24
Feb
Custom Mannequin for Batman Movie Costume
Custom mannequin and themed display for an original Val Kilmer Batman movie costume.
Our client brought us this original Batman movie costume from the Batman Forever film, looking of a themed base to display it. Val Kilmar’s Batsuit also called the Panther Batsuit is the first of the Batman films to feature the infamous “bat nipples”. They were added to the suit because the director and writer of the film, Joel Schumacher, wanted his version of the Batsuit to be more fitted and sexier. His take on the Batman universe was a bit of a departure from the darker style of the previous films directed by Tim Burton. The suit was made of foam latex which gave the look of the heavier armor but still allowed Kilmer to move they way the film required him to.
While foam latex is a wonderfully flexible material for productions, over time it can get brittle and fragile. Getting the Batman movie costume on a custom form was the best way to support it over time. We created a custom mannequin to support the bat suit with a Val Kilmer lifecast, which we painted a matte gray tone, allowing the original suit to shine. This choice creates more of a costume display than a wax statue type display. Once we mounted the suit on the mannequin, we also performed some minor restoration on several tears and bits of damage to the foam latex. To finish the costume we sourced an accurate replica cape to visually complete the display.
To add some theming, our NY studio created a custom foam carved base that was sculpted to look like faux rock, with stalagmites reminiscent of the underground Batcave. It is finished with carved Batman symbol, then the base was hard coated and painted to look like brown rock.
Want to turn your original movie costume into a life-sized statue or museum display? Email or call today and let’s discuss your project!
Riddle me this? Why aren't you watching Batman Forever?
