Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman are back together, bringing their Batman & Robin cinematic adventure forward 27 years after the superhero film hit theaters in 1997.
Thurman, 54, who played Dr. Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy, was the first to post a selfie of the two stars posing together in what appeared to be a restaurant.
“Freeze and Ivy are back together – super close and super cool in a warming world!” she wrote in the caption, in a pun that references their characters.
On Instagram, Thurman’s villain co-star, who played Dr. Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze, wasted no time in reposting the photo along with his message: “Freeze and Ivy, reunited. Watch out, Batman.”
The pair were just two of the stars of the now-cult classic, which is the fourth and final installment in Warner Bros.’ initial series of Batman films starring George Clooney (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Alicia Silverstone (Barbara Wilson/Batgirl) and Chris O’Donnell (Dick Grayson/Robin).
Arnold Schwarzenegger, 77, and Uma Thurman, 54, reunited in Batman & Robin some 27 years after the superhero film hit theaters.
Thurman and Schwarzenegger co-starred in Batman & Robin (1997) as Dr. Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy and Dr. Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze, respectively.
Directed by Joel Schumacher, who worked from a script by Akiva Goldsman, Batman & Robin (1997) is often regarded as the worst Batman film, based on critics and fan ratings over the years, as it currently holds a 12 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film site’s critical consensus reads: ‘Joel Schumacher’s tongue-in-cheek attitude reaches an unbearable breaking point in Batman & Robin, resulting in a frenetic, pointless film that’s too jocular to be very interesting.’
In addition to the main characters, the cast also includes Elle Macpherson (Julie Madison), Pat Hingle (Commissioner James Gordon), Michael Gough (Alfred Pennyworth), John Glover (Dr. Jason Woodrue) and Jon Simmons (young Alfred Pennyworth).
This installment of the franchise is also known for the Batman suit and its prominent nipples that have brought Clooney a lot of trouble since he debuted in the late 1990s.
Clooney had just taken over the role of the Caped Crusader from Val Kilmer, who starred in the previous sequel Batman Forever (1995) after Michael Keaton starred in the first two films Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992).
“Freeze and Ivy are back together, super close and cool in a warming world!” Thurman wrote in the caption, a pun that references their characters.
Despite negative reviews from critics, Batman & Robin grossed $238 million at the worldwide box office against a budget of between $125 and $160 million.
While the production was clearly a moneymaker, it was also a huge disappointment considering it grossed $100 million less than its predecessor Batman Forever (1995), which grossed $336.6 million on a $100 million budget.
Due to the film’s poor reception, Warner Bros. cancelled future Batman films, including Schumacher’s planned Batman Unchained.
The first of the four installments directed by Tim Burton was by far the most successful, as Batman (1989) grossed $411.6 million on a budget of $48 million.
The second and final film by the Burton-Keaton tandem, Batman Returns (1992), became a financial success, but its box office earnings fell to $266.8 million on a budget of $50–80 million.
It turns out that Warner Bros. accelerated the development of Batman & Robin after the box office success of its predecessors.
Schwarzenegger, who played Dr. Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze, wasted no time in reposting the photo along with his message: “Freeze and Ivy, reunited. Watch out, Batman.”
Batman & Robin grossed $238 million at the worldwide box office against a budget of between $125 and $160 million.
In fact, Schumacher was given the mandate to make the film more playful than Batman Forever, as reported Vice.
As a result, he said, “In the first one I felt like I was making a movie. In the second one, I felt like I was making a toy commercial.”
He also shared how “things felt a lot sharper and more focused, and I just felt like everything got a little bit smoother in the second.”