After 25 years Uma Thurman shares her thoughts on the experience of making Batman & Robin and working with Joel Schumacher.
In 2022, it’s going on 25 years since the release of the final installment of the Batman movies of the ‘90s, Batman & Robin. Widely considered the worst in the series, it’s been deemed a franchise killer by fans and even its star George Clooney.
The Dark Knight fumbles
The Dark Knight was put on ice for eight years after the summer of 1997 until he was given over to Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale for some serious box office, but not everyone has something bad to say – or apologize for – about the Joel Schumacher-helmed misfire as it turns out.
Uma Thurman who portrayed the femme-fatale penultimate foe, Poison Ivy, in the character’s big-screen debut revealed to ET she had a positive experience – even when wearing “lots of rubber suits.”
Batman & Robin at 25
When it was pointed out Batman & Robin’s 25 anniversary is around the corner, Thurman said, “Oh my goodness, that’s amazing.” She then added she considered the director a friend. “I was just talking about Joel Schumacher, the director who is a friend I love so much … I loved Joel Schumacher.”
He must have been pivotal in making the time spent on set wearing all that rubber pleasant, which isn’t an easy thing to pull off without trouble. Michael Keaton attested to that in the past when discussing working on the first Batman, though he used the discomfort to help his performance.
Pretty Poison
Thurman didn’t have the same issues as Keaton with the rubber costumes but admitted it was the most she’d ever put on for a movie shoot. “That was about as much rubber as I’ve ever worked with, personally,” she said.
But it didn’t detract from her experience which was simpler because she didn’t have masks or headgear to contend with like her costars. Thurman continued:
"“That was a fantastic experience. I had to wear lots of rubber suits. I did not have a rubber mask. I had my own face, but I had some rubber appliances on my face sometimes.”"
Unfortunately, audiences and critics disagree as Batman & Robin was a painful viewing experience for them. Though it has its followers, the movie remains the lowest scoring among Batman films on Rotten Tomatoes.
To be fair, it’s a high bar – one that might be raised by The Batman next month.
How fond are your memories of Batman & Robin? Was Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy a highlight? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.