MOVIE NEWS – After the phenomenon surrounding The Snyder Cut, interest in alternate versions of comic book films has skyrocketed. One of the most discussed is Joel Schumacher’s original cut of the 1995 movie Batman Forever, known as The Schumacher Cut. Now, fans finally have reason to celebrate as major news has surfaced about its screening.

To mark the 30th anniversary of the DC movie, The Schumacher Cut will be screened on May 29 in Los Angeles. However, the screening is restricted to “monthly members only,” with the theater warning of “Extremely Limited Seating!” While the showing remains exclusive for now, it signals a potential future for a broader release of this sought-after version.

According to World of Reel, the cut still requires “$5M-$10M worth of post-production work” to be completed. In the wake of Val Kilmer’s passing, however, the studio might now be motivated to finalize the film as both a tribute to the late actor and a celebration of its milestone.

Several lucky Batman fans have already seen the unfinished version, and the buzz has been overwhelmingly positive. Among them was filmmaker and comic book aficionado Kevin Smith, who revealed that the director’s cut runs 2 hours and 38 minutes — 36 minutes longer than the original. It dives deep into Bruce Wayne’s psychological struggles and even offers clarity on why the movie was titled Batman Forever in the first place.

After Tim Burton and Michael Keaton’s darker, gothic take on the character, Schumacher opted for a brighter, campier aesthetic. The 1995 release, however, was widely panned, scoring just 39% on Rotten Tomatoes and 33% on the Popcornmeter. Audiences and critics alike were unimpressed at the time.

Could this anniversary screening finally pave the way for a full-scale release of the Schumacher Cut? That remains to be seen, but fans are hopeful that Schumacher’s original vision — and Val Kilmer’s most iconic Batman portrayal — will finally be given its due. Below is the official synopsis of the film:

“Batman (Val Kilmer) faces off against two foes: the schizophrenic, horribly scarred former District Attorney Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones), and the Riddler (Jim Carrey), a disgruntled ex-Wayne Enterprises inventor seeking revenge against his former employer by unleashing his brain-sucking weapon on Gotham City’s residents. As the Caped Crusader confronts the trauma of his parents’ murder, he finds a new love interest in psychologist Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman).”

Source: MovieWeb