Editing Batman Returns (section)

=={{anchor|Post-release}}After release==
===Performance analysis and aftermath===
The U.S. and Canadian box offices underperformed in 1992, with admissions down by up to five percent and about 290{{nbsp}}million tickets sold (compared to over 300{{nbsp}}million in each of the preceding four years). Industry professionals blamed the drop on the lack of quality of the films being released, considering them too derivative or dull to attract audiences. Even films considered successful had significant box-office drops week over week from apparently-negative word of mouth. Industry executive [[Frank Price]] said that the releases were not attracting the younger audiences and children which were vital to a film's success. Rising ticket prices, competition from the Olympics, and an [[Early 1990s recession|economic recession]] were also considered contributing factors to the declining figures.<ref name="NYTimesummerRetro"/> ''Batman Returns'' and ''Lethal Weapon 3'' contributed to Warner Bros.{{'}} best first half-year in its history, and were expected to [[Film distribution|return over $200{{nbsp}}million to the studio]] from the box office. ''Batman Returns'' was considered a disappointment as a sequel to the fifth-highest-grossing film ever made, however, and fell about $114.8{{nbsp}}million short of ''Batman''{{'}}s $411.6{{nbsp}}million theatrical gross.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="Escapist2020"/><ref name="EWOct1993"/><ref name="NYTimesTwoattheWheel"/><ref name="BOM1992Worldwide"/><ref name="NYTimesummerRetro"/><ref name="BOMBatman1989"/><ref name="NYTimesDisappointment"/>}} By July 1992, anonymous Warner Bros. executives reportedly said about the film, "It's too dark. It's not a lot of fun."<ref name="Escapist2020"/>

Despite its [[Motion Picture Association film rating system#Addition of the PG-13 rating|PG-13 rating]] from the [[Motion Picture Association]], warning parents that a film may contain strong content unsuitable for children, Warner Bros. received thousands of complaint letters from audiences, particularly parents, who disliked ''Batman Returns''{{'}} violent and sexualized content.<ref name="THRReturnsat25"/><ref name="EWOct1993"/><ref name="NYTimesummerRetro"/> Waters recalled the aftermath of one screening: "It's like kids crying, people acting like they've been punched in the stomach and like they've been mugged."<ref name="Escapist2020"/> He had anticipated, and enjoyed, some backlash, but acknowledged he may have made some mistakes.<ref name="DOGBatman3"/> McDonald's was criticized for its child-centered promotion and toys, and discontinued its ''Batman Returns'' campaign in September 1992.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="Escapist2020"/><ref name="TheRinger2022"/><ref name="TCM"/><ref name="DOGBatman3"/><ref name="PolygonRetro"/>}} Burton said that he preferred ''Batman Returns'' to ''Batman'', and thought it was less dark than its predecessor, despite the backlash.{{sfn|Salisbury|Burton|2006|p=113}} Although much of Hamm's work was replaced, he defended Burton and Waters, saying that except from the merchandise, ''Batman Returns'' was never presented as child-friendly.<ref name="DOGBatman3"/>

Warner Bros. decided to continue the series without Burton (described as "too dark and odd for them"), replacing him with [[Joel Schumacher]].<ref name="EWOct1993"/> A rival studio executive said, "If you bring back Burton and Keaton, you're stuck with their vision. You can't expect ''Honey, I Shrunk the Batman''" (referring to the 1989 science-fiction comedy, ''[[Honey, I Shrunk the Kids]]'').<ref name="PolygonRetro"/> Warner Bros. was sued by executive producers [[Benjamin Melniker]] and [[Michael Uslan]], who alleged that they had originally purchased the film-adaptation rights to the Batman character but were denied their share of the profits from ''Batman'' and ''Batman Returns'' by the studio's [[Hollywood accounting]]: a method used by studios to artificially inflate a film's production costs, making it appear unprofitable and limiting royalty (or tax) payments. The court decided in the studio's favor, citing a lack of evidence.<ref name="WAPOLawsuit"/><ref name="DOGLawsuit"/>

=== Home media ===
''Batman Returns'' was released on [[VHS]] and [[LaserDisc]] on October 21, 1992.<ref name="AFICatalog"/><ref name="NYTimesHomeVideoOct15"/><ref name="NYTimesHomeVideoDec13"/> Its VHS version had a lower-than-average price, to encourage sales and rentals. The film was expected to sell millions of copies and be a well-performing rental, but its success would be restricted by its content, which would appeal less to children (the main audience driving purchases).<ref name="NYTimesHomeVideoOct15"/> Elfman's score was released in 1992 on [[compact disc]] (CD), and an expanded soundtrack was released in 2010.<ref name="Filmtracks"/>

