Tim Burton's ‘Batman’ and ‘Batman Returns’ In Dolby Cinema Theaters For One Night Only!

Tim Burton’s 1989 masterpiece Batman was one of a handful of movies that cemented my love of cinema at a young age, alongside classics like Back to the Future, The Princess Bride, and The Karate Kid. I was one of millions of fans who became feverishly obsessed with Batman (I still have a framed photo of Michael Keaton in the Batsuit hanging on my bedroom wall, and I would absolutely wear my 1989 Batman Converse high-tops if I could squeeze into them). As a kid, I quickly wore out two VHS copies of the film in the years after its release. Now, fans like me have a unique opportunity to see Batman and its Burton-helmed 1992 sequel, Batman Returns, on the silver screen once again, this time remastered for Dolby Cinema. But fans should waste no bat time in securing tickets; this event is a one-night-only affair.

Before Batman hit theaters, there was widespread skepticism about whether Michael Keaton was right for the leading role. Many fans of the Batman comics dismissed Keaton because he wasn’t physically imposing enough to play the Caped Crusader, nor was he viewed as a “serious” actor. Best known in the 1980s for screwball comedies like Mr. Mom and Beetlejuice, Keaton didn’t merely win over the skeptics with his knockout performance opposite Jack Nicholson’s Joker. He reinvented the character for a new generation, and helped to redefine the entire Super Hero genre in the process. (At the time, there hadn’t been a really good Super Hero movie in nearly a decade, since 1980’s Superman II.)

I hadn’t watched these films since I made them, and seeing them again with this level of clarity, beauty, color, and sound felt really new and exciting. Dolby Atmos and Vision brought it all to life in a fresh way.

— Tim Burton

For reasons that are above my pay grade, Batman and Batman Returns are returning to the big screen for just a single night: August 25, 2025. This special one-night engagement will take place at over 160 Dolby Cinema at AMC Theatres locations in the US, with both movies offering ultra-vivid Dolby Vision picture and immersive Dolby Atmos sound for the first time. Dolby Vision promises to transform “every frame with deeper blacks, sharper contrast, and more vivid colors,” while Dolby Atmos “elevates the film’s soundscape and score with pristine depth and dimensionality, allowing everything from the Batwing’s engines to Danny Elfman’s iconic score to envelop audiences in multi-dimensional immersive sound,” according to Dolby. The announcement mentions that Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos will “magnify Burton’s trademark visual style and enrich Gotham’s gothic atmosphere,” but fails to describe the rather obvious cinematic benefits of blasting a 25-foot-tall Kim Basinger onto the Dolby Cinema screen. Basinger’s last-minute casting as Vicki Vale was one of those happy accidents that occasionally make Hollywood history. She’s terrific in the film.

Batman and Batman Returns remain seminal films in the history of the Super Hero genre. The new presentation of these films in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos honors Tim Burton’s bold creativity while showcasing how far audio and image technology have evolved.

— Michelle Maddalena, Vice President of Global Content and Industry Relations at Dolby

Tim Burton’s acclaimed Batman films deliver a dark, iconic vision of Gotham City that continues to influence the modern Super Hero genre today. With their advancements over the past decades, Dolby now transforms these beloved classics into completely new cinematic experiences through Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, delivering unprecedented visual and audio fidelity.

— Jeff Goldstein, President of Global Distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures

This special presentation is not the first time that Dolby and the Dark Knight have teamed up to make movie history. Batman Returns was the first feature film presented in Dolby Digital when it premiered in 1992, marking a historic moment for Dolby and the entire film industry. Dolby Digital became synonymous with “surround sound” in the 1990s, much as Dolby Atmos represents audio excellence today. Tickets for Batman and Batman Returns in Dolby Cinema are on sale now.

Get your tickets:

Batman

Batman Returns