Batman: The Killing Joke Information

Batman: The Killing Joke is an upcoming American animated superhero film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Featuring the DC Comics character Batman, the film will be the twenty-sixth film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series and is based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland. The film is directed by Sam Liu and Bruce Timm, written by Brian Azzarello and produced by Timm, Alan Burnett and Sam Register. It features the voices of Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Tara Strong and Ray Wise.

The film will premiere at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 22, 2016. Originally intended to be released directly on home video, the film will instead be released simultaneously in theaters and on home video. It will receive a limited release in Australia and New Zealand on July 24, 2016, and in the United States & the U.K on July 25, 2016. It will be released digitally on July 26, 2016, and on DVD and Blu-ray on August 2, 2016.

Plot

Batman tries to unravel the mystery behind the Joker's past as the villain's latest actions affects the former's closest allies Commissioner James Gordon and his daughter Barbara Gordon.

Cast

• Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne / Batman: A billionaire socialite and owner of Wayne Enterprises who protects Gotham City from its criminal underworld as a highly trained, masked vigilante.
• Mark Hamill as The Joker: A psychotic criminal mastermind.
• Tara Strong as Barbara Gordon / Batgirl: Commissioner Gordon's daughter and the crime fighting partner for Batman.
• Ray Wise as Commissioner James Gordon: The Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, and one of the city's few honest police.

Additionally, John DiMaggio, Robin Atkin Downes, Brian George, J. P. Karliak, Andrew Kishino, Nolan North, Maury Sterling, Fred Tatasciore, Bruce Timm, Anna Vocino, Kari Wahlgren, and Rick D. Wasserman have been cast in as-yet-unspecified roles.

Production

In 2011 during San Diego Comic-Con International, actor Mark Hamill, who had wanted to quit playing the Joker at that time, stated that he would be willing to voice the Joker for an adaptation of The Killing Joke, encouraging fans to campaign for said adaptation, most notably in a tweet on October 24, 2011. Since then, a Facebook page titled "Petition to get Mark Hamill to play the Joker in animated Killing Joke" was set up by his fans. In 2013, Bruce Timm also expressed a desire to create the project, saying it was only a possibility. On July 10, 2015, during the Justice League: Gods and Monsters panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Timm announced that an animated film based on the novel was in development and slated to be released in 2016. Sam Liu will direct and Timm will executive produce the film. The film will feature a 15-minute prologue that sets up the story. On July 17, Hamill tweeted that he had his "fingers crossed" in hopes that he would be contacted to reprise his role as the Joker. On July 27, Collider.com reported that Hamill will voice the Joker in the film and ComicBook.com spoke with Kevin Conroy who has stated he would reprise his voice role as Bruce Wayne / Batman "in a heartbeat". Although Collider has reported that Hamill will reprise the role for the film, Hamill himself has stated he still has his fingers crossed. On March 14, 2016, it was officially announced that Conroy and Hamill will reprise their roles as Batman and Joker respectively in the film alongside Tara Strong returning to voice Barbara Gordon and Ray Wise voicing Commissioner Gordon. The rest of the voice cast was revealed on Apple's iTunes digital release of the film.

In January 2016, Timm revealed that the film will be screened at San Diego Comic-Con in July. He added that the team had to "add a lot more story" for the film due to the source novel not being long enough to make a feature-length film. In February 2016, concept artist Phil Bourassa revealed that in 2009, Timm was slated to produce an R-rated version of The Killing Joke, but development on the film was stalled after two weeks due to the under-performance of Watchmen, while also showcasing concept art of the Joker. In April, Warner Home Video confirmed that The Killing Joke will be the first film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series and the first animated Batman film to receive an R rating from the MPAA, with Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Digital Series president Sam Register explaining, "From the start of production, we encouraged producer Bruce Timm and our team at Warner Bros. Animation to remain faithful to the original story "? regardless of the eventual MPAA rating ... We felt it was our responsibility to present our core audience "? the comics-loving community "? with an animated film that authentically represented the tale they know all too well."

Release

Warner Home Video will host the world premiere of The Killing Joke during the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con on July 22, 2016. The film will be released digitally on July 26, 2016, while the deluxe edition and combo pack Blu-ray of the film will be released on August 2, 2016. On June 8, 2016, Fathom Events and Vue cinemas announced they would release the film in select theaters for one night only on July 25, 2016 throughout the US and the U.K. It will receive a limited release in Australia and New Zealand on July 24, 2016.