Not only is the Batman Forever Schumacher Cut real, but it seems that it came close to being released.
It has been talked about for years, but there is a different cut of Batman Forever than the one that ended up in theaters. This has become so fabled that McFarlane Toys even included a giant bat from the alternate cut of the film in a recent series of toys.
Now, screenwriter Akiva Foldsman is addressing the topic, and it seems he came close to securing a release of the alternate cut.
Speaking with Collider about the alternate cut, Goldsman said, "Yes, it does exist. There is a preview called ‘Preview One.’ Most of the material that is available is put back together. There’s not a lot out there that folks haven’t seen that you couldn’t cobble [together]."
Goldsman was a long-time friend of Schumacher, and approached Warner Bros. about releasing the film following the director's death in 2020. "I did talk to Warner [Bros]. This was one administration ago. My fantasy was to try and resurrect [Batman Forever] as a sort of celebration with Joel after he died."
As to what it would take to complete the film, he said, "There’s some visual effects that need to be finished. There would be some music that would have to be if not re-scored or rewritten. The whole soup to nuts was about a million bucks." And he confirmed they got close, saying, "They were on the verge of doing it, and then Warner got sold again. There’s a-whole-nother DC."
As to how he feels the movie differs, Goldsman said, "It was darker. Bruce was haunted by his past. He felt guilt. It’s all the stuff you read. None of that is mysterious. It was a more modern interpretation of the narrative, and what’s not dissimilar to those [stories] that we sort of caught up with now. I’ve seen it. It was put back together."
Goldsman promises he hasn't given up the fight yet, adding, "Once the new DC world is moving forward, I will bat my eyes with everybody again and see if once more we can answer that."
