Mark Hamill has been synonymous with the voice of the Joker ever since he performed the role in Batman: The Animated Series. The actor was nominated for two Annie Awards while he performed the role and he was even tapped to voice the Clown Prince of Crime in other DCAU projects such as Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker and Superman: The Animated Series.
One of Hamill’s best performances as the Joker was in the iconic DCAU film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. Though he was a secondary villain in the film, Hamill’s performance has been widely regarded as one of his best and the film too has gained a cult following over the years. However, the film was a huge flop upon release and WB is the reason why.
Mark Hamill Knows Why Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Failed At The Box Office
When the animated film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was released on Christmas Day in 1993, actor Mark Hamill, who played the Joker, was reportedly so excited about the project that he took his family to the cinemas. However, when Hamill entered the cinemas, it was reportedly filled with only 12 fans(via THR).
The lack of audiences in the theaters was not a one-off affair as the film was a huge box office failure. Made on a budget of $6 million, the film earned a meager box office collection of $5.6 million. Despite the disaster at the box office, the film was a commercial success after its release on home media and has been regarded as a cult classic.
Though many films have formed a new lease of life despite a bad performance at the box office, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was unique as both fans and critics loved the film. It holds an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and many critics such as Siskel and Ebert have given positive reviews of the film (via At The Movies).
According to Mark Hamill, the reason for this was the condensed production schedule given to the creators after the film was upgraded from a direct-to-video release to a theatrical release. Hamill told The Hollywood Reporter that the team had to crunch their time to make the release date and it left no time for marketing the film. He said,
“There weren’t any ads on Saturday Night Live or any of the normal places you’d see a film advertised.”
Though the film was given a tighter production schedule than a typical animated feature, the makers were reportedly given free rein on the project and were also allocated a budget of $6 million.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’s New Release Method Messed With The Production Of The Film
Many fans and critics have expressed their regret at not catching the theatrical release of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. Actor Mark Hamill mentioned to THR that the actor was sad that the film did not have lines around the block outside the theaters as the film was just so good. Voice actor Kevin Conroy has cited the film as his favorite performance.
After the success of Batman: The Animated Series, the team was given the opportunity to make a full-length animated film, originally slated for a direct-to-video release by Warner Bros. However, the studio reportedly changed its release plans and upgraded it to a theatrical release, giving only eight months for the production to finish the film.
Mark Hamill mentioned to THR that the team had to change the aspect ratio for the entire film to make it compatible with the cinemas as well as finish the film in a small amount of time. He said,
“I don’t know how many months into production Warner Bros. decided to make this a theatrical release, but the entire film had to be altered, switching the aspect ratio from television to that of a movie screen. Apparently, from start to finish, it only took eight months, which is crazy to me. Most animated films take at least two years.”
Moreover, the film was not released at times that were suitable for an adult audience, despite dealing with mature themes. According to The Omni Plex, the film was released as a matinee showing, making it more suitable for a kid audience. The website also mentioned that the film’s trailer did not do a good job of building up the bigger action set pieces in the film.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is available for rent on Apple TV.
