# Joel Schumacher
**Joel Schumacher** (29 August 1939 – 22 June 2020) was an American film director, film producer, screenwriter, and fashion designer from New York City whose hits included *St. Elmo's Fire* (1985), *The Lost Boys* (1987), *Falling Down* (1993), and the two 1990s Batman films *Batman Forever* (1995) and *Batman & Robin* (1997)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001708/). He died in New York City of cancer at age 80[2](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/23/joel-schumacher-obituary).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 29 August 1939, New York City; 22 June 2020, New York City, of cancer[2](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/23/joel-schumacher-obituary) |
| Training | Graduate of the Parsons School of Design; fashion designer before entering film as a costume designer[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/joel-schumacher) |
| Breakthrough | *St. Elmo's Fire* (1985), written and directed, and *The Lost Boys* (1987)[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/joel-schumacher) • [4](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/22/joel-schumacher-director-dies-batman-forever-lost-boys) |
| Batman films | *Batman Forever* (1995) and *Batman & Robin* (1997); negative response to the sequel canceled plans for a third[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001708/) • [5](https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/52383/2/02whole.pdf) |
| Other major films | *Flatliners* (1990), *Falling Down* (1993), *The Client* (1994), *A Time to Kill* (1996), *8MM* (1999), *Phone Booth* (2002), *The Phantom of the Opera* (2004)[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/joel-schumacher) |
| Star-making | Cast Julia Roberts, Rob Lowe, Kiefer Sutherland, Matthew McConaughey, and Colin Farrell early in their careers[2](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/23/joel-schumacher-obituary) • [6](https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2020-06-22/joel-schumacher-dies) |
| Final work | Film *Trespass* (2011); two episodes of Netflix's *House of Cards* (2013)[2](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/23/joel-schumacher-obituary) |
## Early career in fashion and design
Schumacher trained at the [Parsons School of Design](https://www.edgepedia.org/parsons-school-of-design) and worked in the fashion industry before film. In the early 1960s he worked as a design-display artist at the Henri Bendel department store, became a fashion designer, and opened his own boutique, Paraphernalia; he also worked on television commercials and designed packaging and clothing for the Revlon Group[7](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/film-and-television-biographies/joel-schumacher). He entered movies as a costume designer in 1972, including credits on [Woody Allen](https://www.edgepedia.org/woody-allen)'s *Sleeper* and *Interiors*[4](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/22/joel-schumacher-director-dies-batman-forever-lost-boys).
His screenwriting career began in the mid-1970s with the screenplays for *Sparkle* and the comedy *Car Wash* (both 1976)[8](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/joel-schumacher/2739/). In 1978 he adapted the Broadway musical *The Wiz* for director [Sidney Lumet](https://www.edgepedia.org/sidney-lumet), starring [Diana Ross](https://www.edgepedia.org/diana-ross) and [Michael Jackson](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-jackson)[9](https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6998-joel-schumacher-there-s-nothing-i-would-have-rather-done).
## Directing career
Schumacher's directorial debut was the made-for-television movie *The Virginia Hill Story* (1974)[7](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/film-and-television-biographies/joel-schumacher). His first theatrical feature was *The Incredible Shrinking Woman* (1981), starring [Lily Tomlin](https://www.edgepedia.org/lily-tomlin)[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/joel-schumacher). He followed it with *D.C. Cab* (1983), which he later defended plainly: "I needed the job. I was not sitting home thinking, 'Should I do D.C. Cab with Mr. T or Out of Africa with Meryl and Bob?'"[9](https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6998-joel-schumacher-there-s-nothing-i-would-have-rather-done).
**The 1980s hits.** *St. Elmo's Fire* (1985), which he wrote and directed, assembled [Emilio Estevez](https://www.edgepedia.org/emilio-estevez), Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Mare Winningham, Judd Nelson, and [Ally Sheedy](https://www.edgepedia.org/ally-sheedy) as recent [Georgetown University](https://www.edgepedia.org/georgetown-university) graduates, and the Los Angeles Times argued it is "impossible to overstate the impact" the film had on American culture[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/joel-schumacher) • [9](https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6998-joel-schumacher-there-s-nothing-i-would-have-rather-done). *The Lost Boys* (1987), a teen vampire horror comedy set in the fictional Santa Carla, California, became a bigger summer hit and pulled vampires out of gothic castles into suburbia, a formula later visible in *True Blood* and *Twilight*[10](https://www.rogerebert.com/features/in-praise-of-excess-queer-maximalism-in-the-films-of-joel-schumacher) • [11](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/all-joel-schumacher-movies-ranked-by-tomatometer/).
**The 1990s.** Schumacher directed *Flatliners* (1990) with [Julia Roberts](https://www.edgepedia.org/julia-roberts) and [Kevin Bacon](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-bacon), the vigilante drama *Falling Down* (1993) with [Michael Douglas](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-douglas), which was entered into competition at the Cannes Film Festival, the John Grisham adaptations *The Client* (1994) and *A Time to Kill* (1996), and the two Batman films[6](https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2020-06-22/joel-schumacher-dies) • [9](https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6998-joel-schumacher-there-s-nothing-i-would-have-rather-done) • [3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/joel-schumacher). His style drew on his fashion background; critics described his hits as glossy and stylish, and audiences, more than critics, made them successful[2](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/23/joel-schumacher-obituary) • [9](https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6998-joel-schumacher-there-s-nothing-i-would-have-rather-done).
