Batman & Robin star Chris O’Donnell on the divisive sequel

Ask any Batman fan to name the worst entry in the franchise, and chances are they’ll say Batman & Robin. The 1997 sequel cranked the camp up to eleven and effectively put the franchise on ice for years. For stars Chris O’Donnell and Alicia Silverstone, it was devastating to realize just how much audiences despised Batman & Robin.

The pair spoke with Entertainment Weekly, with O’Donnell revealing that it wasn’t until the press tour that they realized just how poorly the film was being received.

“All of a sudden, you were starting to get the feedback, and you realize it was just going sideways,” O’Donnell said. “There was so much hatred of the film when it came out. It was like, ‘Oh my God.’ And you want to do your job and promote the movie…. I remember at one point [director] Joel Schumacher just threw up the flag. He’s like, ‘I’m out. I can’t do it anymore.’ He was so heartbroken and kind of bummed out about it.“

O’Donnell added that while the backlash against Batman & Robin “was a tough one for us to all do digest,” he still feels “lucky to be in the movie, and it was fun to be a part of it. It is what it is. Some work out and some don’t.” Silverstone noted that the film did eventually find an audience who appreciated its tone. “When it came out, I don’t think people liked it very much,” she said. “But later on people told me it’s their favorite movie. [At least] all my gay friends. It’s very camp.“

Since the release of Batman & Robin, the character has returned in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, starring Christian Bale. Ben Affleck took over the role for the DCEU, appearing in four movies. The latest Caped Crusader is Robert Pattinson, who starred in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. A sequel is in development, with production scheduled to begin next year. Details are sparse, but Reeves has teased that the villain has “never really been done in a movie before.“

Farrell recently read the script for the sequel and was very moved. “This film, like the first one, works on multiple levels, both as pure entertainment and as an investigation into the psychology of the characters of Bruce Wayne and Batman,” he said. “It’s really, really moving. I found myself very emotionally moved while I was reading it.“

Is Batman & Robin really as bad as its reputation suggests?