Michael Keaton Reveals the Blockbuster He Thought ‘Made Him Good’: ‘It Still Annoys Me to This Day’

Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Keaton has made numerous successful films, but he admits there’s one film where he falls short.

While reteaming with director Tim Burton for the Beetlejuice sequel, Keaton revealed that he feels he “did a bad job in Dumbo,” their 2019 collaboration.

Looking back on his previous collaborations with Burton, including Beetlejuice and the Batman films, Keaton expressed regret over his role in the Disney remake.

“I love working with Tim, but I don’t think we’ve ever really analyzed why we work so well together; we just do,” Keaton told The New York Times on Tuesday. “I think I let him down in one movie, but that’s just my thing and it still bugs me to this day.”

He continued, “I had no idea about Dumbo. I was worthless in Dumbo.”

Burton, of course, did not share Keaton’s opinion, saying, “I don’t even know what you’re talking about, but okay.”

In the film, Keaton played VA Vandevere, the villain who buys Dumbo for his entertainment empire but ends up exploiting and abusing the elephant.

Keaton starred opposite Danny DeVito as Max Medici and Colin Farrell as Holt Farrier.

The remake of the 1941 animated classic received mixed reviews from critics and performed poorly at the box office.

The film has an approval rating of 46% on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 51 on Metacritic, reflecting its mixed reception.

The film grossed approximately $353 million worldwide, against a production budget of approximately $170 million.

While the film was not a box office flop, its grosses were below expectations for a Disney live-action remake, especially when compared to other recent Disney remakes such as The Lion King and Aladdin.

Keaton’s reflections on his performance followed Burton’s revelation that he had considered quitting filming after wrapping Dumbo.

“Honestly, after Dumbo, I really didn’t know. I really thought this was it,” he told Variety on August 22.

“I could have retired, or… well, I would never have been an animator again, that’s over,” he added.

However, he admitted that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice did give him “new energy.”

“When you work in Hollywood, you often try to be responsible with your budget and everything else, but sometimes you get a little lost,” he added.

‘This reinforced in me the feeling that it is important that I do what I want to do, because then everyone benefits.’

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will be released in theaters on September 6.