DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation have released more details on Batman: Gotham Knight, the direct-to-DVD animated anthology designed to fill the gap between Batman Begins and Batman: The Dark Knight.
We already knew the writers involved — Josh Olson, David S. Goyer, Alan Burnett, Jordan Goldberg, Greg Rucka and Brian Azzarello — but we were left trying to guess the Japanese directors involved. Now, though, the press release names the animation houses — Studio 4ºC, Production I.G and Madhouse — and the five directors: Shojiro Nishimi, Futoshi Higashide, Hiroshi Morioka, Yasuhiro Aoki and Toshiyuki Kubooka.
We’re also given an official release date: July 8.
The press release can be found after the break:
DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Animation have collaborated to create a unique Batman experience in Batman: Gotham Knight. The all-new, original movie will arrive July 8, 2008 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Order due date is June 3, 2008. The original movie will also be available OnDemand and Pay-per-View as well as available for download on the same day as release date, July 8, 2008.
Batman: Gotham Knight is a fresh and exciting new entry into the Batman mythos, spinning out of a 40-year history in animation including the Emmy®-winning Batman: The Animated Series, widely considered a pivotal moment in American animation. A cross section of distinguished creators, award winning producers, and acclaimed writers weave six interlocking stories that reveal Bruce Wayne’s journey to Dark Knight, each with stylish art from some of the world’s most revered animation visionaries.
Batman: Gotham Knight was headed by an impressive list of directors who have brought their distinctly different anime styles to the classic Batman character. The production was divided among three renowned studios – Studio 4ºC, Production I.G and Madhouse – and included the truly inimitable visions of directors Shojiro Nishimi, Futoshi Higashide, Hiroshi Morioka, Yasuhiro Aoki and Toshiyuki Kubooka.
With stories written by several of the most talented writers of film, comic books, and animation, including Academy Award®-nominated screenwriter Josh Olson (A History of Violence), David S. Goyer (Batman Begins), Emmy®-winner Alan Burnett (Batman: The Animated Series), Jordan Goldberg (Associate Producer, The Dark Knight), and award-winning comics writers Greg Rucka and Brian Azzarello, Batman: Gotham Knight presents thrilling new adventures of Batman that spotlight several of Gotham City’s most dangerous villains, including the fearsome Scarecrow, the freakish Killer Croc and the unnerving marksman known as Deadshot. Batman: Gotham Knight is produced by Emma Thomas (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight), Michael Uslan & Benjamin Melniker (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight), Toshi Hiruma and Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series).
Batman: Gotham Knight will be available on DVD for $24.98 SRP. There will also be a 2-disc Special Edition DVD available for $29.98 SRP which contains additional bonus features. All the content from the 2-disc Special Edition DVD will be available on Blu-ray Disc for $34.99 SRP.
Batman: Gotham Knight DVD will feature incredible extras including:
-”A Mirror for the Bat: The Evil Denizens of Gotham City” – A stimulating documentary covering Gotham City’s most nefarious of characters, combined with a look into the symbiotic relationship Batman shares with his enemies.
-”Sneak Peek: Wonder Woman” – DC Universe animated original movie
-Audio Commentary – Featuring the filmmakers of Batman: Gotham Knight.
Widescreen (1.78:1)
5.1 Dolby Digital
The 2-disc Special Edition DVD will feature even more incredible extras including:
-”Batman and Me, A Devotion of Destiny: The Bob Kane Story” – The comprehensive chronology of the remarkable life of the creator of Batman.
-Batman: The Animated Series Bonus Episodes – Bruce Timm selects his favorite episodes from Batman: The Animated Series.
“Batman: Gotham Knight explores an exciting moment between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight,” said Paul Levitz, DC Comics President and Publisher, “and takes our fans on a very different visual trip through Gotham and Batman’s life. We’re extremely proud of this project, and look forward to adding to the momentum our DC Universe Animated Original Movie program has been building.”
“Batman: Gotham Knight is a perfect example of the type of release that Warner Premiere is becoming known for and that audiences are hungry for,” said Matt Bierman, Vice President, Production, Warner Premiere. “With incredible production values, a top-notch creative team and compelling, iconic characters from the DC Universe, Batman: Gotham Knight really raises the bar in the Direct-to-DVD arena and we’re proud to be a part of this production.”
