10 facts you didn’t know about Tim Burton’s unmade third Batman film

The celebrated “I’m Batman!” exclamation is an indelible portion of Michael Keaton’s return connected nan eponymous character that has fascinated audiences and fans for decades. Director Tim Burton introduced nan world to a superhero communicative that, astatine nan time, was mostly unconventional, pinch sweeping shades of dark, gothic themes that stood successful stark opposition to animated serials for illustration Super Friends aliases Adam West’s live-action campy loop of nan Caped Crusader that came before. For that reason, Keaton’s type of Batman will everlastingly beryllium imprinted successful nan minds of cinema fans.

Of course, Burton ever planned to proceed his activity successful Gotham, creating a trilogy of films pinch a slayer threequel. However, nan head moved connected to different projects aft Batman Returns, abandoning his ideas and hopes for a 3rd Batman movie owed to a confluence of events that yet saw him beryllium replaced by Joel Schumacher (The Phantom of nan Opera, Phone Booth). Still, 1 has to wonderment what could person been successful immoderate alternate beingness wherever Burton’s 3rd Batman movie saw nan ray of day. While small is known astir nan imaginable crippled that Burton had successful mind, location are respective tidbits of accusation that person surfaced complete nan years concerning nan unmade Batman film.

Batman Continues?

Warner Bros. 1992 / Warner Bros.

Look, Batman Forever whitethorn person not been nan top title for a purported threequel successful nan Batman series. And moreover if we would alternatively person had Burton information retired a trilogy, nan title for his adjacent live-action movie was really worse — if you tin judge it. The unmade 3rd movie successful nan unfinished Burton trilogy would person been called Batman Continues.

It doesn’t get immoderate much connected nan chemoreceptor than that, right? And if it was put into production, surely level heads would person prevailed and kicked that horrid title to nan curb. But nevertheless, it was nan nickname for this legendary nonexistent film.

Burton’s films were excessively acheronian for Warner Brothers

Warner Bros.

It’s difficult imagining this being nan lawsuit pinch nan ultra grimdark worlds nan Nolan Batman trilogy, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and The Batman have brought us, but astatine 1 point, Burton was excessively edgy for immoderate workplace execs. In fact, this is nan logic that Batman Continues was ne'er put into production. It was decided that Batman should beryllium much approachable for a family audience, which is why head Schumacher was brought successful for Batman Forever.

In 1992, conscionable aft Batman Returns hit theaters, Entertainment Weekly reported that workplace execs were grumbling down nan scenes because of nan acheronian quality of Burton’s Gotham. The crude puns, innuendo, and random unit were yet blamed for nan film’s accelerated drop-off successful container agency returns and this is 1 logic why Batman Continues never saw nan ray of day.

Toys played a domiciled successful nan demise of Burton’s imaginable 3rd film

Warner Bros.

If you were either a genitor aliases a kid erstwhile Burton’s 1992 Batman Returns came out, past you mightiness retrieve nan McDonald’s Happy Meal artifact statement that complemented nan film’s release. Parents would soon beryllium dismayed to find that Batman Returns was acold excessively acheronian for their mini children. The backlash complete nan McDonald’s toys would scope a fever pitch, yet causing McDonald’s to respond pinch a statement that nan fast-food concatenation ne'er intended to beforehand nan film, but only spark liking successful nan Batman character. Right.

After moving connected to Schumacher, nan lighthearted quality of nan movie furthered Warner Bros.’s merchandising efforts erstwhile it came to children’s toys. Clearly, nan McDonald’s fiasco was a representation WB preferred to put successful nan Batmobile’s rearview mirror.

Billy Dee Williams would person reprised his domiciled arsenic Harvey Dent

Warner Bros.

Fans of nan original 1989 movie were keenly alert of Billy Dee Williams’ domiciled successful nan movie arsenic nan territory lawyer Harvey Dent. The characteristic famously goes connected to go 1 of Batman’s superior foes aft a conflict pinch nan mobsters Dent seeks to fastener distant leaves him physically scarred connected half of his face. While location person been various iterations of nan story, nan astir notable type of events is nan 1 seen successful writer Jeph Loeb’s Batman: The Long Halloween, in which Harvey’s look is splashed pinch acerb by a gangster successful a courtroom.

Batman Forever featured Harvey Dent/Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) successful a villainous domiciled alongside Jim Carrey’s Riddler. However, nan movie was alternatively zany and avoided nan acheronian and twisted themes seen successful Burton’s films. Little is known astir nan wide crippled of Batman Continues, but Williams apt would person reprised his domiciled arsenic Two-Face successful Burton’s Batman future. The alteration successful directors, however, seemingly changed everything, including Two-Face’s casting.

Marlon Wayans was group to play Robin

Dimension Films

If you thought that Burton ne'er considered having nan Boy Wonder beryllium a portion of his Batman world, you’d beryllium mistaken. In fact, nan head formed Robin for Batman Returns. Marlon Wayans was group to play nan different half of nan Dynamic Duo. In an question and reply pinch Gizmodo, Wayans explained that he had signed a statement and was moreover fitted for nan suit. His characteristic was trim from nan film, however, erstwhile it was decided that nan formed was excessively bloated.

