Batman & Robin (film) to keep their partnership together. It is also to date the only live-action film appearance of Batgirl, who helps the title characters fight the villains. Warner Bros. fast-tracked development for "Batman & Robin" following the box office success of the previous film, "Batman Forever". Schumacher and Goldsman conceived the storyline during pre-production on "A Time to Kill", while Val Kilmer decided not to reprise the role over scheduling conflicts with "The Saint". Schumacher had a strong interest in casting William Baldwin in Kilmer's place before George Clooney won the role. Principal photography began in September 1996 and finished in January
George Clooney in which he also starred. On April 4, 2008, "Variety" reported that Clooney had quietly resigned from the Writers Guild of America over a dispute concerning "Leatherheads". Clooney, who is the director, producer, and star of the film, claimed that he had contributed in writing "all but two scenes" of it, and requested a writing credit alongside Duncan Brantley and Rick Reilly, who had worked on the screenplay for 17 years. Clooney lost an arbitration vote 2–1, and withdrew from the union over the decision. He became a "financial core status" non-member, meaning he no longer has voting rights, and