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Tim Burton, after bringingBatmanand Gotham City to life in the 1989 Michael Keaton-led film, was once contacted to direct an origin superhero movie, but not under the same banner.
As we know, Burton didn’t come back for a threequel, and neither did Keaton. In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Burton revealed what had exactly happened, that he decided to leave the franchise.
Prior to the release ofBatman Returnsin 1992, fast food chain McDonald’s entered into a deal with Warner Bros. to promote the film. Burton said that they didn’t enjoy the violence and darkness of the film, which led the studios to evict him eventually.
Later down the road, according to a Variety report, Sony Pictures had approached Burton to establish a character that had been in development for a decade and a half. It was the $825 millionSpider-Man(2002) which, ultimately went to Sam Raimi.
Read More:“I’d have divorced Tim Burton if I hadn’t got it”: Helena Bonham Carter Threatened Husband If She Didn’t Get $153M Johnny Depp Movie Role
Tim Burton Turned DownSpider-Man
To mark the 20th anniversary ofSam Raimi’sSpider-Manlast year,Variety sat down with the studio and collaborative execs to discuss the foundation of Marvel films without which, as the publication noted, the studio wouldn’t have been this big.
David Koepp, who wroteSpider-Man’sscreenplay, revealed that the studios went to discuss the possibility withTim Burton.
“I remember Amy [Pascal] telling me that they’d met with Tim Burton, who in the meeting said, ‘I guess I’m just a DC guy,’ which seems like someone who’s not really trying hard to get the job.”
Raimi, on the other hand, was given only an hour to pitch his idea. Had Burton signed the deal, Raimi would have had an entirely different career path.
Read More:“I am allergic to spirit gum”: After Leaving Robin Williams Disappointed, Jack Nicholson Got into a Nightmare Spot in Michael Keaton’s Batman Movie
Warner Bros. And McDonald’s Humiliated Tim Burton
McDonald’s, according to Burton, looked to woo the kids with their Happy Meal toys. After the brand execs watched the film, they started receiving letters from parents accusing them of having“no conscience.”
Burton weighed in on what really happened —
“I think I upset McDonald’s. 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,”he told Yahoo.
Also Read:“He answers to the fans”: Before Deadpool 3, Kevin Feige Almost Brought Hugh Jackman in $2.5B Spider-Man Franchise That Never Materialized
Keaton and Tim Burton are reuniting for the second installment of his comedy hit –Beetlejuice(1988).
Beetlejuice 2,starringMichael Keaton,Winona Ryder,Jenna Ortega,Monica Bellucci, andWillem Dafoe,is set to release on June 23, 2025.
Source:Variety,Yahoo Entertainment
Ojaswi Chaudhary
Articles Published :265
Extremely passionate about a great story since the little guy was 8. He has lived through nothing short of almost 300 of Hollywood’s finest pieces of work, and is now creating some of his own here at FandomWire. He loves to make time for a good book and a good meal.