Wayans, however, still received costs for nan domiciled and was going to yet make his debut quality successful Batman Continues. Of course, arsenic is nan inclination pinch each of Burton’s plans for Continues, everything changed erstwhile nan director’s chair shifted complete to Schumacher.

Michael Keaton opted retired of nan cowl

Warner Bros.

Keaton, nan sparkling prima of Burton’s Batman movies, was ever group to reprise his domiciled arsenic nan Caped Crusader successful Batman Continues. Burton wouldn’t person it immoderate different way. When nan head was replaced by Joel Schumacher, Keaton was still successful nan position to play nan role. However, Keaton favored Burton’s guidance for nan characteristic successful nan unmade Batman Continues film.

After reference Schumacher’s book and seeing nan guidance nan caller head was taking Batman Forever, Keaton opted retired of nan role. Warner Bros. was prepared to offer Keaton a whopping $15 cardinal payday to support him connected board. However, that didn’t extremity nan character from jumping ship.

Burton asking Brad Dourif to play Scarecrow ne'er happened

MGM/UA Communications Co.

There has been an enduring rumor that has existed complete nan years that Burton had mulled complete utilizing nan celebrated Chucky actor Brad Dourif successful nan domiciled of nan twisted psychology professor Jonathan Crane, who becomes nan villainous Scarecrow. Famously, Scarecrow uses a hallucinogenic supplier known arsenic fearfulness toxin to induce horrific visions successful his victims centered astir their worst fears.

Whether Burton genuinely considered nan thought of bringing Dourif connected committee is unknown. However, nan information of nan rumors that authorities that Burton discussed nan domiciled pinch Dourif is false. In an question and reply pinch Birth.Movies.Death, Dourif shared nan following:

Y’know, I’ve heard that! One clip I saw Tim Burton connected an airplane and he was looking astatine maine very interestedly. But I ne'er said to him astir it, and I deliberation I wouldn’t person been large capable a prima for anyone to formed maine successful that role. He might’ve been interested, but I uncertainty nan powers that beryllium would’ve fto him do it.

While nan thought seems interesting, Dourif and Burton ne'er really met complete nan possibility.

Michelle Pfeiffer would person returned

Warner Bros.

Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman would yet go an icon aft overcoming nan hurdle of parental condemnation of nan character’s overt sexualization. Later, Pfeiffer’s type of nan characteristic would go regarded by galore arsenic 1 who owned her sexuality and was an empowering figure. Batman Returns saw nan characteristic slink disconnected into nan shadows, pinch Bruce longing to spot her erstwhile again. Pfeiffer was ever group to reprise her domiciled successful a early Batman film.

But what’s moreover much absorbing is that Pfeiffer’s Catwoman was erstwhile group to person her ain spinoff film directed by Burton. Of course, this scheme dissolved nan infinitesimal Burton near nan director’s chair of nan 3rd Batman film. But fans still wonderment astir what could person been. Certainly, immoderate movie headlining Pfeiffer’s return connected nan characteristic would person been infinitely amended than nan Catwoman movie we did receive.

Burton near because he felt nan workplace didn’t want him

Warner Bros.

While it’s evident that nan workplace had different plans successful mind pursuing nan nationalist reception to Batman Returns, Burton still met pinch Warner Bros. to talk a threequel. However, nan activity efficaciously “beat astir nan bush” erstwhile it came to letting nan head cognize really they felt astir a 3rd film. Burton fundamentally had to publication nan room to get nan idea.

Burton described nan meeting aft sharing his ideas for a 3rd film:

I realized halfway done my gathering pinch Warner Bros. that they didn’t really want maine to do nan movie. They kept saying, ‘Don’t you wanna spell backmost and do a movie for illustration Edward Scissorhands? Something smaller?’ I said, ‘You don’t want maine to do nan movie, do you?’

The penning was connected nan wall, and Burton knew erstwhile he wasn’t wanted. He was ne'er outright removed from nan occupation but maintains that nan workplace pushed him retired successful favour of a different vision.

A existent sequel

Warner Bros.

At nan extremity of nan day, Batman Continues would person been thing awkward of a bona fide sequel to Batman Returns. As nan title implies, location would person been a chopped level of consistency betwixt nan films alternatively of nan disjointed world of Batman Forever — a movie that would yet confuse fans owed to its position successful Burton’s canon contempt Gotham and its characters (except for Michael Gough’s Alfred) being wholly different.

A book for Batman Continues ne'er came to fruition, which is why Burton’s intended crippled is still mostly unknown. Even nan head was simply successful nan “ideas” shape of nan film’s development. Still, it’s difficult not to wonderment what a existent sequel to headdress disconnected a Burton Batman trilogy would person been like. Now, we’ll conscionable person to settee for The Flash as Keaton’s “third” Batman film.

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