10 Weird Secrets Behind Tim Burton Movies

1. That’s Not A CGI Bird

No doubt about it, one of the freakiest moments in Batman Returns appears when Catwoman puts a small bird in her mouth, holds it there for a few seconds, then allows it to fly out.

What's astonishing about this moment is that it doesn't look like any form of CGI, it appears incredibly realistic. And that’s because it was a real bird.

CGI was very uncommon in 1992, when the movie hit the big screens. It was still very early days for this kind of animation, not widely used yet. That meant Michelle Pfieffer had to perform this act for real.

Pfeiffer told a Hollywood Reporter, "I look back and say, 'What was I thinking? I could've gotten a disease or something from having a live bird in my mouth [...] It seemed fine at the time. I don't think the bird was drugged or anything. We did that scene in one take."

Luckily, no birds, cats or bats were harmed in the making of this movie. But it really does give a ‘Movie Magic’ feel all in all.