After this success, Warner Bros. hired Schumacher to direct a sequel, Batman & Robin, in 1997. The film did not perform as well at the box office as its predecessors, and was a critical failure; it is frequently considered to be one of the worst films ever made. Warner Bros. subsequently put the Batman film series on hiatus for several years, canceling Schumacher's next planned Batman movie, Batman Unchained. On the DVD commentary, Schumacher has admitted that his movie disappointed fans of darker Batman adaptations, saying that the film was made intentionally marketable (or "toyetic") and kid-friendly. He claims to have been under heavy pressure from the studio to do so; however, he admits full responsibility and, at one point, apologizes to any fans who were disappointed. Schumacher is a devoted Batman fan himself, and has said he would have personally preferred an adaptation of the comic Batman: Year One.