“To date, over 13.5 million units of Batman animated titles have been sold and we are thrilled to release Batman: Gotham Knight, the next installment of the DC Universe animated original movies, which will be a hit with Super Hero and comic book fans alike,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President, Kids and Sports Marketing.
Street Date: July 8, 2008
Order Due Date: June 3, 2008
Languages: English, Spanish
Subtitles: SpanishRun Time: 75 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio: 5.1 Dolby Surround Stereo
Color / Closed Captioned
Rating: PG-13Batman: Gotham Knight Marketing Support
Batman: Gotham Knight will be supported by a massive media campaign including primetime TV spots, national print and online coverage. Marketing support will also include strong promotional support as well as a grassroots viral campaign.
DC Universe Original Movies
DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video (WHV) and Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) began the production and distribution of DC Universe, a series of original, animated PG-13 movies in July 2006. This original made for DVD movie is part of the DC Universe series of animated PG-13 films written and directed by acclaimed comic book creators and animators and featuring recognizable talent. WHV will be the exclusive worldwide home entertainment distributor for all DC Universe movies, which will include a slate of 2-3 action-packed films per year. Superman Doomsday and Justice League: The New Frontier were the first DC Universe original animated movies. Other DC properties with films in development include Justice League, Green Lantern, Flash and Wonder Woman.
Basics:
Street Date: July 8, 2008
Order Due Date: June 3, 2008
Languages: English, Spanish
Subtitles: SpanishRun Time: 75 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio: 5.1 Dolby Surround Stereo
Color / Closed Captioned
Rating: PG-13Batman: Gotham Knight (DVD)
Price: $24.98 SRP / No MAP
UPC: 085391123323Batman: Gotham Knight (2 Disc Special Edition DVD)
Price: $29.98 SRP / No MAP
UPC: 0883929011155Batman: Gotham Knight (Blu-ray Disc)
Price: $34.99 SRP / No MAP
UPC: 085391179511
February 26th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
I’m a little disappointed that the running time for this will (again) be a mere 75 minutes… What’s the deal with this DCU animated projects? This actually a bit worse in this case, since we’re talking six different stories. Not a lot of time for *any* of them.
In spite of that, and in spite of not being an anime fan, this looks too good to pass up. I’m just not interested in the New Frontier movie (But then, I didn’t like the original books either), but this Batman project looks really sweet.
Has it been confirmed that Bale’s going to be voicing Bats? Interesting that nowhere does this press release discuss the voice talent.
February 26th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
You don’t watch a lot of short films, huh, Shaun? Animated shorts let directors really cut loose and experiment with style in a way that would be cost-prohibitive in features, so while the stories are often a bit slim, they’re often a feast for the eyes. It’s a decent trade-off, in my opinion.
The Animatrix, for instance, has a couple of absolutely phenomenal shorts (my favorites were the 14 minute Beyond and the 10 minute World Record; both are available through iTunes). If even one of these shorts is NEARLY as good as those two, it’ll be worth the rental.
February 26th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
World’s Finest reported that Bale won’t be voicing Batman:
http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=71
February 26th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
No… I guess I don’t watch many short films. Do the added shorts on Pixar DVD’s count?
My point here, however, is that the DCU animated films have been really short so far. People have complained that the Supes: Doomsday and JL: New Frontier movies are too short and leave a lot of the original books out. This is a different animal than those two movies, but even a single storyline here might’ve been a short. Now figure six stories over 75 minutes and… Well, we’ll see. Like others, I don’t know why they can’t do these at a 90-minute or more feature length.
I’ve never seen Animatrix, though I’ve heard good things. Perhaps it’s worth seeing before Gotham Knight comes out, at least to get me used to the idea. That said, given “feast for the eyes” vs. a good story I’ll take the good story every time. As long as the art is decent, I want a story that will hold up.
February 26th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
It’s budget reasons. For some reason DC has decided these are more cost-effective at 75 minutes vs. 90.
February 26th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Bummer about no Bale… That would’ve been cool. Looks like IMDB, which is where I believe someone here said they got the info, is wrong.
Still very odd that there’s no mention of voice casting for something that’s going to be out in a just a few months. Compare this to the New Fronier hype, where they’ve been touting the cast for months.
