Val Kilmer’s Batman Forever? When there’s talk of the best Batman films, the three Christian Bale-led ones often find a place on those lists. Of course, the two Michael Keaton-led films and the one Robert Pattinson-led movie are also revered. Fans also agree that Ben Affleck did a superb job as Gotham’s protector.
But the Val Kilmer-led and late Joel Schumacher-directed Batman Forever is often pretty low on such lists. Even though the film has had its fair share of critics, over the years nostalgia tinted many fans’ glasses, and they campaigned for a Schumacher Cut. Till now, this director’s cut remained sort of an urban myth. But now, Kevin Smith has confirmed that it exists.
Akiva Goldsman Revealed The Existence Of Batman Forever’s Schumacher Cut
Batman Forever grossed $336 million on a $100 million budget. But it didn’t quite write its name in the history books as one of the best Batman films. Viewers had a lot of complaints about the film, but what shocked everyone, later on, was that the theatrical cut wasn’t the director’s cut. So the late director had a completely different film planned.
Akiva Goldsman, who wrote the movie, once revealed that he had seen one version of the director’s cut. He said:
“I got to see it recently, the very first one, which was referred to as Preview Cut One and it was really dark, it was a pretty psychological exploration of guilt and shame.”
Campaigns around releasing the director’s cuts of famous films have grown stronger in recent years. It’s all thanks to the success of the Release The Snyder Cut campaign that led to the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Now, Batman fans want to see the Joel Schumacher Cut of Batman Forever, and Kevin Smith recently confirmed that he has seen it.
Kevin Smith Revealed He Has Watched Batman Forever‘s Schumacher Cut
During the latest episode of his Fat Man Beyond podcast, Kevin Smith revealed that he has watched a director’s cut of Joel Schumacher and Val Kilmer‘s Batman Forever. He said to his co-host:
“You know what I got a copy of? Batman Forever the f–kin’ Schumacher cut… I’ve watched it, it’s longer. You know how the movie starts with Two-Face busting into the bank and sh-t like that. That don’t happen for like 15 minutes in the original cut, it’s crazy. It’s a crazy good copy too, it’s off an Avid, it’s got temp score and everything. So on the June 19th show we’re going to be talking about it.”
Reportedly, the Schumacher Cut of Batman Forever is 50 minutes longer than the theatrical version, and it was also touted to be much darker than the one everyone saw. Also, there’s a scene where Val Kilmer’s Batman faces a humanoid bat. Guess we will know more about it in the June 19th episode of the Fat Man Beyond podcast.
Batman Forever is streaming on HBO Max.
Source: Fat Man Beyond
