Batman: The Killing Joke Animated Film Adaptation Announced

[Lizzy Finnegan]

Batman: The Killing Joke Animated Film Adaptation Announced

The graphic novel The Killing Joke will be appearing in 2016 as an animated film.

In a forum post [http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2015/07/10/batman-the-killing-joke-gets-an-animated-adaptation] Friday, DC Comics revealed the announcement of an animated movie adaptation of the 1988 graphic novel The Killing Joke. The post followed a Comic-Con San Diego reveal during the Justice League: Gods and Monsters panel.

"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," the post reads. "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."

Without revealing too much information for those of you unfamiliar with the story, many consider The Killing Joke to be the definitive Joker story, which also sets the foundation for the birth of Oracle. The graphic novel has received its fair share of both praise and criticism since its release.

The decision to create the animated movie now was made in order to coincide with Joker's 75th anniversary.

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[Dying_Jester]

While I am very much a fan of the dynamic between Batman and Joker, and someone who doesn't know the story of The Killing Joke, I am very excited for this.

Although, with my only exposure to anything related to the story being that BS controversy about that Batman cover a few months back, I'm worried that what I'm going to end up seeing isn't an animated version of The Killing Joke, but instead some sort of PC neutered version.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

First thought: Freaking AWESOME!

Second thought: When are we getting Blue and Gold? Or Red Son? Or Earth 2? Yes DCAU makes their money with Batman and the Justice League but at this point I was hoping they'd have enough of a cushion to branch out again and do something a bit different. Blue and Gold might be TOO different of course but how about Earth 2? Probably not that either since New 52's Earth 2: The Gathering kills off the trinity in issue one...

 

[ShadyNinja]

This is awesome! I've been bringing this up for years that they should do this as an animated film. Anyway there is no way this is going to be PG-13 right? Could they go for R or stick with a hard PG-13 rating?

I'm assuming this is going to get criticized by current fans of Babs though and by all the people angry about The Killing Joke and even to the reference in a cover variant months ago...

 

[RJ 17]

Hopefully they'll get Mark Hamill to do Joker again. Apparently he's not only straight-up said that he'd be very interested in playing Joker for The Killing Joke if they ever made an animated version of it, but he's been actively encouraging fans to continue asking for this movie to be made.

 

[someguy1231]

Good to hear. Killing Joke is one of the best Joker stories ever. I know that the Joker in both Burton and Nolan's Batman films and in the Arkham games is heavily influenced by that story.

Although, with my only exposure to anything related to the story being that BS controversy about that Batman cover a few months back, I'm worried that what I'm going to end up seeing isn't an animated version of The Killing Joke, but instead some sort of PC neutered version.

Yeah, this was pretty much my first thought when I read the headline. "Oh God, they're going to tone down or remove what he does to Barbara Gordon to appease SJWs." God forbid that one of the most cruel and sadistic villains ever created does things that make the viewer uncomfortable...

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

As someone who read the Killing Joke and gave it a resounding "Yeah, that was decent." I can confidently give this movie a shrug and say "Sure, why not?"

 

[Mahorfeus]

Mark Hamill is straight up wants to do this movie, I hope they cast him and Kevin Conroy back as Joker and Spider-Man.

Yeah, I'm right on board with you on that- wait, what?

 

[Scarim Coral]

Oh awesome!

Now if only King Come get an animated feature aswell but none the less I will settle with this!

 

[Michael Tabbut]

I am cautiously optimistic on this one. I haven't really enjoyed DC Animated's work since Under the Red Hood. I'm hoping that this adaptation will help bring back some of my enjoyment.

 

[Asclepion]

Good to hear. Killing Joke is one of the best Joker stories ever. I know that the Joker in both Burton and Nolan's Batman films and in the Arkham games is heavily influenced by that story.

Although, with my only exposure to anything related to the story being that BS controversy about that Batman cover a few months back, I'm worried that what I'm going to end up seeing isn't an animated version of The Killing Joke, but instead some sort of PC neutered version.

Yeah, this was pretty much my first thought when I read the headline. "Oh God, they're going to tone down or remove what he does to Barbara Gordon to appease SJWs." God forbid that one of the most cruel and sadistic villains ever created does things that make the viewer uncomfortable...

The Batman cover wasn't redone out of censorship by SJWs, but simply because the art team though it could be done better.


Assault on Arkham was a pretty brutal film, so I'm not worried about DC toning down content.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

I am just about Joker'd out. There is a lot more to Batman than The Joker but you'd never know it sometimes.

 

[someguy1231]

The Batman cover wasn't redone out of censorship by SJWs, but simply because the art team though it could be done better.

Assault on Arkham was a pretty brutal film, so I'm not worried about DC toning down content.

I didn't really care much about that cover one way or another. What I did care about was that a big stink was raised about it because people thought it was "degrading" or "tasteless". Like I said, the Joker is supposed to make you feel uncomfortable. That struck me as a textbook example of demanding that villains be evil "but not too evil".

As for "Assault on Arkham", I haven't seen it, but you say it's a "pretty brutal film". I'll just have to take your word for it.

 

[Aerosteam]

As for "Assault on Arkham", I haven't seen it, but you say it's a "pretty brutal film". I'll just have to take your word for it.

Some people do die in pretty brutal (and sometimes funny) ways in the movie. Bomb collars do play a big part in it.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Mark Hamill is straight up wants to do this movie, I hope they cast him and Kevin Conroy back as Joker and Spider-Man.

Yeah, I'm right on board with you on that- wait, what?

Technically, Green Goblin. Hamill did the voice for him as well.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Hey, cool. Weird they haven't made a movie of this yet.

 

[FalloutJack]

This is good news. Maybe we can do the Arkham Asylum book after that? That was some good nuttery.