News culture Tim Burton hates this Nicolas Cage cameo in this film which cost more than 200 million dollars: the box office failure is historic
In the middle of editing Beetlejuice 2, Tim Burton recently looked back on his career and notably addressed the DC cinematographic universe’s latest nod to his aborted Superman project. Spoilers: he didn’t like it at all.
Tim Burton: pioneer of the superhero movie
Today, almost everyone knows Tim Burton, the legendary American filmmaker who has built a solid reputation thanks to his unique universe, tinged with darkness and imbued with poetry. A prolific director, he has directed numerous reference films, such as Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Funeral rites, Charlie and the chocolate factory, Big Fish and many more. But Tim Burton also made himself known thanks to these two Batman films directed by Michael Keaton, released in 1989 and 1992 respectively.
In the mid-90s, Tim Burton, who had become a sure bet for Warner, gained freedom and directed Mars Attacks! which was released in theaters in 1996. Except that the film did not meet with the expected success, and Warner Bros. decides to bounce back quickly by entrusting a new project to the filmmaker. After Batman, the studio also wants to reintroduce another superhero from the DC stable to the cinema: Superman.
After two years of preparation, Superman Lives is however canceled three weeks before filming. Even today, this aborted project is the subject of a true cult by comics fans who often share Nicolas Cage’s costume tests. And recently, the film returned to the forefront when the actor appeared in the skin of the character in the feature film The Flash. A cameo that Tim Burton did not appreciate at all.
Tim Burton takes on the big studios
While Tim Burton is actively working on the editing of Beetlejuice 2, he looked back on his career in a longue interview granted to the British Film institute and had the opportunity to talk about his Superman project. He explains that he has no regrets, but admits to having been marked for life by this unfortunate experience.
No, I have no regrets. But I will say this: when you work this long on a project that doesn’t come to fruition, it affects you for the rest of your life. Because these things excite you, and each time it is a journey into the unknown, and here we have not reached our destination. But it’s those kinds of experiences that never really leave you.
In addition, Tim Burton reacted to Nic Cage’s cameo in The Flash. The filmmaker was particularly disappointed by this return, but also that of Michael Keaton as Batman.
This also ties in with the question of artificial intelligence, and that’s why I think I’m done with the studios. They can take what you’ve done, Batman or whatever, and twist it culturally (…) Even if you’re a slave to Disney or Warner, they can do whatever they want. So, in the last years of my life, I am in silent rebellion against all of this.
Tim Burton therefore clearly expresses his bitterness towards Hollywood studios and their actions. It is a fact, in the United States, it is not the filmmaker who has control over his film, but rather the studios, or those who finance the project. And that’s far from being a good thing. As we can see, the appearances of Batman and Superman in The Flash didn’t really have the desired effect. The result was unequivocal: The Flash is one of the biggest flops in the history of the genre. For a production budget estimated at more than $200 million (not including the marketing budget), the feature film did not even bring in $270 million internationally. Simply an oven.
