Let's put Iron Man aside for now—Gilbert's most important task at the moment was to save Batman.
According to the original plan, Batman Begins held as many as five consecutive test screenings in early April. More than a thousand viewers, theater representatives, and media critics saw the film.
Perhaps because it was made using a realistic approach, unlike other superhero movies, although the film received mostly positive reviews, it also sparked considerable controversy.
First were the media critics. This type of film perfectly matched their tastes, and with Warner Bros.' public relations efforts, the movie received widespread praise from them.
"A bold and outstanding superhero film—the best among all Batman movies." — The Hollywood Reporter
"Faithful to the original work, which is rare among films of this genre." — Variety
"Director Gilbert imaginatively fills in and interprets the path of Bruce Wayne, heir to a billion-dollar fortune, and how he becomes the dark savior, Batman.
The film abandons the exaggerated, cartoonish style of the previous installment, adopting a much stricter sense of realism.
Details like Batman's inexperience when first starting out, the rough, primitive design of his early vehicles and suits—all make it feel authentic.
Moreover, when explosions need to happen, they explode; when car chases are needed, they race—creating strong entertainment appeal." — Los Angeles Business Journal
"Gilbert stays true to Frank Miller's 1986 The Dark Knight Returns, with its gritty, daring, and dark realism. Using IMAX film, he captures a grand, operatic momentum.
The film elevates superhero cinema to an unprecedented height, and its dark realism is destined to influence future superhero films." — Chicago Sun-Times
Though the media and critics praised it extensively, their influence on general audiences was limited. The main controversy came from the test screening audiences.
After watching, audience members typically filled out questionnaires. Warner Bros. collected these responses to gauge the film's prospects.
Out of about 630 survey forms, the general feedback was mostly positive—but there were dissenting opinions. The biggest criticism was that the first half, showing Bruce Wayne's transformation, was too slow and dull.
Moreover, the film's use of flashbacks and intercut storytelling made it confusing; missing a few moments meant missing key plot points.
Some also felt the movie wasn't entertaining enough—too serious, leaning toward realism instead of the lighthearted tone typical of superhero blockbusters.
The theater chains, combining audience feedback with their own impressions, concluded that the movie was quite different from previous superhero films—deeper and more mature.
Because of Batman's poor reputation from past films and the drastic change in tone, the theaters decided to be cautious, ultimately granting it a 3,600-theater release.
When Gilbert learned of this number, he wasn't surprised. This scale was still generous, mainly because the theaters respected his years of prestige and influence.
Batman Begins wasn't a sequel with the exceptional quality of The Return of the King, nor did it have the Hollywood star power of The False.
Christian Bale, at that time, was hardly comparable to the two Tom superstars, let alone competing with The False's Charlize Theron or Dustin Hoffman.
Nor was it an entertainment-driven film like Pirates of the Caribbean. Its realistic tone was bound to turn away audiences who disliked seriousness—that was normal.
And since the negative impressions left by Joel Schumacher's two Batman films hadn't yet faded, caution made sense for a reboot launching a new trilogy.
In any series, the first entry is always the hardest. Gilbert didn't expect Batman Begins to achieve The Fellowship of the Ring-level results.
As long as it could stabilize and recoup its costs, that alone would mark the rebirth of the Batman franchise.
Perhaps aware of how difficult this revival would be, Warner Bros. adopted a conservative release strategy—starting only in North America.
If the U.S. market responded well, they would then expand overseas.
Since the 1980s and 1990s, aside from niche American-style comedies and romances, nearly every sci-fi, war, or action film that succeeded in North America also performed strongly worldwide.
To conquer the North American market was, essentially, to conquer the world—and that wasn't just a saying anymore.
Gilbert and the main cast began appearing on various TV shows arranged by Warner Bros., the most frequent being The Ellen Show.
On the show, Christian Bale talked about how he was invited to play Batman.
"At the time, I was filming The Prestige. One day, Director Nolan suddenly told me, 'Director Gilbert wants to speak with you on the phone.'"
Bale exaggerated his expression. "Then I got a call from Director Gilbert. He asked if I was interested in playing Bruce Wayne.
