'You Want to Do Your Job and Promote the Movie' — Alicia Silverstone and Chris O'Donnell Remember Having to Do Press for Batman & Robin Amid 'So Much Hatred'

Batman & Robin is considered the worst Batman movie ever released, but Alicia Silverstone and Chris O'Donnell, who played Batgirl and Robin respectively, are philosophical astir it now, astir 30 years later.

1997’s Batman & Robin, directed by the precocious Joel Schumacher, saw George Clooney’s Batman spell up against Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze, with Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy thrown into the mix. It was panned by critics for the performances of its actors and ultra campy tone, and underperformed astatine the container office.

Now, 28 years aft the movie came out, Alicia Silverstone and Chris O'Donnell person recounted their acquisition moving connected the movie and having to beforehand it knowing it was being savaged by critics. In an interrogation with Entertainment Weekly, the brace described the trouble they had filming scenes without knowing however peculiar effects would origin in, past having to spell connected a property circuit with journalists who were retired for blood.

"All of a sudden, you were starting to get the feedback, and you recognize it was conscionable going sideways," O'Donnell said. "There was truthful overmuch hatred of the movie erstwhile it came out. It was like, 'Oh my God.' And you privation to bash your occupation and beforehand the movie... I retrieve astatine 1 constituent Joel Schumacher conscionable threw up the flag. He's like, 'I'm out. I can't bash it anymore.' He was truthful heartbroken and benignant of bummed retired astir it."

O'Donnell went connected to accidental "it was a pugnacious 1 for america to each to digest," but present feels "we were fortunate to beryllium successful the movie, and it was amusive to beryllium a portion of it. It is what it is. Some enactment retired and immoderate don't."

Silverstone won a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actress pursuing her show astatine Batgirl, but present says sentiment has shifted.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alicia Silverstone, Joel Schumacher, Chris O'Donnell, and George Clooney be the Batman & Robin premiere connected June 12, 1997 successful Westwood, California. Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images.

"Batgirl had a revival!" she said. "When it came out, I don't deliberation radical liked it precise much. But aboriginal connected radical told maine it's their favourite movie. [At least] each my cheery friends. It's precise camp."

Last year, Uma Thurman described the tonally lighter Batman & Robin arsenic “the 1 that was really made for children.” It was a somewhat funny comment, fixed Batman & Robin's infamous infatuation with rubber nipples.

"I wasn't thrilled with the nipples connected the batsuit," George Clooney told Rolling Stone successful 2014, "You cognize that's not thing you truly deliberation astir erstwhile you're putting it on... Batman was conscionable perpetually acold I guess."

After Batman & Robin’s failure, movies based connected the Caped Crusader went connected a adjacent decade-long hiatus, until Christopher Nolan revived the quality with his much-loved The Dark Knight Trilogy, which saw Christian Bale play Batman. Zack Snyder past rebooted the DC Universe and ushered successful 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which saw Ben Affleck play Batman.

More recently, Robert Pattinson has played Batman for Matt Reeves’ Batman Epic Crime Saga, which volition spot The Batman 2 travel retired October 1, 2027. Meanwhile, James Gunn has rebooted the DCU erstwhile more, though helium has yet to denote who volition play his Batman for upcoming movie The Brave and the Bold.

Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].