Chris O'Donnell Makes Stunning Confession About Filming "Batman & Robin" With Arnold Schwarzenegger
Chris O'Donnell has revealed a fascinating behind-the-scenes secret about production for Batman & Robin nearly 30 years after its release.
After starring as Robin/Dick Grayson in Batman Forever alongside the late Val Kilmer as the Caped Crusader, O'Donnell reprised his role for the sequel. Joel Schumacher returned to direct Batman & Robin, but Kilmer turned down the chance to return as the Dark Knight and was replaced by George Clooney.
Despite a star-studded cast that included Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze, Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy and Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl, the film was considered one of the all-time great Hollywood superhero flops.
Critics and fans of the DC Universe were especially unhappy with the casting, script and family-friendly tone. Clooney has publicly bashed the film on numerous occasions, and Schumacher has publicly apologized to fans who were disappointed by it.
During an appearance on the I've Never Said This Before with Tommy DiDario podcast, O'Donnell made a surprise admission that could explain some of the on-screen chemistry issues: He never filmed a scene with the Terminator star (h/t Victoria Edel of People):
"I was never actually on camera with Arnold. Not once," O’Donnell told DiDario. "He had a double that was so good you couldn't tell it wasn't him. Arnold only did close-ups. That was it."
The Robin and Mr. Freeze characters shared several action scenes early in the film. But little did the audience know that it was never O'Donnell and Schwarzenegger on the set together.
Movie's Failures Delayed Next Batman Live-Action Film Until 2005
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After the completion of Batman & Robin, Warner Bros. was already eyeing a fifth live-action film on the World's Greatest Detective. The movie would have been titled Batman Unchained, with a planned 1999 release.
But the universally negative reviews scrapped that project and put the next Batman movie on hold. It wouldn't be until 2005 when the first of Christopher Nolan's trilogy, Batman Begins, was released.