Batman Forever: 3 reasons why WB should release the Schumacher Cut

In the wake of Joel Schumacher’s death, we now know that there exists an extended copy of Batman Forever. Here’s why Warner Bros. need to release it.

A couple of weeks ago, our community was rocked by the news that director Joel Schumacher passed away at the age of 80 following a bout with cancer. Beyond having his name attached to classics like Falling Down and The Lost Boys, he is also well-known  for directing both Batman Forever and, of course, the infamous Batman and Robin.

His relationship to Batman Forever in particular is going to be the primary focus of this article, specifically in regards to a rumor that stirred up shortly after Schumacher’s passing claiming that an extended Director’s Cut existed deep inside of the Warner Bros. vault.

That rumor was later confirmed by Variety this week who spoke to an unnamed source claiming that an extended cut exists that is indeed 170 minutes long – an extra 40 minutes more than the film’s original theatrical length. This extended version is also cited to be “much darker, more serious” than what we got in theaters and even features a cameo from a giant bat (not quite Man-Bat, but similar) staring down Bruce Wayne.

Further comments from Warner Bros. representatives suggest that not only are there currently no plans to release The Schumacher Cut, but the studio seems unsure at the moment if enough of the footage has survived 25 years enough for a digital restoration.

Even without 100% of the footage intact, a lot of us are still clamoring to see The Schumacher Cut come to life. Here’s why.