Batman Forever 170 Minute Cut

[ben6543]

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/jo...orever-exists/

A super-sized version of Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever reportedly exists in the form of a nearly three-hour director's cut. Writer and podcaster Marc Bernardin reported on Fatman Beyond that he had it on very good authority that a 170-minute cut of the movie exists, but that Warner Bros. has never made a move toward releasing it because they weren't sure whether there was a market for a longer, darker version of a lighthearted, popcorn-movie version of Batman. The film, in which Val Kilmer played Batman while Chris O'Donnell played Robin, Jim Carrey was The Riddler, and Tommy Lee Jones was Two-Face, was a turning point for the character.

When Batman came out in 1989, Tim Burton rebelled against the camp and silliness that most non-comics audiences associated with the character as a result of the wildly popular 1966 Batman TV series. Burton went darker still with Batman Returns, and when Warner Bros. wanted to try something else for the third movie, Schumacher presented a neon-technicolor film, saturated with camp and bringing the spirit of the '60s show to the big screen.

"I have it on pretty good authority that there exists in the Warner Bros. vault a 170-minute cut of Batman Forever," Bernardin told his co-host Kevin Smith. "I think that it went much deeper into his childhood psychosis and his mental blocks and that it was a more serious, darker version of that movie that was one of the first assemblies that Joel filed with the studio and they eventually cut it down because they were like 'it's too dark for kids. We gotta sell these Happy Meals, so maybe let's not invest ourselves in the trauma of childhood murder. We've got Jim Carrey, let him do some s--t."

Smith said that while WB might doubt it, he strongly suspects fans would like to see the extended cut, noting that post-laserdisc and DVD, audiences are smart enough to understand the differences between cuts.

#releasetheSchumachercut

[CyberpunkCentral]

Old news is old.

[AKORIS]

I think the movie was long enough as it is......

[sxerunner]

A portion of this cut can be found in the deleted scenes section of the Blu-Ray, but having them integrated into the film would be nice. Plus it explains why the film is called “Batman Forever”.

[Bugg]

I honestly think is was worse than Batman & Robin. Can't imagine sitting though a 3 hour cut.

[BluBonnet]

Will make a great HBOMax exclusive.

[CreasyBear]

Gimme!

[Michael24]

I've always wanted to see Schumacher's original cut. For the most part I still enjoyed the film and think it's not nearly as dreadful as Batman & Robin, so I'm interested in this version. I remember back in the mid-2000s there was talk that it would be included when WB did those Special Edition DVDs but then they supposedly abandoned that at the last minute.

[dallywhitty]

I've always loved Batman Forever in its current state, but it goes without saying that I'd happily watch a near three hour cut. That said, I imagine it's an assembly cut, as the deleted scenes in the extras amount to about 15 minutes. I'm not saying there isn't unseen additional material (like Nygma injecting Chase with the large needle), but I think it's bits and pieces here and there as opposed to entire scenes.

[SmittysGelato]

Oh god. The current film is obnoxious enough as it is. I don't think I could handle three hours of it.

[ben6543]

Batman Forever is a Guilty Pleasure cause I watched it like crazy as a kid. The Schumacher cut sounds interesting dealing with Bruce's childhood psychosis and his mental blocks . id rather have those deleted scenes put into the movie.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by SmittysGelato

Oh god. The current film is obnoxious enough as it is. I don't think I could handle three hours of it.

[IndyMLVC]

To release this after Joel dies without him being able to do a commentary to explain everything would truly suck.

[jess1581]

Originally Posted by IndyMLVC

To release this after Joel dies without him being able to do a commentary to explain everything would truly suck.

Sigh, sometimes you gotta take the good with the bad... and I know you'd be on this like white on rice... So would I, and I'm a confident Schumacher supporter. I'll miss his kind voice and insights.

[IndyMLVC]

Originally Posted by jess1581

Sigh, sometimes you gotta take the good with the bad... and I know you'd be on this like white on rice... So would I, and I'm a confident Schumacher supporter. I'll miss his kind voice and insights.

Oh...I'd definitely purchase it immediately. I'm just saying that it would be pretty tragic.

[dallywhitty]

Y'know Schumacher recorded a commentary back in 2005, right?

[IndyMLVC]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

Y'know Schumacher recorded a commentary back in 2005, right?

Yes. For the theatrical. Would be a different situation if he were watching his original cut while explaining all of the differences, why they were removed and what he thought they showed.

Also, he recorded a commentary for Veronica Guerin for its original DVD release and, when a blu-ray edition was being created, he asked to re-record the commentary. He was a man who clearly had a lot to say.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by IndyMLVC

He was a man who clearly had a lot to say.

Indeed, but I never got the impression that WB interfered with Forever to the extent that folks make out. WB hired Schumacher because they wanted a Batman film that was more 'hip' after Returns alienated McDonald's and outraged parents. Yes, some darker content wound up on the cutting room floor (like the scene in which Bruce discovers his father's journal and confronts the giant bat), but I think that was mainly a result of trimming the film down to its 121 min running time. Schumacher has always been candid in interviews, but outside of saying that there was pressure to make B&R more 'toyetic,' by and large, it sounds like he made the Batman films he wanted to make: live-action cartoons.

Like I said, I'd happily watch an assembly cut of Forever, but I don't think WB are sleeping on anything revolutionary. Most of the deleted scenes have been available since 2005, which a lot of peeps on the Internet don't even seem to realise.

[Michael24]

Wasn't his original version also structured differently, at least in the early portions? I recall reading years ago that scenes were in different order. For example, the theatrical cut opens with the hostage situation at the bank involving Two-Face, while originally that scene took place after Bruce meets Nygma for the first time and was actually the reason Bruce leaves that meeting upon seeing the Batsymbol.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by Michael24

Wasn't his original version also structured differently, at least in the early portions? I recall reading years ago that scenes were in different order. For example, the theatrical cut opens with the hostage situation at the bank involving Two-Face, while originally that scene took place after Bruce meets Nygma for the first time and was actually the reason Bruce leaves that meeting upon seeing the Batsymbol.

Yeah, the original plan was to open with Dent's escape from Arkham, followed by Bruce's introduction to Nygma, followed by Bat's arrival at the bank. I haven't read the comic adaptation in years, but I think it follows the same sequence of events as the screenplay.

Personally I love the way the film opens, with Batman suiting up. I could do without the drive-thru line, though...