**The Batman films.** Schumacher took over the Batman franchise from [Tim Burton](https://www.edgepedia.org/tim-burton), deliberately lightening the tone. *Batman Forever* (1995), with [Val Kilmer](https://www.edgepedia.org/val-kilmer) as Batman and [Jim Carrey](https://www.edgepedia.org/jim-carrey) and Tommy Lee Jones as the Riddler and Two-Face, was camp and cartoonish in direction; its sequel *Batman & Robin* (1997), with George Clooney and Arnold Schwarzenegger, received overwhelmingly negative responses, and plans for a third film in the series were canceled[5](https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/52383/2/02whole.pdf) • [12](https://time.com/6151792/all-the-batman-movies-ranked/). The films' costume design, including the much-remarked rubber "Bat-nipples" on the Batsuit, became a lasting punchline[13](https://www.who2.com/bio/joel-schumacher/) • [14](https://www.gamesradar.com/best-batman-movies/). Schumacher took responsibility for the sequel's failure, saying he had steered too far toward what marketing and merchandising wanted, and he apologized to disappointed fans in the film's DVD commentary[11](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/all-joel-schumacher-movies-ranked-by-tomatometer/) • [15](https://www.salon.com/2010/08/05/schumacher/). Critical reevaluations after his death described the films, viewed through the lens of camp, more generously[16](https://www.wired.com/story/schumacher-batman-revisited/).
**Later career.** After *Batman & Robin*, his tenure as a top-line studio director effectively ended, and he moved toward smaller-budget films[15](https://www.salon.com/2010/08/05/schumacher/). He cast the then little-known Colin Farrell in the Vietnam drama *Tigerland* (2000) and directed him again in *Phone Booth* (2002), the tight thriller set almost entirely inside a phone booth that made Farrell a star[2](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/23/joel-schumacher-obituary) • [11](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/all-joel-schumacher-movies-ranked-by-tomatometer/). Other late projects included *8MM* and *Flawless* (both 1999), *Veronica Guerin* (2003) with Cate Blanchett, *The Phantom of the Opera* (2004) with Gerard Butler, *The Number 23* (2007), and his final film, *Trespass* (2011), reuniting Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman[2](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/23/joel-schumacher-obituary) • [11](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/all-joel-schumacher-movies-ranked-by-tomatometer/) • [8](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/joel-schumacher/2739/). His last directing credits were two episodes of the Netflix drama *House of Cards* in 2013[2](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/23/joel-schumacher-obituary).
## Working style and reputation
Schumacher was known within the industry for casting and for professionalism. Studios and actors praised his behind-the-scenes professionalism, and at his creative peak his name functioned as a brand of stylish big-studio entertainment[11](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/all-joel-schumacher-movies-ranked-by-tomatometer/). The Los Angeles Times credited him with a knack for discovering and nurturing young stars, including Rob Lowe, Kiefer Sutherland, Matthew McConaughey, and Colin Farrell[6](https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2020-06-22/joel-schumacher-dies). Julia Roberts, who worked with him twice, described him as "total Mr. Genius Man"[15](https://www.salon.com/2010/08/05/schumacher/).
He was open about the gap between his popular and critical standing. Asked what it was like when a movie critics disliked performed well at the box office, he said it "reminds you who you made the movie for"[9](https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6998-joel-schumacher-there-s-nothing-i-would-have-rather-done). He never won a major directing prize, and he received more Razzie-style derision than critical honors over his career[17](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/22/joel-schumacher-star-making-hollywood-showman).
Schumacher was openly gay throughout his career, which was unusual for a Hollywood director in the 1970s and 1980s; he never married and had no children[13](https://www.who2.com/bio/joel-schumacher/). Critics and scholars have identified a queer sensibility in his visual maximalism, and he shared a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2011 for his contributions to the docu-series *Half of Us*[10](https://www.rogerebert.com/features/in-praise-of-excess-queer-maximalism-in-the-films-of-joel-schumacher) • [3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/joel-schumacher).
## References
1. [Joel Schumacher, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001708/)
2. [Joel Schumacher obituary, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/23/joel-schumacher-obituary)
3. [Joel Schumacher, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/joel-schumacher)
4. [Joel Schumacher, Batman Forever and The Lost Boys director, dies aged 80, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/22/joel-schumacher-director-dies-batman-forever-lost-boys)
5. [The Knight is Darkest Before the Dawn: Batman, the United States and Post-9/11 Gothic, UTS](https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/52383/2/02whole.pdf)
6. [Joel Schumacher, director of 'St. Elmo's Fire,' 'The Lost Boys' and Batman films, dies at 80, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2020-06-22/joel-schumacher-dies)
7. [Joel Schumacher, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/film-and-television-biographies/joel-schumacher)
8. [Joel Schumacher biography and filmography, Tribute.ca](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/joel-schumacher/2739/)
9. [Joel Schumacher: "There's Nothing I Would Have Rather Done", The Criterion Collection](https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6998-joel-schumacher-there-s-nothing-i-would-have-rather-done)
10. [In Praise of Excess: Queer Maximalism in the Films of Joel Schumacher, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/features/in-praise-of-excess-queer-maximalism-in-the-films-of-joel-schumacher)
11. [All Joel Schumacher Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer, Rotten Tomatoes](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/all-joel-schumacher-movies-ranked-by-tomatometer/)
12. [All the Batman Movies, Ranked, TIME](https://time.com/6151792/all-the-batman-movies-ranked/)
13. [Joel Schumacher Biography, Who2](https://www.who2.com/bio/joel-schumacher/)
14. [The best Batman movies, ranked, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/best-batman-movies/)
15. ["Twelve": On the intoxicating badness of Joel Schumacher, Salon](https://www.salon.com/2010/08/05/schumacher/)
16. [Joel Schumacher and the Non-Crisis of Infinite Batmans, WIRED](https://www.wired.com/story/schumacher-batman-revisited/)
17. [Joel Schumacher: a high gloss, star-making Hollywood showman, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/22/joel-schumacher-star-making-hollywood-showman)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Directors, producers, and screenwriters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license