"Dynamic Duo" Theatrical Film News & Discussion Thread (Spoilers)

[Yojimbo]

James Gunn announced a new animated theatrical movie titled Dynamic Duo starring Dick Grayson and Jason Todd has been greenlit. It will be done by Swaybox, a mix of animation, puppetry, and CGI, a script from Matt Aldrich, and produced with Matt Reeves’ 6th and Idaho.

It will mark the first joint project between DC Studios and the Bill Damaschke-led Warner Bros Pictures Animation. Movie is directed by Swaybox co-founder Arthur Mintz. Story is the early days of Dick and Jason. Not connected to Reeves' The Batman canon.

 

[Frontier]

I was wondering if this might set up the backstory for Gunn's Gotham until I read the premise...and now I'm wondering if this is an original animation idea they came up with and then slapped some Bat-characters' names on it .

 

[Mandouga]

It might even be a comedy movie. I mean, everyone knows that Batman and Robin are “The Dynamic Duo”. So having it be two different Robins sounds like this movie could be a parody of Batman, and I don’t mean like the 1960s TV series, which was more camp than parody. Still we’ll see.


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[Yojimbo]

Here's Swaybox's demo reel if anyone wants an idea of what this movie will look like.

 

[Mandouga]

"Robins origin movie"?

But most people already know Dick Grayson (circus family; Tony Zucco) AND Jason Todd's origin, including those who watched the Batman: The Animated Series episode that introduces "Tim Drake", but gives him Jason Todd's origin story...

 

[PicardMan]

So is this the first serious DC animated movie since Mask of the Phantasm. I know that comedic animated projects like Teen Titans Go to the Movies, Superpets, and Lego Batman got theatrical, but most of the edgier PG-13 stuff was low budget direct to video films aimed at a niche audience. I guess Warner finally feels it's possible the mainstream could accept edgy superhero animation?

 

[RoyalRubble]

Interesting idea to have a Dick & Jason movie. Their "early days" suggest origin stories but we'll see how their stories might differ in this adaptation. Maybe the other Robins (and Batgirls, hopefully) will be featured in potential sequels. Also, interesting choice for the animation style.

There's really not a lot to comment on this initial announcement but it sounds promising enough to me and I am curious to see how it plays out.

 

[Otaku-sempai]

To me it seems like Dick and Jason are too similar in age and background to make for an interesting pair. I wonder if Dick and Damian would work better. It did in the comics where Dick was filling in for the missing and presumed dead Bruce.

 

[Frontier]

To me it seems like Dick and Jason are too similar in age and background to make for an interesting pair. I wonder if Dick and Damian would work better. It did in the comics where Dick was filling in for the missing and presumed dead Bruce.

It's just kind of weird imagining them growing up together...

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

This sounds great... an the ''animation reel'' looks wonderful. I'm intrigued to see/hear more.

 

[Otaku-sempai]

A description of the feature has been posted at The World's Finest:

Dynamic Duo revolves around Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, a pair of orphan thieves who share dreams of a better life, but their friendship will be tested when the two boys decide to take down a theft ring and change their felonious ways. Swaybox will use its proprietary Momo technology that blends CG animation with puppets, live-action performances and other visual elements. Dynamic Duo is also Swaybox’s first feature film.

 

[PicardMan]

What the what? Okay not surprised at CGI as 2D is dead in theaters, but CGI+puppets+live action. So will this be like Team America World Police but DC themed? Also Dick and Jason are both orphan thieves instead of Dick being Mr. Upstanding? This sounds like the most stupid thing DC has ever done and I can't see this doing well at the box office. This is so experimental and weird.

 

[RoyalRubble]

Variety claims the report of Dick & Jason being thieves wasn't accurate.

Instead, it will depict how the friendship between Grayson and Todd as youths becomes tested by their diverging ideas for what their future should be. (Reports that the characters will begin as a pair of thieves in the film were false.)

 

[PicardMan]

Well, okay at least Dick Grayson is not getting ruined. Sounds like they will both be in character. Still, big screen puppetmation is a very risky venture. I am very sure this will be comedy heavy as animated superhero stuff has to be comedy heavy to get a theatrical release. Plus, puppetmation is impossible to take seriously.

 

[wonderfly]

From the front page of AnimeSuperhero.com:

"Two Robins Will Team Up In DC Studios’ “Dynamic Duo”"​

"The first DC Studios project to fall under the Gunnverse umbrella will be an animated one: “Creature Commandos,” which hits Max in December. But after that, then what? Today we learned of an animated project of a different sort… a stop-motion film called “Dynamic Duo.”

The phrase “dynamic duo” has always meant Batman and Robin, but in this movie, Batman isn’t part of it. The “duo” in question is instead Robin and….Robin. The pic is described as an origin story for both Dick Grayson and Jason Todd…who will possibly team up at some point.


Of course in the comics, Grayson and Todd are pretty far apart. Grayson was the original Robin, but eventually broke with Batman to go solo as Nightwing. Todd would eventually replace him, but not for long — many Batman readers found him irritating and DC set up a hotline where they could vote on whether or not the character should be killed off. “Death to Todd” won out….but like most comic book characters, he would eventually come back to life anyway and run around as the Red Hood."

Read the full article here.

 

[MatthewP]

honestly looking at the film at first glance, i thought it was an elseworlds considering the rumored "thief" thing (which is prolly false by now)

anyhoo, here's hoping this and the "brave and the bold" flick changes public opinion on "mr. lonely" and his motley crew of villains he's forced to round up

 

[Mandouga]

"Orphan thieves"? Yeah, that's what I thought. I don't know about Jason, but when Dick lost his family, Bruce stopped him from possibly going down that path, if anything.

Anyway, I just don't know. Maybe it is an "elseworlds", maybe it isn't. Either way, if it's just going to be a parody movie, then I may not even bother, especially if it ends up being a Teen Titans Go-style movie [shudder]...

 

[Yojimbo]

"Orphan thieves"? Yeah, that's what I thought. I don't know about Jason, but when Dick lost his family, Bruce stopped him from possibly going down that path, if anything.

Anyway, I just don't know. Maybe it is an "elseworlds", maybe it isn't. Either way, if it's just going to be a parody movie, then I may not even bother, especially if it ends up being a Teen Titans Go-style movie [shudder]...

The "orphan thieves" bit was already debunked.

 

[PicardMan]

One issue with this movie is that Dick and Jason's rivalry is when they were adults and donning the Nightwing and Red Hood identities. Don't they have a 7 or 8 year age gap in most depictions?

 

[Yojimbo]

One issue with this movie is that Dick and Jason's rivalry is when they were adults and donning the Nightwing and Red Hood identities. Don't they have a 7 or 8 year age gap in most depictions?

Yes, but Elseworld stories like the Gotham by Gaslight movie made it work. Dick, Jason, and Tim, of differing ages, are a team of street thieves (ironic for this thread) inspired by the Baker Street Irregulars from Sherlock.

Maybe they're not even with Bruce yet. And if they honor Jason's original origin story, maybe Dick and Jason are still at the circus and grew up with each other.