It seems like the Batman films get re-released on home video every few years. But in honor of the Dark Knight’s 80th anniversary, four of Batman’s theatrical outings are making the jump to ultra high-definition. Via High-Def Digest, Warner Bros. has announced 4K Blu-ray versions of Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin. The individual films will hit stores on June 4, followed by a box set on September 17.
The 4K remaster of Tim Burton’s original Batman arrives almost exactly 30 years after the film hit theaters in 1989. Mondo previously celebrated this milestone last fall with an exclusive vinyl pressing of Danny Elfman’s iconic soundtrack. Although Michael Keaton’s casting as Bruce Wayne resulted in thousands of protest letters, the actor turned in a memorable performance that was worthy of the iconic character.
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Keaton and Burton re-teamed for Batman Returns. Joel Schumacher subsequently filled the director’s chair and chose Val Kilmer and George Clooney to headline the next two installments. Boasting over-the-top bad guys, a fully-CG Gotham City, and Bat Credit Cards, Schumacher’s movies were tonally inconsistent with the previous films. Following an eight-year absence, Christopher Nolan breathed new life into the franchise in 2005 with Batman Begins.
The Blu-rays come with revamped cover art highlighting Batman and each film’s villain(s). Surprisingly, Batman & Robin’s cover only features Clooney’s Batman and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze. It’s anyone’s guess as to why the art department didn’t show any love to the film’s ample supporting cast, which included Chris O’Donnell as Robin, Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl, and Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy. However, since the film has been the butt of countless jokes for nearly 22 years, this is only a minor nitpick. It’s unclear if the discs include any new bonus features. If not, these may be for die-hard collectors only.
You can check out the covers below. Will you be picking up any of the Batman films on 4K Blu-ray this summer? Let us know in the comment section!
