Batman & Robin writer says "we're all sorry" for the notorious flop

Batman & Robin may have been released nearly 25 years ago, but the film still holds the title of being one of the most criticised superhero movies ever (although, these days, X-Men: Dark Phoenix may come in at a close second).

Screenwriter and director Akiva Goldsman has worked on several huge projects over the years, including most recently as the director, executive producer and writer for the Star Trek: Discovery, DC's Titans and Star Trek: Picard series.

However, back in 1997 he served as the sole screenwriter on Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin, and in a recent chat with Collider Goldsman has said that he's "sorry" for how the film turned out.

"As for Batman & Robin, that one just confused me. I mean, we didn't mean for it to be bad. I swear, nobody was like, 'This will be bad'," he explained.

"We were really thinking… I mean, here's the irony: There was a reel that was put together halfway through [filming] where it actually looked dark in an interesting way. It just is what it is and I'm sorry. I think we're all sorry."

Goldsman continued on to discuss the nature of filmmaking more generally, saying that there's an "alchemy" involved in getting everything right.

Related: Alicia Silverstone opens up about being body shamed during Batman & Robin

"I always used to say it's like painting by lightning," he added. "It's like a mural that you're painting and every time the lightning flashes, you paint, and then the sun rises and you're like, 'Ooh!' or 'Oh, God'. It's magic."

"Obviously, if it were predictable, if it were manageable in any real way, then we'd only make good movies," Goldsman concluded. "That is the terror and the joy of it because you don't work any less hard on the ones that don't land."

Goldsman isn't the only creative involved in making the film who has apologised about it either, as back in 2017 director Joel Schumacher said he wanted to apologise "to every fan who was disappointed" by it.

Fortunately, the movie's star George Clooney, who played Bruce Wayne/Batman, has a more positive association with the film and has previously credited it for turning his career around.

"Up until that moment, I was an actor only concerned with finding work," he reflected in 2018. "After the failure of that film creatively, I understood that I needed to take control of the films I made, not just the role."

The next star to take on the role of the Caped Crusader – and no doubt hoping for a reaction akin to The Dark Knight trilogy rather than that of Batman & Robin – is Robert Pattinson in Matt Reeves' The Batman.

Related: The Batman's Robert Pattinson explains why he's refusing to work out for the movie

Earlier this week, Pattinson revealed that he was partly drawn to the role due to its legacy, adding: "There's so few things in life where people passionately care about it before it's even happened."

The Batman now has a new release date of October 1, 2021.

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