Trivia for
Batman Returns (1992) More at IMDbPro »

• Danny DeVito was forbidden to describe the Penguin's makeup to anyone, including his family.
  
  
• Annette Bening was cast as Catwoman, but was replaced by Michelle Pfeiffer when she became pregnant. Pfeiffer's $3 million salary was $2 million more than was offered to Bening.
  
  
• Christopher Walken's character is named Maximillian Shreck. In addition to the fact that "schreck" is the German word meaning "terror," the actor Max Schreck played the first-ever vampire depicted on film in the silent-era classic Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922).
  
  
• Sean Young very much wanted the role of The Catwoman. During preproduction she arrived at the studio in a Catwoman costume to confront the makers of the movie. She used other people scouting the studio grounds, using walkie-talkies to communicate, to track down the producers. Tim Burton hid behind his desk so as to avoid seeing her. See also Batman (1989).
  
  
• Composer Danny Elfman was one of the off-screen tomato and lettuce throwers during the Penguin's botched speech.
  
  
• Christopher Walken, remembering a film he'd seen previously, requested from director Tim Burton cuff-links made from human molars for his character, Max Shreck. The movie in question is The Great Gatsby (1974), in which an unsavory friend of the title character, who had been involved in the 1919 World Series Black Sox scandal, sports a pair of molar cuff-links.
  
  
• Paul Reubens and Diane Salinger from Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) reunite briefly at the beginning of the film as The Penguin's father and mother.
  
  
• The Batman costume weighed 55 lbs.
  
  
• The first film made in Dolby Digital.
  
  
• Neither Tim Burton nor Michael Keaton had been signed up in advance for a sequel; Burton came on board only after the script met all his demands (he hadn't been entirely happy with the first film's screenplay), whilst Keaton only agreed to do the second film after a serious hike in salary.
  
  
• Sam Hamm's original screenplay draft had the Penguin and Catwoman going after hidden treasure. Dissatisfied with that, Tim Burton brought in Daniel Waters, writer of Heathers (1988), who came up with the concept of an evil business mogul backing a bid for the Mayor's office by the Penguin.
  
  
• At least 50% of the Warner Brothers lot was taken up with Gotham City sets.
  
  
• The set for the Penguin's decrepit underground lair at the abandoned Gotham City Zoo was filled with a half-million gallons of water and a simulated ice floe island.
  
  
• Danny DeVito spent two hours a day in make-up.
  
  
• The massive Gotham City sets were all constructed to be mobile, and were often shifted between days of filming. Michelle Pfeiffer routinely got lost on her way to filming each day.
  
  
• The crew had a hard time getting the shot where the monkey delivers the letter from Batman to the Penguin. Evidently, Danny DeVito's make-up terrified the animal.
  
  
• Security was so tight on the production that even Kevin Costner was refused permission to visit the set. Warner Brothers employed a private investigator firm when some shots of Danny DeVito in costume made it into the tabloids.
  
  
• Michelle Pfeiffer got through 60 catsuits during the 6 month shoot, at a cost of $1,000 a time.
  
  
• The production wanted to use King Penguins but the only tame ones in captivity were at a bird sanctuary in the Cotswolds deep in the English countryside. So the birds were flown over to the States in the refrigerated hold of a plane, they were given their own refrigerated trailer, their own swimming pool with half a ton of fresh ice every day, and had fresh fish delivered daily straight from the docks. Even though the temperature outside frequently topped 100 degrees, the entire set was refrigerated down to 35 degrees. The birds also had a round-the-clock bodyguard. Clearly the birds enjoyed the experience as, following their stint in Hollywood, most of them had mated and produced eggs - the sure sign of a contented penguin.
  
  
• In the US, McDonald's were forced to cancel a Happy Meals promotion with the film, after parents protested about its violent and sexual nature being inappropriate for young children. But Diet Coke continued its promotional run.
  
  
• It made $47.7 million in its first 3 days, a record at the time.
  
  
• Director Trademark: [Tim Burton] [music] music by Danny Elfman
  
  
• It was intended that the character of Robin be introduced in the sequel to Batman (1989). Reportedly, Tim Burton collaborated with DC Comics artist Norm Breyfogle to redesign the Robin costume so that it would coincide with the one planned for the film. Kenner Toys even went so far as to produce a corresponding action figure, but when Robin was eventually written out of the script, Kenner released the toy anyway, as the character newly rendered in the comic books.
  
  
• In order to get the cats to surround Selina when she's knocked out, the filmmakers put tuna on a dummy version of Selina and tuna on Selina's suit.
  
  
• Among the crowd waiting outside of the cemetery to watch the Penguin make a pilgrimage to his parents' grave-site, there is a man wearing a leather jacket prominently featuring a character that could either be the Do-do from Warner Brothers' animated short Porky in Wackyland (1938), or Go-Go from "Tiny Toon Adventures" (1990).
  
  
• The first script draft of Batman Returns was intended to be a direct-sequel to the previous film. As a result, sub plots and continuity from the first film that would have been addressed included gift shops selling fragments of the destroyed Bat-Wing, further revelations into the past of the now deceased Jack Napier AKA Joker, and even Bruce Wayne proposing to Vicki Vale by the end of the film. However, Tim Burton was uncomfortable in making a direct sequel and as a result, the script was rewritten. However, several plot elements from the original script did make it into the final draft. This included the Penguin and Catwoman's alliance, their framing of Batman, and the Dark Knight's escape via Bat-Glider. Further elements even made their way into the third film, Batman Forever (1995), most notably the storming of Wayne Manor and the Batcave.
  
