The movie Val Kilmer abandoned despite a contractual obligation: “He sort of quit, we sort of fired him”
In the 1990s, Val Kilmer went from one of Hollywood’s biggest stars to public enemy number one within a few short years. His behaviour on the set of the disastrous remake of The Island of Doctor Moreau was particularly damaging to his reputation, primarily because it seemed to open the floodgates to stories of his temper tantrums and unprofessional conduct becoming very, very public.
Throughout Hollywood history, there have been several actors who were tagged with a reputation for being “difficult” to work with. From Marlon Brando to Joan Crawford, and from Russell Crowe to Chevy Chase, these stars’ incredible performances tended to go hand in hand with rumours of them being a pain in the ass for everyone to deal with. However, it was rare for any of those rumours to be litigated in a public forum, which should tell you just how disliked Kilmer was.
Director John Frankenheimer, who was tasked with rescuing Doctor Moreau after original director Richard Stanley was fired, stated in no uncertain terms, “I don’t like Val Kilmer, I don’t like his work ethic, and I don’t want to be associated with him ever again,” Stanley acknowledged, “Val would arrive, and an argument would happen.”
Kilmer’s reputation was so volatile at one point that someone in Hollywood faxed around a doctored image of him made to look like Ted Kaczynski, complete with the caption: “FBI detains suspect in Unabomber hunt.” When your peers are likening you to a domestic terrorist, it’s clear your standing in the industry has taken a serious hit.
Perhaps the most damaging enemy Kilmer made in this period was Joel Schumacher, the man who directed him as the Caped Crusader in 1995’s Batman Forever. Their working relationship was so fiery that they “had a physical pushing match,” and the Falling Down helmer called the star “childish and impossible,” not to mention “psychotic”. Still, when the movie became an enormous hit, Warner Bros immediately began to think about a sequel, and it wanted to bring back Kilmer for a second go-around. In fact, his contract stated he was obligated to make a second Batman film.
A game of chicken followed between Kilmer and the studio as both sides waited to see which one would blink. Kilmer signed up to make The Saint for Paramount, a big-budget reimagining of an old Roger Moore television show that it hoped would be as successful as Mission: Impossible was for Tom Cruise. Frustratingly for Warner Bros, that movie’s schedule would only leave a couple of weeks for Kilmer to rest and recuperate before embarking on Batman & Robin, and the studio not-so-politely reminded Paramount that this wasn’t anywhere near enough time.
Suddenly, a Mexican stand-off between Warner Bros, Paramount, and Kilmer took place, with Warner forgetting one crucial detail: the last thing Kilmer wanted was to make Batman & Robin after his dismal experience on Forever. So, Kilmer reportedly assured Paramount, “I won’t do Batman,” and The Saint went ahead as planned. Worryingly, the troubled star had left himself open to a world of hurt from Warner Bros, but a source told Entertainment Weekly that part of him simply expected the studio to say, “Oh, come a month later.”
In a move that was probably best for everyone involved, Warner Bros saw sense and decided not to wait on an actor their director hated, and who didn’t actually want to make the film. It released Kilmer from his obligation to Batman & Robin, and quickly signed up George Clooney in his place. Then, when Schumacher was asked about the whole sorry affair, he wryly admitted, “He sort of quit, we sort of fired him. It probably depends on who’s telling the story.”
