Val Kilmer reported to be a top contender, though just days after Keaton dropped out, Kilmer was cast. Kilmer took the role without even knowing who the new director was and without reading the script. Released in June 1995, "Batman Forever" was a success at the box office, despite receiving mixed reviews from critics. There was debate about Kilmer's performance: some critics, like "The New York Times" Janet Maslin, thought Kilmer was a poor successor to Keaton in the part; while others, such as Roger Ebert, had kind words for Kilmer. "Batman" creator Bob Kane said in a "Cinescape" interview that of
Val Kilmer Simon Templar in "The Saint" (1997), and Moses in "Prince of Egypt" (1998). Kilmer was born December 31, 1959, in Los Angeles, the son of Gladys Swanette () and Eugene Dorris Kilmer, an aerospace equipment distributor and real estate developer. His mother was of Swedish descent. His father's ancestry included English, Scots-Irish, French and German. His parents divorced in 1968 when he was 8 years old. Kilmer's grandfather was a gold miner in New Mexico, near the border with Arizona. In 1977 Kilmer's younger brother Wesley drowned in a swimming pool at age 15; their father died in 1993. Kilmer