being marketed to kids and many parents were a little upset by some of the more suggestive material in the movie. Warner Bros. execs were also put off because of its darker tone and saw that as a reason for it performing less than the first film. This led to Tim Burton being replaced with Joel Schumacher on the next installment, Batman Forever, which went much lighter in tone and saw improved box office.
A lot of fans are revisiting some of the older Batman films because of the release of The Batman but I’ve noticed that Batman Returns is being mentioned more and more as a fan favorite. All of the reasons that people felt it was too different back in 1992 are some of the reasons others are embracing it today.
What are YOUR thoughts on Daniel Waters saying Batman Returns has never been popular with true Batman fans?