"Batman: The Killing Joke" Animated Feature News & Discussion Thread (Spoilers)

[James Harvey]

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment revealed the 2016 line-up of DC Universe Animated Original Movies at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. Announced Friday, July 11th, 2015, the animated film Batman: The Killing Joke will hit home video in 2016! The animated film is based on the popular 1980s Batman graphic novel.

Click here for the trailer!
Coming July 26, 2016 on digital and August 2, 2016 on Blu-Ray and DVD!​

Stay tuned for additional details and updates right here at The World's Finest!

 

[Troy Troodon]

I have a feeling this is gonna receive an, R-rating for it's imagery alone, which to be fair is the sort'a imagery to expect from the original graphic novel; but part of me is worried they're gonna take the New52 route like with Son of Batman and Batman vs Robin and go over the top with their own level of ramose imagery which would likely guaranty the the rating.

And while I wouldn't mind an, R-rated movie based on something from the main-stream DCU, I'd still stick with the PG-13 rating.

But with that out of the way, I feel the need to get out with my own preferences: I do not believe that Alan Moore's work were meant to be adapted. That's not to say I'm against the idea, it's just that there's something about making a movie based on his work that just don't translate well into other media.

 

[GWOtaku]

Well, honestly: I think this is the first time news of a DC animated project has filled me with dread more than anything else. I posit that this is going to be a very divisive project, maybe the most divisive thing they've done and will ever do. If they tone down certain (in)famous scenes fans will complain of infidelity, if they're thoroughly faithful then it means some super uncomfortable and nasty moments get to come to life. Then there's the fact that Alan Moore no longer cares for the story or its legacy. There's also how some people think this is a legendary story while other people hate what it did to provoke Batman for drama and think it symbolizes a grim & gritty era best left forgotten. I'm not sure the gap can be bridged. The project is a minefield.

There *might* be a way out. The key to this one is it's not really a Batman story, it's a Joker story. It takes him over the edge while giving readers a window into what he was before becoming so completely twisted, and tries to dramatize the issue of how he's locked in this cycle of struggle with Batman that neither will or can walk away from. If the movie fixates on that for drama and not so much on recreating the horrors of the comic story, then maybe we have something here. The reasons for including it all are (1) fidelity for its own sake and (2) a belief that it's all truly necessary to establish a motivation for Batman and to torment Jim Gordon. I think the first is overrated while the second is false. The movie could make things dire without going quite so far or voyeuristic in the manner of the comic.

But if they play it completely straight, man, I don't know. I can see the complaints already. Personally I've read it, I got tired of hearing about it quite awhile ago, I don't think it's nearly the best Batman story I've seen. And I most definitely don't have an appetite for what I'm sure will be the most unsettling and disturbing bits of animated violence in the DCU line since Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox if they insist on fidelity.

 

[Gold Guy]

I'm surprised they didn't adapt this sooner.

Like GWO, I'm not a huge fan of the comic, and I don't care for even more "dark-gritty". For those who haven't read the comic, trust me, it's far darker than any of the DTVs so far.

That said, it can't be worse than Son of Batman.

 

[Frontier]

Wow, they're really doing it. They're finally adapting The Killing Joke? Well, Barbara Gordon fans probably won't be happy .

On the positive side, for what positives there are, this is pretty much sure to have Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill back as Batman and Joker .

 

[RoyalRubble]

The Joker and Gordon scenes will be pretty disturbing if they'll do a faithful adaptation of the comic. Hopefully they won't try to make it even creepier for shock value or something. Barbara's short scene is brutal as well.

I agree the movie should try and focus more on Joker and his crazy mixed-up plan to prove his point.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Mostezli]

I'm surprised they didn't adapt this sooner.

Bruce Timm got his wish.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

People on twitter are already going crazy over this. Perhaps, after the recent Joker/Barbara cover controversy, it wasn't the most opportune moment to announce this.

I was never a huge fan of the original book, but it was decent with some excellent art.

Bottom line... Make sure Bruce Timm is guiding this, with Conroy and Hamill reprising their respective roles and I'm all in.

 

[Bat-Fan Beyond]

Make sure Bruce Timm is guiding this, with Conroy and Hamill reprising their respective roles and I'm all in.

YES! That would be great!

 

[W.C.Reaf]

Sigh, I suppose it was going to happen eventually. I'm not a big fan of the comic, didn't think it was that great when I first read it and think even less of it now. Part of the problem is that they've milked the story so much with all their references to it over the decades that I just want the story to die and never be mentioned again.

The only interesting thing for me is seeing if they'll actually go through with Batman killing the Joker, which was implied in the original story and speculated on long afterwards. But they won't, even if they wanted to there's no way DC/WB would let them.

At some point they've got to run out of iconic Batman stories to adapt and move onto other characters, right?

