10 Times Changing The Tone Saved Movie Franchises

There's a reason 'Nolanising' a franchise became a thing. Believe it or not, under two decades ago Batman was practically a cinematic punchline. Batman & Robin drove the series to the ground emphatically, with Joel Schumacher prioritising making the film merchandisable and accessible to kids over a coherent story, producing an effort that remains a laughing stock to this day.

At that point, the franchise needed something remarkably special to restore Batman's reputation in the eyes of the public. And Christopher Nolan provided just that. The 'dark and gritty' take on the Batman character has been well-documented, displaying the hero as a symbol rather than just a vigilante, while giving the man behind the mask a depth and complexity that was unparalleled at the time.

Exceptionally, Nolan's change of direction not only met the daunting task at hand but surpassed it with flying colours. Yes, the film is dark and gritty, but the most impactful change from Nolan was the realism in which he crafted the world of this film. Throughout, you feel like something like this could happen in the real world. And all this aside from the fact that it provided the groundwork for one of the most influential films in recent memory.