Batman Forever Keaton chose not to reprise his role, William Baldwin and Ethan Hawke were considered as a replacement before Kilmer joined the cast. The film was released on June 16, 1995, receiving mixed reviews, but was a financial success. "Batman Forever" grossed over $336 million worldwide and became the sixth-highest-grossing film worldwide of 1995. The film was followed by "Batman & Robin" in 1997, with Schumacher returning as the director and George Clooney replacing Kilmer as Batman. In Gotham City, the crime fighter Batman defuses a hostage situation caused by a criminal known as Two-Face, the alter ego of the former
Michael Keaton from a Protestant family. He attended Montour High School in Robinson Township, Pennsylvania, and studied speech for two years at Kent State University, where he appeared in plays, before dropping out and returning to Pennsylvania. Keaton first appeared on TV in the Pittsburgh public television programs "Where the Heart Is" and "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" (1975). For " Mister Rogers" he played one of the "Flying Zookeeni Brothers" and served as a full-time production assistant. (In 2004, after Fred Rogers' death, Keaton hosted a PBS memorial tribute, "".) Keaton also worked as an actor in Pittsburgh theatre; he played the role