Editing Batman Forever (section)

===Development===
''[[Batman Returns]]'' was released in 1992 with financial success and generally favorable reviews from critics, but [[Warner Bros.]] was disappointed with its box office run, having made $150&nbsp;million less than the first film. After ''Batman Returns'' was deemed too dark and inappropriate for children, with [[McDonald's]] even recalling their [[Happy Meal]] tie-in, Warner Bros. decided that this was the primary cause of the film's financial results.<ref>{{cite news |last=Daly |first=Steve |url=https://ew.com/article/1992/07/31/unhappy-returns/ |title=Unhappy 'Returns' |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=July 31, 1992 |access-date=August 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230804023404/https://ew.com/article/1992/07/31/unhappy-returns/ |archive-date=August 4, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> After the film's release, Warner Bros. was not interested in [[Tim Burton]]'s return as director.<ref name=Russo>{{cite magazine |title=''Batman 3'' |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |url=http://www.ew.com/article/1993/10/01/batman-3 |date=October 1, 1993 |access-date=August 16, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080921055255/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C308195%2C00.html |archive-date=September 21, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> Burton noted he was unsure about returning to direct, writing: "I don't think Warner Bros. wanted me to direct a third ''Batman''. I even said that to them."{{sfn|Salisbury|Burton|2000|p=143}} Burton and Warner Bros. mutually agreed to part ways, though Burton would stay on as producer. [[John McTiernan]] turned down an offer to direct.<ref>{{Cite episode | title=À la poursuite de John McTiernan |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fj7ipzGmys | access-date=June 26, 2024 | series=Story Classique | first=John | last=McTiernan | network=Groupe Canal+  | date=Nov 20, 2022   | minutes=15  | quote= [INTERVIEWER:] I think you said no to ''Mission: Impossible'', to ''Batman Forever'', to ''Speed'', to ''Terminator 3''... [MCTIERNAN:] Yeah, all of those. And loads of others. | language=French }}</ref> In June 1993, [[Joel Schumacher]] was selected by Warner Bros. while he was filming ''[[The Client (1994 film)|The Client]]'', and with Burton's approval.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fleming |first=Michael |url=https://variety.com/1993/voices/columns/dish-6-107881/ |title=Dish: Schumacher Shoo-In |work=Variety |date=June 17, 1993 |access-date=August 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403210043/https://variety.com/1993/voices/columns/dish-6-107881/ |archive-date=April 3, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="HollywoodReporter">{{cite web |last=Couch |first=Aaron |title='Batman Forever': The Story Behind the Surprise Hit "Nobody Really Wanted" |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=June 17, 2015 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/batman-forever-story-behind-surprise-802804/}}</ref>

Lee and Janet Scott-Batchler, a husband-and-wife screenwriting team, were hired to write the script. Warner Bros. had lost a bidding war for their [[spec script]] titled ''Smoke and Mirrors'' to [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|Disney]]'s [[Hollywood Pictures]]. The project ultimately fell through,<ref>{{cite news |last=Dutka |first=Elaine |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-07-12-ca-12493-story.html |title=Disappearing Acts Disable Touted Film |work=Los Angeles Times |date=July 12, 1993 |access-date=May 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518151316/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-07-12-ca-12493-story.html |archive-date=May 18, 2022 |url-access=limited |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hughes |first=Mark |title=Joel Schumacher Talks 'Batman Forever' Legacy In Exclusive Interview |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2015/06/26/interview-joel-schumacher-talks-batman-forever-legacy/ |date=June 26, 2015 |access-date=May 2, 2023 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> and Warner Bros. offered the Batchlers several of their film properties to write. Being familiar with the ''Batman'' comics from their childhood, the Batchlers chose to work on the next ''Batman'' film as their next project.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzHBWv1t30I |title=The Truth About Burton's Batman 3 — Batman Forever Screenwriters' Interview — Janet and Lee Batchler |via=YouTube |date=October 12, 2019 |access-date=October 12, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829051701/https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=IzHBWv1t30I&feature=youtu.be |archive-date=August 29, 2021}}</ref> In a meeting with Burton, they agreed that "the key element to Batman is his duality. And it's not just that Batman is Bruce Wayne".<ref name=Batchlers>{{cite interview |url=http://www.batman-online.com/features/2011/9/3/interview-with-batman-forever-screenwriter-janet-scott-batchler |title=Interview with Batman Forever's Janet Scott Batchler |access-date=February 11, 2013 |website=Batman Online |url-status=live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130708211037/http://www.batman-online.com/features/2011/9/3/interview-with-batman-forever-screenwriter-janet-scott-batchler |archive-date=July 8, 2013}}</ref>

{{quote box|quote="I always hated those titles like ''Batman Forever''. That sounds like a tattoo that somebody would get when they're on drugs or something. Or something some kid would write in the yearbook."|source=—Tim Burton{{sfn|Salisbury|Burton|2000|p=155}}|align=right|width=25em
}}

Their original script introduced a psychotic Riddler, real name Lyle Heckendorf, with a pet rat accompanying him. A scene cut from the final film included Heckendorf obtaining his costume from a fortune-telling leprechaun at the circus. Instead of NygmaTech, the company would have been named HeckTech.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ia800107.us.archive.org/21/items/Batman3ScriptProductionDraftAkivaGoldsman/Batman%203%20script%20Early%20Draft%20The%20Batchlers.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802230525/https://ia800107.us.archive.org/21/items/Batman3ScriptProductionDraftAkivaGoldsman/Batman%203%20script%20Early%20Draft%20The%20Batchlers.pdf |archive-date=2021-08-02 |url-status=live|title=BATMAN 3 By Lee Batchler and Janet Scott Batchler Unknown draft – circa 1993|website=Ia800107.us.archive.org|access-date=July 21, 2022}}</ref> The story elements and much of the dialogue still remained in the finished film, though Schumacher felt it could be "lighte[ne]d down". Keaton initially approved the selection of Schumacher as director and planned on reprising his role as Batman from the first two films.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Longsdorf |first=Amy |url=https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1993-11-07-2948980-story.html |title=Michael Keaton Learns a Few Lessons from Life |work=The Morning Call |date=November 7, 1993 |access-date=September 27, 2019 |archive-date=September 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190927173507/https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1993-11-07-2948980-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Schumacher claims he originally had in mind an adaptation of [[Frank Miller]]'s ''[[Batman: Year One]]'' and Keaton claimed that he was enthusiastic about the idea.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="shadowbat" /> Warner Bros. rejected the idea as they wanted a [[sequel]], not a [[prequel]], though Schumacher was able to include very brief events in Bruce Wayne's childhood with some events of the comic ''[[The Dark Knight Returns]]''. [[Akiva Goldsman]], who worked with Schumacher on ''The Client'', was brought in to rewrite the script, deleting the initial idea of bringing in the [[Scarecrow (DC Comics)|Scarecrow]] as a villain with Riddler, and the return of [[Selina Kyle (Batman Returns)|Catwoman]]. Burton, who now was more interested in directing ''[[Ed Wood (film)|Ed Wood]]'', later reflected he was taken aback by some of the [[focus group]] meetings for ''Batman Forever'', a title he hated. Producer [[Peter MacGregor-Scott]] represented the studio's aim in making a film for the [[MTV Generation]], with full merchandising appeal.<ref name=shadowbat/>