The Dark Knight Returns (Animated film)

Dragonfave723 · May 23, 2012, 5:59pm

Warner Bros. has set the voice cast for its upcoming animated adaptation of Frank Miller’s classic 1986 Batman tale The Dark Knight Returns, from Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Home Video.

**Peter Weller **(Robocop) will star as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Modern Family’s middle child **Ariel Winter **will play Robin.

Warners and DC are splitting up the adaptation of the dense four-part graphic novel into two animated features titled Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 and Part 2. The first movie, which will be released under the DC Comics Premiere Movie brand, will hit shelves in the fall. Part 2 will be released in early 2013.

Also in the cast are** David Selby**, the veteran actor who starred in the original Dark Shadows soap opera as well as the classic 1980s soap* Falcon Crest*; **Wade Williams **(Prison Break) as Harvey Dent/Two-Face; and Michael McKean as Dr. Wolper, the psychiatrist who releases the Joker from the insane asylum.

Jay Oliva, who storyboarded Zack Snyder’s upcoming Superman movie Man of Steel and who previously directed sequences of Warners and DC’s animated feature Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, is helming. Bob Goodman, *a writer on Syfy’s Warehouse 13 *and a veteran of many DC cartoons, penned the script.

One of the most influential comics of all time, the Dark Knight Returns is set in a near future where Batman is retired and Gotham City has slid into a dystopian state ruled by a gang of hooligans called The Mutants. The 55-year old Bruce Wayne is forced to don the cape once more, this time partnering with a female Robin to not only stop the Joker but keep the peace when the city falls into chaos after being hit by an electromagnetic pulse.

The four-book mini-series, along with** Alan Moore** and Dave Gibbons’ *Watchmen, *also published that year, was praised for its mature and psychological take on superheroes. It set a violent and realistic tone in superhero comics and served as a big influence on Christopher Nolan’s Batman movie trilogy, the last of which opens July 20.

“*Dark Knight Returns *is the granddaddy of beloved comics properties that we’ve ever attempted (to adapt),” said Bruce Timm, the veteran animation guru who has exec produced all of DC’s animated movies. “There is definitely the imperative to get it right.”

On the voice front, Timm described Weller a having “the proper weight to his voice. He definitely brings all of the world-weariness of the character and inner core of optimist covered in a cynical shell.”

Winter says she prepared for the role by seeing other Batman movies and asking, “How can I maker her different from the other Robins, other than just being female? She’s really tough and she needs to have an edge in her voice so I tried a lower register for her.”

ssj4notz · May 23, 2012, 6:04pm

Awesome news. Though i kind of wanted Michael Ironside as the voice of batsie. Like in that episode of BTAS. I forgot which one was that…

Dangerous_J · May 23, 2012, 6:06pm

Legends of the Dark Knight.
Michael Mckean who played the 50’s joker in that ep is doing the Dr Wolper voice.
Interesting as is robocop for bats.

Dragonfave723 · July 31, 2012, 6:55pm

Trailer: http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/820585/exclusive-batman-the-dark-knight-returns-part-1-trailer.jhtml#id=1690758

kitsunisan · August 1, 2012, 8:07am

Why, WHY would they change that one, perfect line?

“I’ll show you who runs Gotham!”
"Ok boy, show me."
Replacing it with “I’m not done yet” just waters down the impact.

NickRocks · August 1, 2012, 8:10am

this is what DC does now

they also omitted “father, I’m afraid I may have to die tonight” In year one

skipping this

maxx · August 1, 2012, 8:14am

i’ll watch…but i always expected dark knight to have alot raspier voice. grumpy old man raspy.

kitsunisan · August 1, 2012, 8:16am

Omitting a line is one thing, though that one should never have been cut. Sometimes there’s just not enough time to get everything in. But completely changing it?
Also in Year One, “You’re the one who tried to shoot the cat!” FFS, there was plenty of time to fit that in, they played the entire scene out. First time I read that line, I laughed my ass off for a solid minute.
Still, TDKR animation looks solid, I’m mildly hyped to see it.

semijuggalo · August 3, 2012, 2:52am

It’s just simple editing, they do that a lot for trailers. They splice together footage and certain lines to make things more exciting. Besides, the mouth movements don’t completely sync up when Bats talks.

P.S. This movie looks fucking amazing!

NickRocks · August 3, 2012, 2:54am

DKR has such a distinct visual style, to see that ignored for bland generic timm-ized models is disappointing

specs · August 3, 2012, 3:04am

BLeh. I think I would have rather seen Red Sun or Kingdom Come get the animated treatment.

Dragonfave723 · September 15, 2012, 5:53pm

It’s out on torrent for the last couple of days. I’m about to download it right now. Can’t wait to watch it.

semijuggalo · September 15, 2012, 6:10pm

Saw it yesterday, it was fucking incredible. Also, kitsunisan need not worry, that one line wasn’t changed. Like I said, it was just typical trailer editing BS. My only regret is that they didn’t get Michael Ironside to voice Batman like he did in that one episode (you know the one).

PublicEnemy · September 16, 2012, 2:19am

[media=youtube]gkHQSyfLOi4[/media]

Best part of the movie.

semijuggalo · September 16, 2012, 2:22am

Hell, yes. That fight was all kinds of brutal, the first and second round both.

Hatred_Edge · September 16, 2012, 2:32am

Old man Wayne is a beast. Surgeon indeed.

Foolinfection · September 16, 2012, 4:17am

Damn part 2 doesn’t come out til next winter?
I NEED MORE!!!

Rhio2k · September 16, 2012, 4:36am

Somebody mind telling me when Carrie had time to take several levels in badass, graduating from “Don’t mess with me, I’m a POWER RANGER!!” fake kung-fu posing (and hoping to high hell her bluff didn’t get called) to one-shotting several dudes twice her weight?

Hatred_Edge · September 16, 2012, 4:44am

Icing on the cake is that this all BEFORE her training.

Rodimus · September 16, 2012, 6:27am

Movie was classic prolly one of the best animated things i’ve watched. Knowing what was coming then seeing how this work of art came together was perfect.