''Batman Returns'' was released on [[DVD-Video|DVD]] in 1997, with no additional features.<ref name="HomeMediaIGNAnthologyBR"/><ref name="HomeMediaTribute"/> An anthology DVD [[box set]] was released in October 2005, with all the films in the Burton-Schumacher Batman film series. The ''Batman Returns'' segment had commentary by Burton, ''The Bat, The Cat, and The Penguin'' special about the making of the film, part four of the documentary ''Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight'', notes on the development of costumes, make-up and special effects, and the music video for "Face to Face".<ref name="HomeMediaIGNAnthologyDVD"/>

The same anthology was released on [[Blu-ray]] in 2009 with a standalone ''Batman Returns'' Blu-ray release.<ref name="HomeMediaIGNAnthologyBR"/><ref name="HomeMediaDOG"/> A [[4K Ultra HD Blu-ray]] version was released in 2019; restored from the original 35mm negative, it included the anthology's special features.<ref name="Ebert4k"/><ref name="HomeMediaUltraHD"/> A 4K collector's edition was released in 2022 with a [[Optical disc packaging#SteelBook|SteelBook]] case (with original cover art), character cards, a double-sided poster, and previously released special features.<ref name="HomeMediaWBCollectors"/>

===Other media===
{{see also|Batman Returns (video games)|Batman '89 (comic book)|Batman: The Ride}}
[[File:Vertical Velocity (Six Flags Great America).jpg|thumb|alt=A distant shot of Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America|[[Batman: The Ride]] at Six Flags Great America was opened in 1992 with ''Batman Returns''.]]
About 120 products were marketed with ''Batman Returns'', including action figures and toys by [[Kenner Products]], Catwoman-themed clothing, toothbrushes, roller skates, T-shirts, underwear, sunglasses, towels, beanbags, mugs, weightlifting gloves, throw pillows, cookie cutters, commemorative coins, playing cards, costume jewelry, cereal, a radio-controlled Batmobile, and tortilla chips shaped like the Batman logo.<ref name="AFICatalog"/><ref name="LATimesMarketing120"/><ref name="NYTimesMarketing"/> Although there were about the same number of products marketed for ''Batman'', there were fewer licensees so Warner Bros. could have more oversight.<ref name="LATimesMarketing120"/><ref name="NYTimesMarketing"/> The release of ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'' later in 1992 was anticipated to extend merchandising success long after ''Batman Returns'' had left theaters. Warner Bros. used holographic labels developed by American Bank Note Holographics to detect counterfeit products.<ref name="LATimesMarketing120"/>

The film's novelization, by [[Craig Shaw Gardner]], was published in July 1992.<ref name="CastTheCobblepots"/><ref name="AmazonNovel"/> A roller coaster ([[Batman: The Ride]]) was built at [[Six Flags Great America]] at a cost of $8{{nbsp}}million, and was later replicated at other Six Flags parks with a Batman stunt show.<ref name="AFICatalog"/><ref name="LATimesMarketing120"/> Several video-game adaptations titled ''[[Batman Returns (video games)|Batman Returns]]'' were released by a number of developers on almost all available platforms; the [[Batman Returns (SNES video game)|Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] version was the most successful.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="IGNVideoGameLynx"/><ref name="GRadarVideoGame"/><ref name="IGNVideoGame"/><ref name="VentureBeatVideoGame"/>}}

To celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Penguin's first comic-book appearance, DeVito wrote "Bird Cat Love" a 2021 comic book story about the Penguin and Catwoman falling in love and ending the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name="CatBirdLovePolygon"/><ref name="CatBirdLoveGuardian"/> ''[[Batman '89 (comic book)|Batman '89]]'', a comic-book series first released in 2022, continues the narrative of Burton's original two films and ignores the Schumacher sequels. Set a few years after the events of ''Batman Returns'', ''Batman '89'' depicts the transformation of district attorney Harvey Dent into Two-Face and introduces Robin. The series was written by Hamm, with art by Joe Quinones.<ref name="DOGBatman89"/> The Red Triangle Gang made their first appearance outside ''Batman Returns'' in the 2022 comic book ''Robin'' #15.<ref name="RedTriangleComics"/><ref name="RedTriangleComics2"/> A holiday book was released in 2022, ''Batman Returns: One Dark Christmas Eve: The Illustrated Holiday Classic'', by Ivan Cohen.<ref name="ChristmasBook"/>