Batman & Robin is considered the worst Batman movie ever released, but Alicia Silverstone and Chris O’Donnell, who played Batgirl and Robin respectively, are philosophical about it now, nearly 30 years later.
1997’s Batman & Robin, directed by the late Joel Schumacher, saw George Clooney’s Batman go up against Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze, with Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy thrown into the mix. It was panned by critics for the performances of its actors and ultra camp tone, and underperformed at the box office.
Now, 28 years after the movie came out, Alicia Silverstone and Chris O’Donnell have recounted their experience working on the movie and having to promote it knowing it was being savaged by critics. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the pair described the difficulty they had filming scenes without knowing how special effects would factor in, then having to go on a press tour with journalists who were out for blood.
“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 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 went on to say “it was a tough one for us to all to digest,” but now feels “we were 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 won a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actress following her performance at Batgirl, but now says sentiment has shifted.
“Batgirl had a revival!” she said. “When it came out, I don’t think people liked it very much. But later on people told me it’s their favorite movie. [At least] all my gay friends. It’s very camp.”
Last year, Uma Thurman described the tonally lighter Batman & Robin as “the one that was actually made for children.” It was a somewhat curious comment, given Batman & Robin’s infamous infatuation with rubber nipples.
“I wasn’t thrilled with the nipples on the batsuit,” George Clooney told Rolling Stone in 2014, “You know that’s not something you really think about when you’re putting it on… Batman was just constantly cold I guess.”
After Batman & Robin’s failure, movies based on the Caped Crusader went on a near decade-long hiatus, until Christopher Nolan revived the character with his much-loved The Dark Knight Trilogy, which saw Christian Bale play Batman. Zack Snyder then rebooted the DC Universe and ushered in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which saw Ben Affleck play Batman.
More recently, Robert Pattinson has played Batman for Matt Reeves’ Batman Epic Crime Saga, which will see The Batman 2 come out October 1, 2027. Meanwhile, James Gunn has rebooted the DCU once more, although he has yet to announce who will play his Batman for upcoming movie The Brave and the Bold.
Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
