MOVIE NEWS – Thanks to Kevin Smith, a handful of lucky fans got to see Joel Schumacher’s cut of Batman Forever…

 

 

The real-life vision of the late Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever has been unveiled to a select audience, with fans taking to social media to offer some exciting reactions that distinguish the Schumacher cut from the movie version.

The announcement of the screening of director and comic book fan Kevin Smith’s Schumacher cut has fanned the flames of fans fighting for this alternative version of Batman Forever, as it has been revealed that a more mature cut of the film exists.

Smith has since not only reviewed the alternative cut but has now shown it to select fans at a private screening. Reactions to the Schumacher cut further confirm what has been said about it. However, it turns out that Warner Bros. Discovery should invest some money in upgrading the Batman film for a worldwide release.

A screening of the Schumacher cut took place on July 1 at the Smodcastle cinema and was well received. Bruce Wayne’s arc was noted as the most significant improvement. It is said to have a slower pace. This allows the film to breathe between heightened moments in a way that expands on the dual identity and psychological complexity. These are only tangentially shown in the theatrical version. This cut is reportedly 2 hours and 15 minutes long.

In its current state, the Schumacher cut is a working print that would require additional VFX and a return to the original soundtrack, but still far less than Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

As a result, the current state of the Schumacher cut is more akin to David Ayer’s Suicide Squad cut. The latter has also never seen the light of day despite years of campaigning by fans, cast, crew and Ayer himself. Unfortunately, a company like WBD, which some DC fans believe is doing the opposite of what fans expect from the brand, is in debt to the tune of around $49 billion. Its recent DC films have suffered financial losses. Even Batgirl was cancelled due to the tax write-off. Not sure if it’s a priority to invest in releasing alternate cuts of its previous DC films.

However, other platforms could and would invest time and resources in these alternative cuts. Especially in the face of the writer’s strike and WBD’s business strategy of leasing DC IP to third-party streaming providers. Whether the current regime at WBD or the new management that may come in later, it seems an easy decision to release these sought-after alternative cuts eventually. That is, if fans continue to demand them. As for the Schumacher cut, a final screening is scheduled for August 25 at Smith’s theatre. Fans can expect a different reaction, undoubtedly increasing demand for the release.

Source: Twitter (1, 2, 3)

The Schumacher Cut of Batman Forever presents a deeper, psychologically-complex character arc for Kilmer’s Bruce Wayne that is sorely missing from the OG cut. It’s a darker, more Batman centered film. #ReleaseTheSchumacherCut pic.twitter.com/9lpFkaSdIF

— Epic Film Guys ® (@EpicFilmGuys) July 2, 2023