Batman Forever

Batman Forever is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton, based on the DC Comics character Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger The third installment of Warner Bros.' initial Batman film series, it is a sequel to Batman Returns starring Val Kilmer and replacing Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne / Batman, alongside Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman, Chris O'Donnell, Michael Gough, and Pat Hingle. The plot focuses on Batman trying to stop Two-Face and the Riddler in their scheme to extract information from all the minds in Gotham City while adopting an orphaned acrobat named Dick Grayson—who becomes his sidekick, Robin—and developing feelings for psychologist Dr. Chase Meridian. Schumacher mostly eschewed the dark, dystopian atmosphere of Burton's films by drawing inspiration from the Batman comic books of the Dick Sprang era, as well as the 1960s television series, but without the campiness of the next film. Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne is much more prominent in the film, and like in Batman: The Animated Series, he is shown to be actively involved in the management of Wayne Enterprises. After Keaton chose not to reprise his role, William Baldwin and Ethan Hawke were considered as a replacement before Val Kilmer joined the cast. Batman Forever was released on June 16, 1995, to mixed reviews from critics, who praised the cinematography, music, action sequences and performances of Carrey and Jones, but criticized the CGI, costume designs, and tonal departure from previous films. The film was a box office success, grossing over $336 million worldwide and became the sixth-highest-grossing film worldwide of 1995. It was followed by Batman & Robin in 1997, with Schumacher returning as the director, Chris O'Donnell returning as Robin, and George Clooney replacing Kilmer as Batman.