Of course I was! But after hanging up, I realized—wait, that was Director Gilbert calling me?"
The audience burst into laughter—the moment carried a touch of dark humor.
Gary Oldman also said, "When Director Gilbert first approached me, I thought he wanted me to play the villain. I said, 'I don't want to play another bad guy.'
But he replied, 'Oh, Gary, you'll be playing an honest cop this time.' So I agreed."
Liam Neeson laughed. "I was the opposite. I'd played too many good guys and wanted a villain role—so I got one."
Even the casting stories alone offered plenty of fun anecdotes.
Then host Ellen, glancing at the Batmobile model on the table, asked Gilbert, "I heard you insisted that Lamborghini build a real one. So this monster actually exists?"
"That's right," Gilbert said. "I came up with the idea while vacationing on a farm in Kansas—you really should visit that farm, it's amazing.
I sculpted a rough model out of dough in my kitchen for my art director, and they built the monstrous Batmobile from that."
"This vehicle even made headlines during the Chicago heist," Ellen said, showing a photo of the bullet-riddled Batmobile on the big screen, drawing gasps from the audience.
Gilbert explained, "Actually, real bullets can't penetrate the Batmobile. The damaged one was a modified, lightweight version used for filming.
At the premiere, we'll showcase the real Batmobile so everyone can experience Batman's power firsthand."
Ellen asked, "Will this Batmobile be for sale?"
"Of course," Gilbert said. "Warner Bros. and Lamborghini will jointly launch this model."
Ellen turned to the camera and said, "You heard that! Time to start saving—if you can't buy the real thing, at least get a model like the one I'm holding…"
The talk show appearance went very smoothly. In the end, the Batmobile model in Ellen's hand was given away as a prize and was taken home by one of the audience members.
Although the promotion for Batman Begins had started early, the first major summer release that year wasn't this film, but George Lucas's Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
Because George Lucas had repeatedly stated in interviews and promotions that this would be his final Star Wars movie, this summer was destined to see countless Star Wars fans entering theaters to bid farewell to the saga.
Gilbert was also invited to attend the film's premiere, where he gave an extended talk about Star Wars culture.
"Star Wars represents an era," he said, "but I believe classics never go out of style, and the Star Wars series will never truly end."
George Lucas had already made it clear that he hoped Gilbert would take over the Star Wars franchise, and he publicly repeated that wish at the premiere.
As a result, after the premiere ended, Star Wars fans launched an online petition calling for Gilbert to direct future Star Wars films. In just one day, over two hundred thousand fans had signed.
However, in private, Gilbert told George Lucas, "I think the Star Wars series needs to take a break—maybe for about ten years before starting again."
George Lucas asked, "So you're saying you'd be willing to take over Star Wars?"
Gilbert replied, "George, only if you hand over Lucasfilm to me."
"This…" George Lucas hesitated. "Let me think about it. That's not the kind of decision one can make easily."
George Lucas had previously said he wanted to retire and that Lucasfilm would eventually be sold. With such valuable assets as Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic, many people in Hollywood had their eyes on them.
Gilbert was no exception, which was why he made that condition—if he were to direct Star Wars, then Lucasfilm had to be placed in his hands.
But since this involved major business interests, George Lucas had to think carefully and couldn't make a hasty decision.
While Lucas was still considering it, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith got the summer box office off to a strong start, earning a staggering $112 million in its opening weekend in North America and taking the weekly box office crown.
In contrast to the massive opening numbers, the film's reputation was as average as the previous two prequels, drawing criticism from many moviegoers—not to mention the media and film critics.
Still, as long as a movie bore the Star Wars name, it never had trouble making back its budget.
And more importantly, the merchandise—every time a Star Wars film hit it big, the related merchandise sold explosively. That was where the real profits came from.
This was one of the main reasons Gilbert was after Lucasfilm. Compared to film salaries and box office shares, the enormous revenue from merchandising was what he truly wanted.
But he wasn't the only one who knew that; others and other film studios knew it too. So this matter was bound to turn into a long tug-of-war.
....
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