Tim Burton’s visual aesthetic which is characterized by splashes of color, exaggerated sets, and maverick characters, has made him a unique filmmaker among his Hollywood peers. The British director incorporated his marquee style into the superhero world with Michael Keaton’s Batman, which pioneered the manner in which the DC icon developed through the years.
Apart from Keaton’s impressive portrayal of Batman, Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman in the sequel Batman Returns, brought a sizzling oomph through her stunning body language and performance. Following this film, the Edward Scissorhands filmmaker had a creative idea for a Batman Returns spinoff with Catwoman at the core which unfortunately did not see the light of day.
Tim Burton’s Ideas For Batman Returns Spinoff Did Not Match His Scriptwriter’s Vision
There’s no doubt that Tim Burton has the Midas touch when it comes to creating a visual spectacle for the audience. Over the years, Burton has never been afraid to test the waters in terms of giving viewers an alternative cinematic experience, whether it is through a quirky script or through eccentric characters. With the success of his two Batman films with Michael Keaton, the Beetlejuice director has always pushed the envelope in every genre he has worked in.
After Batman Returns, Burton attempted to change things up by envisioning a black and white spinoff film featuring Catwoman, which would work as an ode to Jacques Tourneur’s iconic 1942 horror flick, Cat People. With this germ of an idea in mind, he roped in his Batman screenwriter Daniel Waters to take the narrative forward.
The two collaborators hit a roadblock though, as Burton’s vision for the film, which was on the lines of a dramatic ode to classical cinema, did not match that of Waters who believed that the film needed a radical and swashbuckling Catwoman who could give the men a run for their money. In an interview with IndieWire, Waters elaborated on this dilemma saying,
He wanted to do an $18 million black and white movie, like the original ‘Cat People,’ of Selina just lowkey living in a small town. And I wanted to make a ‘Batman’ movie where the metaphor was about ‘Batman.’ So I had her move to a Los Angeles version of Gotham City, and it’s run by three asshole superheroes. It was ‘The Boys’ before ‘The Boys.’
With Waters stating that Burton could not relate to his script for the film, they agreed to disagree after failing to find common ground. As it turned out, both their ideas were rejected by Warner Brothers, which then led to Burton stepping down permanently from the superhero franchise and Joel Schumacher coming on board to direct Batman Forever.
Filming Beetlejuice 2 Was Nostalgic For Tim Burton
While Tim Burton may not have had the opportunity to make his desired Batman Returns spinoff film, he got the chance to create a sequel to one of his cult classics, Beetlejuice. Known for its spooky and quirky narrative, the film starred Winona Ryder as goth teenager Lydia Deetz and Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice, a mischievous spirit who tries to purge Lydia and her family from their new home.
Now, 25 years later, Burton is set to helm a sequel to his famous film which will feature Jenna Ortega as Lydia’s daughter and Michael Keaton reprising his role as Beetlejuice. Speaking of the experience and reuniting with his old ensemble, Burton told BFI,
“Working with these people again, and seeing them all, it was very emotional for me. Again, just going back to the old, same puppets and techniques. It goes back to the good old days.”
Burton revealed that working on the sequel allowed him to go back to the basics of filmmaking which reinforced the reasons behind why he became a director all those years ago. Unfortunately, the film was stalled with just a day and a half of filming to go owing to the SAG-AFTRA Strike, but quickly resumed production after the recent consensus. At present, Beetlejuice 2 is slated to release in September 2024.
