How Tim Burton's BATMAN RETURNS Upset McDonalds

How Tim Burton's BATMAN RETURNS Upset McDonalds

Big Eyes director Tim Burton chatted with Yahoo about casting Michael Keaton ("Desperate Measures") to be his Caped Crusader and why he wasn't asked to direct the sequel to Batman Returns. Hit the jump to check it out.

By nailbiter111 - Dec 23, 2014 04:12 AM EST
Filed Under: Batman Forever (1995)
Source: yahoo

Tim Burton is currently promoting his latest movie Big Eyes and during interview-after-interview he has been fielding a lot of questions about his previous films like Batman and Batman Returns. In a recent interview with Yahoo Movies, Burton discussed the reasons he chose Michael Keaton ("Mr. Mom") to play Bruce Wayne/Batman, and how the Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot (Danny DeVito) death scene in Batman Returns upset McDonalds.

On walking away from Gotham City following 1992’s sequel, Batman Returns:
I think I upset McDonalds. [They asked] ‘What’s that black stuff coming out of the Penguin’s mouth. We can’t sell Happy Meals with that!’ It was a weird reaction to Batman Returns, because half the people thought it was lighter than the first one and half the people thought it was darker. I think the studio just thought it was too weird — they wanted to go with something more child- or family- friendly. In other words, they didn’t want me to do another one.”


Once Burton was out of the picture Joel Schumacher ("The Lost Boys") took over as director of the Warner Bros. Batman franchise. The dark, gothic aesthetics of Burton's Batman films were replaced with bright neon colors. Even the tone and dialogue of the Schumacher's Batman films reverted back to the campy and silly elements of Adam West's '60s television series.

On why Michael Keaton seemed crazy enough for 1989’s Batman:
"It got a lot of criticism for being too dark, and there was a lot of criticism for casting Michael Keaton. They thought it was going to be a comedy or whatever, but it felt very special. We met these big tough guys, but what it came down was that, you look at someone like Michael and you think, ‘Here’s a guy you can see dressing up like a bat.’ He’s got the eyes and the kind of crazy quality and the kind of internal life, but he’s not Arnold Schwarzenegger.

So, here’s somebody who needed to create a persona to frighten people and intimidate people, and Michael just seemed like the perfect person to be that. The studio was quite supportive. Thank God, the Internet wasn’t as big then, because we would have been really murdered. But even without the Internet, there was a lot of negativity and alarm.”

In the second of the blockbuster Batman films, the physically deformed criminal genius The Penguin threatens Gotham City--and, helpless, the entire city can only pray that Batman Returns. Only Batman (Michael Keaton) can defend the city from total chaos as The Penguin (Danny DeVito) lays twisted waste to a great metropolis. Meanwhile, the Dark Knight may have met his equal in the lethally lithe Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer)--only he doesn't know if she is feline friend ... or foe.

Starring: Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Danny DeVito as Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin, Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Christopher Walken as Max Shreck Directed by Tim Burton * Screenplay by Daniel Waters
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Abary
Abary - 12/23/2014, 7:00 AM
One time I went to McD's for breakfast and ordered this sandwich with eggs, cheese, bacon, stuff like that, you know? Well, when I took a bite, there was this gross sauce on it. Upon opening the sandwich and getting a better taste of this 'mystery sauce' (I was really curious to know what it was), I realized that this 'sauce' that was drowning the sandwich was actually melted butter.

Never again...
Launchpad
Launchpad - 12/23/2014, 7:02 AM
Batman TAS >>>>>>The Dark Knight >>>>> Batman 89 >>>>>> Batman Begins >>>> Batman Returns >>>>>>> The Dark Knight Rises >>>>> Batman Forever >>>>>>>> Batman 66 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Batman and Robin
mbembet
mbembet - 12/23/2014, 7:04 AM
Bale's Batman >>>>>>>>keaton's
i cannot wait for ben affleck he will kick the crap out of man of shit
pepe
pepe - 12/23/2014, 7:07 AM
Moviestudios makes the most stupid move when they want to make more money. Burtons Batman lighting and shadows are so perfect.
tokens
tokens - 12/23/2014, 7:08 AM
@McDonalds
shadearts
shadearts - 12/23/2014, 7:10 AM
Many people didn't like Burton's Penguin. Its my favorite I always though the Penguin was the most boring Batman villain tell that movie
JoJo1982
JoJo1982 - 12/23/2014, 7:10 AM
Burton's Batman world was a lot better
SuperCat
SuperCat - 12/23/2014, 7:13 AM
McDonalds sucks anyway.

tokens
tokens - 12/23/2014, 7:14 AM
..damn... watchin tht clip... Pfeiffer was perfect.
Pfeiffer >>>>>>>> all other cbm casting
SuperCat
SuperCat - 12/23/2014, 7:14 AM
Matchow
Matchow - 12/23/2014, 7:14 AM
Seriously, watch these again. They do NOT hold up well at all. Completely cringe-worthy. I was 14 when the first Batman film came out, and it never sat well with me. But to watch any of this series now is an exercise in embarrassment. Awful. Just my opinion.
LP4
LP4 - 12/23/2014, 7:14 AM
Batman Returns remains to this day as my most favorite Batman film ever made. The villains were perfect and had a lot of depth. Max Shrek pretty much was the real villain since he used Penguin and Catwoman. The music was beautiful especially when Penguin died and the penguins buried him underwater. The action was great when Batman was fighting Penguin's Red Triangle Gang. Perfect Batman film
LP4
LP4 - 12/23/2014, 7:15 AM
You actually felt sympathy for Penguin and Catwoman in this film
wcwpoet
wcwpoet - 12/23/2014, 7:18 AM
I always felt like Batman Returns was an improvement. Burton did lose the the true essence of Batman to me, having him killing and stuff. But overall he got the tone right. Batman needed a lot more movement but overall they were damn good movies, I remember that last sequence with Penguin rising out of the water I always thought was cool, though I've always thought of the Penguin more refined as opposed to the crazy slob Burton put out there.
RacerREX
RacerREX - 12/23/2014, 7:20 AM
Sorry, but having the Penguin riding in a giant rubber ducky? Catwoman's line "Saved by kitty litter"! That wasn't campy??? There were alot of positives in both Burton films but Returns was his Raimi Spidey 4.
Scarilian
Scarilian - 12/23/2014, 7:21 AM
Returns could have been a lot better if it made a choice between comedy and seriousness. It never really made that choice so when an army of penguins with rockets attached appear it is difficult to really judge if its suppose to be taken seriously.

I am one who enjoys dark humour, but if the humour isnt seperate from the serious moments then its less dark humour and more akward humour. Such as when you have scenes where the penguin plans to drown children, which he captures while riding around in a toy train. Its intended to be serious, yet the plan fails immediately and never had a chance of working because trying to hide the toy train while driving around the city was bound to backfire.
BAS
BAS - 12/23/2014, 7:29 AM
Batman Returns was my least Batman film until I watched it again recently. I think it holds up pretty well. I still don't get Selina Kyle's Catwoman transformation.
SoundWave
SoundWave - 12/23/2014, 7:32 AM
Great Batman movie! Much better than all Nolan's boring trilogy. Burton RULEZZZ!!!
Nickk
Nickk - 12/23/2014, 7:41 AM
popeyes 4 the win
DEVLIN712
DEVLIN712 - 12/23/2014, 7:43 AM
@SuperCat
I've been looking for a gif of that famous fight between Gusto and Bats for ages, thanks!
JoJo1982
JoJo1982 - 12/23/2014, 7:46 AM
Thanx to Burton's Batman films, we got one of the best comic book cartoon show ever..... Batman the animated series
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