A Batman premiere forever in Leicester hearts
A Batman premiere forever in Leicester hearts
A Batman premiere forever in Leicester hearts
Leicester Square! The home of the red-carpet movie premiere in the country. Well, the famous London location didn’t get its hands on one particular UK premiere back in the 90s - but the city of Leicester in the Midlands sure as hell did. Holy cinema, Batman!
For it was on 12th July 1995, the European premiere of Batman Forever unbelievably took place on an industrial estate just outside this East Midlands city. What?? You heard right. A 9-screen Warner Cinema complex opened at Meridian Leisure Park on the outskirts of Leicester and to celebrate its launch, Warner Brothers decided to open with its tentpole summer blockbuster film.
A sequel to the 1992 film Batman Returns and the third instalment of the 90s Batman film series, superstar Val Kilmer replaced Michael Keaton as the caped crusader. He appeared alongside a host of Hollywood hot properties including Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman and Chris O'Donnell.
But given its slightly less than elegant whereabouts, this event probably just had z-list celebrities though, right? Well, there were a few it must be said. But amongst 90s Neighbours soap opera actor Craig McLaughlin and British entertainer Bradley Walsh, the film’s stars Val Kilmer and Chris O’Donnell did in fact attend the bash!
As well as that, director Joel Schumacher was also present with many of these A-listers dropped off by helicopter right next to the glamorous M1 motorway. And to welcome them all to Leicester, a frankly astonishing 2,500 people were invited to be a part of this special occasion.
“I remember getting into huge trouble because I was 10 and didn't tell anyone I was going. You can imagine to a small kid that getting one of those balls was the most exciting thing possible. Bradley Walsh must have presented it and came over to us with Lesley Joseph. I remember being scared because her character Dorian was a bit mean in Birds of a Feather”.
Mat finishes off, “Bradley Walsh asked if I wanted him to sign the ball as well. I said ‘I don't know who you are but sure’. He just laughed and signed it. I was dark when I got home and I was grounded for an eternity but well worth the punishment”.
“It really was a great day and obviously growing up in Braunstone it was massive having all of these film stars come to town. There were helicopters flying over the house all night and Warner Brothers had Batman-style lasers lighting up the sky that you could see for miles”.
Local drama principal Karen Stevens has fond recollections too. “I won tickets to the screening an hour before in Town Hall Square. I raced down in whatever I was wearing to walk the red carpet!”
