George Clooney says 'Batman & Robin' taught him more than success ever could

Entertainment Nov 17, 2025

George Clooney just shared that his much-criticized 1997 film Batman & Robin ended up being a major turning point for him.
At the premiere of his new movie Jay Kelly, Clooney admitted, "You don't learn from succeeding — you learn from failing, and then you have to figure it out along the way, so it's helpful."
Even though the movie bombed (11 Razzie nominations and only 11% on Rotten Tomatoes), he sees it as an important lesson.

How 1 flop changed Clooney's career path

After Batman & Robin, Clooney started picking roles more carefully, aiming for movies with stronger stories and critical respect.
This shift led him to projects like Three Kings, Out of Sight, and O Brother Where Art Thou?, and eventually scored him an Oscar for Syriana in 2005.