  
• During the scene where Penguin's henchmen are wrecking a shop, there is a reprise of the "Making Christmas" theme from The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), which Danny Elfman also composed.
  
  
• The Penguin's line: "I am an animal. I am *not* a human being," is a work on John Hurt's line: "I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man!" as John Merrick in The Elephant Man (1980).
  
  
• The character of Max Shreck was a re-write of District Attorney Harvey Dent; accordingly, most of his plot points would have perhaps made more sense if Shreck were D.A. instead of a corrupt businessman. The explosion at the end of the film was a means to injure Dent and produce the scars that would lead to his transformation into Two-Face for the third movie in the series. Reportedly, Billy Dee Williams took the role of Harvey Dent in the first Batman (1989) movie because he knew that the character would eventually become Two-Face. Williams' contract to appear in the sequel is rumored to have been bought out by Warner Bros. at a heavy price.
  
  
• Lena Olin and Madonna were considered for the role of Catwoman.
  
  
• Marlon Wayans was signed on to play Robin in this movie and Batman Forever (1995) - he even went through costuming for the five minutes that he appeared in the script. But when the script was re-written and Joel Schumacher took over as director, the role went to Chris O'Donnell. Wayans was paid for both movies.
  
  
• When Selina is seated at her desk in Shreck's office, the lamp casts a shadow through her eyeglass frames, creating an outline of the pointed "cat's eye" mask that was worn by Catwoman in the original DC comic series and had also been featured as part of the costumes donned by Lee Meriwether and Eartha Kitt in the late 60's film and television series, respectively.
  
  
• When The Penguin first decides to run for mayor, someone puts a cigarette in his mouth, with a cigarette holder. A reference The Penguin from the batman TV show.
  
  
• In Tom Mankiewicz's script for the first movie which featured the Penguin, he was described as "a tall, proper-looking, thin man".
  
  
• Several modifications were made to the Batsuit, including the color scheme and chestplate logo. At the request of Michael Keaton, a zipper was also added to the pants.
  
  
• Warner Bros. had to constantly submit new Catwoman posters for various cities as many of the bus stop ads were being stolen. It soon got so bad that police officers had to patrol bus stops in order to catch perpetrators before they could break the Plexiglas containers. Today the large scale Catwoman bus ads are worth a great deal of money.
  
  
• During an A&E Biography, Michelle Pfeiffer said that her Catwoman costume was vacuum sealed once she was fitted into it for scenes, so she actually had only a short amount of time to perform before she would have to have it opened or she could become light headed and pass out. She also admitted that when she first was learning to use the whip she accidentally cut her trainer's face with it, at which he acted as a complete gentleman and continued with their training.
  
  
• Danny DeVito refused a stand-in during the scene where the Penguin gets pelted with rotten food by an angry mob.
  
  
• WILHELM SCREAM: Before Batman straps the dynamite to the strongman, he hurls a goon over a bridge. As the goon flies through the air, he screams the famous Wilhelm scream.
  
  
• In another version of the script, Max Shreck was discovered to be the Penguin's older brother.
  
  
• Susan Sarandon showed great interest in the role of Catwoman, but eventually opted to take a leading role in Lorenzo's Oil (1992), a role that was vacated by Michelle Pfeifer.
  
  
• Originally classified '12' for the UK cinema, the film was upgraded to the '15' certificate for video release because the '12' certificate was not used for videos until 1994. See also: Batman (1989).
  
  
• Michael Keaton was alleged to have earned $11 million for reprising his role as the Caped Crusader.
  
  
• During one scene, Michelle Pfeiffer had to put a live bird in her mouth.
  
  
• Names thrown out who were considered to play The Penguin include Marlon Brando, John Candy, Dustin Hoffman, Bob Hoskins and Christopher Lloyd.
  
  
• Dustin Hoffman was Warner Brothers' first consideration for "The Penguin" in Batman Returns (1992).
  
  
• The catsuit was so tight on Michelle Pfeiffer that she often had trouble hearing her own voice. Tim Burton had to tell her to lower her voice register because she would often shout her dialogue instead of just saying it.
  
  
• A UK trailer for the film credited the screenplay to Daniel Waters and Wesley Strick.
  
  
• Geena Davis and Brooke Shields were each offered the role of Catwoman, but both of them turned it down.
  
  

• SPOILER: The final shot of the film, in which Catwoman is seen looking at the Bat-signal, was added as an afterthought, literally weeks before the film opened. The shot had to be filmed on a weekend, less than a day after conception, with a double for Michelle Pfeiffer. That single shot cost $250,000.
  
  
• SPOILER: Daniel Waters's original script originally had the Bat-Signal blinking on and off at the end of the film as a sign that Selena's electrocution of Max had disrupted the power supply of the city. Tim Burton instead opted to end the film with Catwoman looking out at the signal over a snowy sky, hinting at her survival and possible appearance in a future film.
  
  
• SPOILER: In the scene where the Penguin is being persuaded to run for mayor, Josh (Steve Witting) - one of Shreck's hired image consultants - places a cigarette holder in his mouth, which he promptly spits out. This not only serves as a reference to previous incarnations of the Penguin from both the TV show and comic book series, but also, with the corresponding line - "Reclaim your birthright." - hints at what is more explicitly revealed in the back-story: that Tucker Cobblepot, the Penguin's birth father, once occupied a high-level political office in Gotham City (of course, not to disregard the obvious, this particular character is also seen smoking a cigarette in a holder at the beginning of the film).
  
  
• SPOILER: In Selina's apartment, her neon sign read "Hello There". But after she trashed her apartment, she knocked out the "O" in "Hello" and the "T" in "There", which caused the sign to read "Hell Here".
  
  

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