It’s crucial they get a good actor for Bats/Bruce. Any chance at all that they’d get Kevin Conroy? I’m sure he wouldn’t turn down the chance to do the role again. I doubt many fans would complain either.
Hearing good things about Jeremy Sisto in New Frontier, so he might be good too even though this will be different than that movie.
February 26th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Sure, the Pixar ones count! They’re great!
February 26th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
“It’s budget reasons. For some reason DC has decided these are more cost-effective at 75 minutes vs. 90.”
Presumably, these are intended to be televised at some point. At 90 minutes, stuff would have to be cut out to fit into a two hour block with commericals. 75 gives them room to add a few more commercials than usual [30-minute shows are 20-21 minutes now, and 60-minute shows are between 40 & 42].
February 26th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
It’s not an uncommon running time for animated features. Anywhere from 75-80-84-88 or 90 minutes. Walt Disney’s Bambi has a 70 minute running time. Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story is only 80. It’s rare to see anything over 90 minutes.
February 26th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Good points all… I guess I’d just like to see something a little more “epic” in the DCU animated line. I still think this could be great regardless. Looking forward to it!
Also potentially good: The press release mentioning animated films in the works for WW, Flash and GL. Hopefully they’ll take their time to make these really, really specatcular.
“Justice League” is also mentioned as “in development.” What’s up with that? I’m hoping that the the live action JL never gets made, but I’d love a new animated movie with the Timm-verse JL cast. Maybe throw in a few of the bigger guns from JLU as well.
No mention of The Judas Contract… Wasn’t that supposed to be coming soon?
February 26th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
WB put Judas Contract on hold because — get this — they don’t think too many consumers know about the Titans. Of course, the fact that WB put out a Teen Titans hit television series that ran for over 4 seasons is irrelevant. Just more proof of the lack of competance from people running things behind the scenes at Warner Bros. So, no New Teen Titans Judas Contract will be released for the forseeable future… and I have that confirmed by a very reliable source…Get your pens and paper ready and start mailing the WB.
February 26th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Wonder if the Blu-Ray will feature the same bonuses as the 2 disc set?
February 26th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
“All the content from the 2-disc Special Edition DVD will be available on Blu-ray Disc for $34.99 SRP.”
If I can find it for less than SRP, I might go with Blu-ray just for fun.
February 26th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
One thing that people need to take into consideration when whinging about the time is that animated movies – with far bigger budgets, designed for the big screen which have far bigger audiences – are generally under 80 minutes.
When it comes to animated movies, each frame costs money. At 24 frames per second, for a 90 minute movie, you’re looking at an additional 21,600 frames of animation. So going for those extra minutes is cost prohibitive.
February 26th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
“When it comes to animated movies, each frame costs money. At 24 frames per second, for a 90 minute movie, you’re looking at an additional 21,600 frames of animation. So going for those extra minutes is cost prohibitive.”
Exactly. This isn’t Warner Bros deliberately being cheap. Its about weighing the cost vs the sales outlook. Spending more does not equate more sales. Especially if a company can make 2 different films for the price of one film with longer running time.
Those 21,600 frames of animation is roughly about the same as 10,000 pages of comics. What’s the going page rate for artist? That’s a lot of money.
February 26th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
So, I’m guessing that Teen Titans: The Judas Contract isn’t happening anymore. I mean, I haven’t seen one mention of it since Superman/Doomsday came out. Bummer, of all of them, I was looking forward to that and New Frontier the most.
February 26th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
why cant I still post in comic book bulletins on this site? I have signed up for it plenty of times and am still waiting for authorization !
February 26th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Why is there no mention of the novelization of this? The novel version of this movie is written by Louise Simonson and is supposed to come out sometime before the DVD. I wonder why they don’t mention it?
February 27th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Enough of Batman already.
February 27th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Black Panther: No one forced you to read this blog entry or post a comment. Personally, Batman’s my favorite character and I assume a lot of other people agree. You don’t like Batman, ignore it and move on to something else. Too bad the book whose name you’re using isn’t as good as it used to be.
February 27th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Nope, no New Teen Titans: Judas Contract for the forseeable future. Anyone care to start a petition.
March 1st, 2008 at 8:33 pm
The audio was recorded before the animation so..how is bale not batman in this?