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

The animated adaptation of Batman: The Killing Joke is executive produced by Bruce Timm and will retell this classic tale in an exciting new way. It’ll also feature an original 15-minute prologue that helps set up the story, giving even longtime fans of the story something new to look forward to.

http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2015/07/10/batman-the-killing-joke-gets-an-animated-adaptation

 

[GWOtaku]

Hmm, that is hopeful. Both Timm's involvement and confirmation of a substantial amount of originality. I'm at least interested to hear more about what their vision for this take is.

I'm never against Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill per se, but FWIW: wouldn't Peter Weller and Michael Emerson from the movie take on The Dark Knight Returns fit a story like this like a glove?

 

[Frontier]

At some point they've got to run out of iconic Batman stories to adapt and move onto other characters, right?

I doubt it. By then they'll probably just make more Batman movies with original stories .

Hmm, that is hopeful. Both Timm's involvement and confirmation of a substantial amount of originality. I'm at least interested to hear more about what their vision for this take is.

I'm never against Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill per se, but FWIW: wouldn't Peter Weller and Michael Emerson from the movie take on The Dark Knight Returns fit a story like this like a glove?

I'll be shocked if it's not Conroy and Hamill. Hamill's been pretty vocal that he'll only come out of his self-imposed Joker retirement if it's for The Killing Joke. Granted, that ended up not being true, at least not exactly, but it still means he places a lot of importance in working on the story. For such an iconic Joker story, it would be only appropriate to have the iconic voice of Joker back to do it. Same with Batman.

 

[Bat-Fan Beyond]

http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2015/07/10/batman-the-killing-joke-gets-an-animated-adaptation

That 15-minute prologue sounds interesting. I wonder if it'll showcase Barbara Gordon as Batgirl before we get to see her eventual fate.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

I'll be shocked if it's not Conroy and Hamill. Hamill's been pretty vocal that he'll only come out of his self-imposed Joker retirement if it's for The Killing Joke. Granted, that ended up not being true, at least not exactly, but it still means he places a lot of importance in working on the story. For such an iconic Joker story, it would be only appropriate to have the iconic voice of Joker back to do it. Same with Batman.

Yes, seeing as Hamill already came out of retirement with a bang for a certain project (It's not exactly a secret anymore)... you can bet he was chomping at the bit to do this.

 

[rggkjg1]

The next direct to DVD animated movie is a BATMAN movie? I never would have guessed. This no doubt is the biggest surprise in my life. I had no idea this was coming. I really can't think of anything to say. My mind is just completely blown. With this recent announcement, I now wonder if it's even in the realm of possibility for WB to follow The Killing Joke with a Justice League animated movie.

I'm not concerned about any major tweaks from the comic story. Most of the stuff I would consider controversial from the comic doesn't really need to be in the movie. If Gordon is still wearing clothes at the film's climax, and Barbara is still wearing clothes after the Joker takes pictures of her, would that really be so bad for them to do that or be worth crying sacrilege over? I have the story in front of me and thumbed through it, that's really the only thing I feel that would cause any problems if they 100% faithfully adapted the story.

The story can still be 100% faithfully adapted if specific tweaks (mentioned above) from comic to movie are done. If they tone down the Joker, it will defeat the point. I think there's an opportunity here with the Joker. If he's portrayed as the VILLAIN he is, he won't appear glorified, or could someone find anything glorifying about the Joker in this movie. He's the VILLAIN, and I'm tired of VILLAINS being glorified (I feel if a villain is glorified, it ultimately portrays them in, and are received in, a positive manner). Yes, I guess you can argue the Joker's origin in the story might want to make you feel sorry for him (which would be glorifying/positive), but at the same time we don't even know if that's his REAL origin.

This could be one of the best direct to DVD movies, but it could also be OK or the worst. It depends on whether they'll faithfully adapt it or take their own liberties and make it something different because of the "mature" content. Seriously, if the story had Gordon and Barbara wearing clothes in those scenes, would we even be worried about toning down or would the comic even have gotten a "for mature readers" tag?

 

[RoyalRubble]

http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2015/07/10/batman-the-killing-joke-gets-an-animated-adaptation

I was actually thinking that a straight adaptation of the story could be done in under the standard 75 or so minutes these movie usually have. I was hoping we'd get a DC Showcase special or something, or similar to how Batman: Year One had a Catwoman short set in the same continuity.

 

[Otaku-sempai]

The next direct to DVD animated movie is a BATMAN movie? I never would have guessed. This no doubt is the biggest surprise in my life. I had no idea this was coming. I really can't think of anything to say. My mind is just completely blown. With this recent announcement, I now wonder if it's even in the realm of possibility for WB to follow The Killing Joke with a Justice League animated movie.

If I have this right then Batman: The Killing Joke will be the third DCU Animate Original Movie of 2016, following Batman: Bad Blood and Justice League vs. Titans. Of course that is still two Batman animated movies in one year. I am intrigued that a substantial prologue is being added to the story.

 

[Mister Mayhem]

Crewmates,

Hopefully they won't wuss out and have enough courage to include everything that was in the comic.

 

[dtemplar]

This is the movie I'm really looking for. But who would star in it. Mark Hamill, Kevin Conroy and nobody else!