Warner Bros. Animation has announced that role of Batman in the upcoming animated feature Batman Gotham Knight will be voiced by fan favorite Kevin Conroy. The third release in the DC Universe series of PG-13-rated original animated movies will be available on DVD, Blu-rayDisc, OnDemand and Pay-per-view on July 8. The film will also be available for digital download on the same date.
Conroy built a following as the voice of DC Comic’s caped crusader in Batman: The Animated Series, The New Adventures of Batman and Robin and The New Batman Superman Adventures. More recently, he lent his voice to an aging Bruce Wayne, who mentors a new Batman in the series Batman Beyond. Batman Gotham Knight producer Bruce Timm says Conroy was the obvious choice for both widespread fan approval and to provide a sense of continuity in a film that presents different variations of Bob Kane’s comic-book creation.
‘Anytime we initiate an animated Batman project, ‘Will Kevin Conroy voice Batman?’ is the first question we hear from fans,’ says Timm. ‘To meet Kevin is to know that he’s not anything like Batman, and yet he manages to perfectly nail that indefinable element that is Batman. He’s got the voice, he’s got the acting chops, and he’s absolutely the best man for the job.’
Other voices in Gotham Knight are provided by Gary Dourdan (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) and Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty), who are heard in multiple segments of as police detectives Crispus Allen and Anna Ramirez, key members of a special unit who learn to trust the Dark Knight’s motives. Parminder Nagra (ER, Bend It Like Beckham) is the voice of Cassandra, a mystical Indian woman who teaches Bruce Wayne to endure and manage his pain. Taking on the role of loyal servant Alfred is David McCallum (Navy NCIS, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Great Escape). The cast also includes George Newbern (Father of the Bride), Alanna Ubach (Legally Blonde) and popular voice over artists Corey Burton, Rob Paulsen, Kevin Michael Richardson, Will Friedle, Jason Marsden, Jim Meskimen, Pat Musick, Scott Menville, Hynden Walch, Corey Padnos and Crystal Scales.
The six different stories in Batman Gotham Knight are helmed by anime directors Shojiro Nishimi, Futoshi Higashide, Hiroshi Morioka, Yasuhiro Aoki and Toshiyuki Kubooka. Animation production was divided among renowned studios Studio 4’C, Production I.G and Madhouse, and writers include 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 of The Dark Knight), and award-winning comics writers Greg Rucka and Brian Azzarello. The film is produced by Emma Thomas (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight), Michael Uslan and Benjamin Melniker (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight), Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series) and Toshi Hiruma.
