The Killing Joke: DC’s Next Animated Movie

Carmel Agnant Carmel Agnant
Contributor
May 7th, 2016

Writer and comic book enthusiast.'90s kid stuck in the '80s. I am a lover but I am a fighter when I leap tall buildings at night.

ComiConverse Contributor Carmel Agnant takes a look at DC's upcoming animated film The Killing Joke.

DC is giving another one of its famous comic arcs the animated movie treatment. The Killing Joke will be added to the DC Universe animated original movie collection. The comic written by Alan Moore is one of the most celebrated stories of all time. It is known for its dark storytelling of the relationship between Batman and the Joker. The comic is also known for providing a rare look into Joker’s origins. Heath Ledger, who played as the Joker in The Dark Knight before his untimely death in 2008, used the comic as inspiration to help him get into character. The movie will be a straight-to-DVD feature like many of the other DC Animated movies.

Image art by Brian Bolland

Cover of The Killing Joke comic. Image art by Brian Bolland.

The trailer for the movie has been released for some time and the reactions are overwhelmingly positive. Fans are excited to see how the story will be executed. The movie is set to have an R-rating which will indicate a possibility of DC keeping the adaption as close to the comic as possible, which may include gritty and gruesome scenes. Micah Peters of USA Today talked about the importance of having an R-rating saying:

“Would it be possible to make a good film and capture the Joker’s abject notions of right and wrong and the trials and tribulations that formed them without the nudity, profanity, and gratuitous violence? It’s possible. But it wouldn’t really be The Killing Joke.”

Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill will reprise their roles as Batman and the Joker, respectively. They are widely known for voicing the characters in the popular '90s show Batman: The Animated Series. Conroy brought Batman to life with his voice for about twenty years, marking him as a DC veteran. His most recent work with Mark Hamill was in the Batman Arkham Trilogy video games. Other than the appearance of two of the biggest stars, what else can fans expect from the movie?

There will be an exciting cast and crew. Tara Strong, known for her many roles in children’s television such as Powerpuff Girls, will play as Barbara Gordon and Batgirl. Raymond Wise will voice Commissioner Jim Gordon. His ties to DC dates back to 1982 in the movie Swamp Thing. Sam Liu will be directing the movie. He has worked on some DC animated movies in the past such as Justice League: Gods and Monsters, All-Star Superman, and Batman: Year One. Bruce Timm is on board to add his touch as executive producer. He is well known for his work in the animated universe, which is dubbed as the “Timmverse”. He has also worked alongside Conroy and Hamill in Batman: The Animated Series.

Fans can also expect a Barbara Gordon/ Batgirl prequel. It will be featured at the beginning of the movie that places a special focus on Barbara as a hero. It is a way for viewers to get to know her before her infamous run-in with the Joker. Timm explained in a ten minute extended-look featurette (released back in April) that the prequel was necessary for adaptation purposes. Creative Director Mike Carlin, also featured in the behind-the-scenes video, discussed the importance of the prequel and explained that Barbara is important to Gotham City and Batman himself.

The release of The Killing Joke will be another big development in the Animated Original Movie collection of the DC Universe. The announcement comes after the Teen Titans got their own movie for the first time. They are featured in the movie Justice League vs. Teen Titans.

While the Teen Titans movie already came out earlier last month, The Killing Joke will be out soon. It is reported to be released this upcoming summer.

Source: USA Today

 

Carmel Agnant is a Contributor to ComiConverse. Follow her on Twitter: @super_duper94

Source: USA Today

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