Why Tim Burton is Wrong

We are on the 30th anniversary of Warner Bros.' Batman Returns. Fans are celebrating with re-watches while posting all over social media. Meanwhile, the less than creative news outlets rely on anniversaries for stories. Enter director Tim Burton and his interview with Empire.

“[Back then] they went the other way. That’s the funny thing about it,” Burton said. “But then I was like, ‘Wait a minute. Okay. Hold on a second here. You complain about me, I’m too weird, I’m too dark, and then you put nipples on the costume?” “Go f*** yourself.’ Seriously. So yeah, I think that’s why I didn’t end up [making Batman Forever].”

Thirty years later and Burton sounds rather petty. His perceived weirdness is nothing like Schumacher's weirdness. At least, that is how the wanna-be Ed Wood director sees it, almost feeling Schumacher's is worse. Fans and critics of both can compile an entire list of who is weirder. However, calling the studio out as hypocrites shows Burton's take as childish and downright incoherent. After decades in Hollywood, he should know what it all boils down to for the studio. Money!

Batmania

The first Batman film was a huge box office success! Warner Bros released the film on June 23, 1989, in over 2,100 theaters, with an opening weekend of over $40 million. Batman breaks the opening weekend records held by Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (which had a 4-day Memorial Day weekend gross of $37 million the previous month) and Ghostbusters II (which had a $29.4 million 3-day weekend the preceding weekend). By December 14, 1989, the film closes with a domestic gross of over $251 million. It wound up being the number one highest-grossing film in America in 1989.

Internationally, the film did not beat Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade or Back To The Future II, coming in third place with a gross of over $160 million. Worldwide, the film has a total gross of over $411 million and was the number two highest-grossing film of 1989. The mere sight of seeing what was a new franchise to inch up on these two established film series is saying something to the studio. The film gets a home release in November 1989, raking over $150 million in home video sales. Batmania, or the summer of 1989, sees the sale of over $750 million worth of Batman merchandise. Prince's Batman soundtrack goes double-platinum! The Bat Signal strikes the sky with that triumphant Danny Elfman score, and investors look up and see dollar signs. Enter Batman Returns.

Burton Returns

In the beginning, Tim Burton wanted no part in doing a sequel to Batman. He did not have a good time during production and had no interest in doing another. Warner Bros offered Tim Burton complete creative control, and his butt was in the seat. The studio more than doubled the production budget of the previous film, aiming to cash in on the success of 1989's Batman. Although, part of inflated budget was also due to the crew falling behind schedule. They bring back Tim Burton, who is on top after the first film, plus Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands. Michael Keaton returns for the role of our hero, and we stack up the cast with the likes of Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Christopher Walken. They maintain Danny Elfman as the film's composer - they got the tools needed for a knock-out sequel!

Batman Returns opened on June 19, 1992, in 2,600 plus theaters with a weekend gross of over $45 million. Already the film is beating its predecessor but then comes the second weekend. Tim Burton's sequel suffered a 44% second-weekend drop when the previous film dropped only 26%. A film's second weekend does not pre-determine its fate, but it can be an indicator. Our caped crusader holds onto the #1 spot for a weekend more than the first film. In 1989, he had to compete with the sequel to Lethal Weapon. Batman Returns' tenure at the box office was shorter-lived, closing on October 22, 1992, with over $162 million. With only 126 days at the domestic box office, Batman was 1.5 times ahead of it by 126 days. Batman Returns would be the third highest-grossing film in America in 1992.

Internationally, Batman Returns brings in over $103 million as the seventh highest-grossing film of 1992. Worldwide, the film has a total gross of over $266 million and was the number six highest-grossing film of 1992. We see Batman Returns losing to other sequels, such as Home Alone and Lethal Weapon. Other movies like Basic Instinct, The Bodyguard, and Disney's Aladdin gave Batman a run for his money. Across the board - domestically, internationally, and worldwide, Batman Returns takes a 35% dip from its predecessor. The one metric it wins is in the opening weekend. Yet, when you adjust Batman's opening weekend for inflation, it makes slightly more. Hence, there is no growth in this movie.

Understanding The Numbers

Do not balk at the film's numbers, for it made over half a billion dollars when adjusted for inflation. Many sequels in the late eighties and early nineties did not outgross their predecessor. None of them did poorly enough to follow up with a soft reboot. The one exception could be Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning. A Wall Street investor is not necessary when you pour over these numbers. Notice the 35% drop in all markets. It drops in the charts in all rankings too. On home video, it makes $50 million less, and multiple comics that shops order for the film ends up in overstock. Sadly, there was no Batmania in 1992. In business 101, if you bring back the same crew, more or less, and they deliver significantly less than before, some restructuring is needed.

Now is there some weirdness in Batman Returns from Tim Burton? Objectively, yes! It is hard to forgive scenes such as The Penguin referring to his penis as a parasol, stating "I'd like to fill her void" to a woman, and one cannot forget this speech made to penguins with missiles, "Why be biased? Male and female! Hell, the sexes are equal with their erogenous zones blown sky high!" Without going down the entire list, the tone of Batman Returns is nonsensically all-over-the-place. There was a parental backlash against the film, as they claimed it was violent and marketed toward kids. Parents and their groups demanded apologies from the studio, Kenner (the Batman toy manufacturer), and McDonalds' for their Batman Returns Happy Meal tie-in. Eventually, the fast-food giant pulls out, ending their tie-in with the film. The only thing investors hate more than a bad bottom line, is bad PR. Then they have to spend money for spin and to deter this bad press. Exit Tim Burton.

Not a fair question to ask, but who is to blame for all of this? Whenever a company faces restructuring and layoffs, the top brass does not voluntarily resign. Who is responsible for the production of Batman Returns? Who hired Daniel Waters for the script and okayed it? Who shot these scenes of sexual innuendo? Tim Burton, of course!

At the same time, we cannot put all the blame on the director here. Sequels are tricky, for it is rare to capture that lightning in a bottle twice. Yet, you do not want to end up remaking the first film. History has shown a few successful examples - Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Aliens, The Godfather Part II, etc. The film market of 1992 is not the same market as 1989. Batman (1989) was the first Batman film, hell, the first modern summer blockbuster. There was so much hype and anticipation riding on the original movie. Hence, the sequel was an up-hill battle for Burton. We cannot pin down the cause for the sequel's disappointing box office returns. Was it poor writing, fan backlash, parental backlash, or something else? When Warner Bros looked at the numbers, they had to make a call. Note that there is plenty of studio inference in the first film. Yet, in order to get a sequel off the ground with Burton at the helm, they had to offer him creative control. They took the risk, and made considerably less than the first movie. Strangely enough, Joel Schumacher had to make many studio concessions in Batman Forever. He did, and the film went on to outgross Batman Returns in every avenue. Batman Forever also ranked higher domestically and worldwide. Plus, the parents did not complain, and McDonalds did not exit from their tie-in.

Bat-nipples be damned, Warner Bros took a risk, and Batman Forever made more money. As cliché' as it may sound Mr. Burton, it's nothing personal, it's just business.

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And feel free to read some of my similar work on Batman Returns down below...

Catwoman Analysis & Retrospective

The Penguin is Electable

Batman Returns' Lack of Christmas Spirit

Sources

• The Caped Crusade: Batman and The Rise of Nerd Culture, Glen Weldon, Simon & Schuster, 2016
• Comic Book Movies, David Hughes, Virgin Books, 2003
• www.the-numbers.com
• Empire Magazine