Next Batman May Be Lurking in Obscurity

Even George Clooney can't save 1997's Batman and Robin.

(NEWSER) - So he's up for a best actor Oscar and his movie Up in the Air has gotten tons of buzz. That doesn't mean George Clooney's beyond the occasional flop. His 1997 "franchise-killing" flick Batman and Robin, with Chris O'Donnell and Alicia Silverstone, was picked by Empire magazine readers as the worst movie ever made, Reuters reports. Others in the top—or bottom—10:

• Battlefield Earth (2000) with John Travolta "as a dreadlocked, 9-foot-tall alien."

Big screen adaptations bring fame to writers

(NEWSER) - Comic books—trendy? All of a sudden they are, the Los Angeles Times reports. “The geeks have won,” says Ed Brubaker, one of the many comic-book creators who now finds himself a celebrity. Brubaker’s Angel of Death premieres online today as a live-action series, but he’s not the only one signing autographs—the popularity of films like The Dark Knight pushed comics into the mainstream. More»

Fans want studio to hang up clown suit as tribute to killer performance

(NEWSER) - A group of Heath Ledger fans are calling for the Batman movies to hang up the Joker's purple suit for good as a tribute to the late actor's last role, CNN reports. Supporters at website "The Ultimate Joker" say no actor could ever nail the killer clown as well as Ledger did, and are aiming to get 50,000 people to sign their petition. More»

Caped crusader movie goes 5 for 5 as chosen by online voters

(NEWSER) - The Dark Knight swooped in to collect all five trophies it was nominated for at last night's People's Choice Awards, reports the AP. The flick's awards included favorite movie, best cast, and best on-screen match-up, for Christian Bale and Heath Ledger. "On behalf of all of the cast from the movie, thank you very much to the fans," said Bale. "Here's to Heath." More»

(AP) - Just because Batman landed in Hong Kong doesn't mean The Dark Knight will. Warner Bros. has decided not to release the film in China in part because of "cultural sensitivities," the studio said. Warner Bros. did not elaborate, but company execs are apparently concerned that the film's scenes in Hong Kong, where Batman nabs a gangster, would offend censors. Bootlegs have been available there for months. More»