Animation Magazine

Author: Mercedes Milligan

  • 2016 Eisner Nominations Set Record for Women in Comics

    2016 Eisner Nominations Set Record for Women in Comics

    Comic-Con International has announced the nominations for the 2016 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, as chosen by its panel of judges. The big story this year is that 49 women have received a record 61 nominations, and are represented in 27 of the 30 award categories — even making up the majority of nominees in seven of these categories. The women with the most nominations are artists Colleen Coover (Bandette) and Joëlle Jones (Lady Killer, Brides of Helheim), with three each. Last year, 44 women were nominated for Eisner Awards.

    In the broad picture, this year’s nominees represent the incredible range of material being published, with 160-plus titles from 60-some publishers and by creators from across the globe. The four titles with the most nominations, with three each, are: Monkeybrain’s online series Bandette (by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover), Top Shelf’s March: Book Two (John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell), Ed Piskor’s Hip-Hop Family Tree, and the archival Argentinian comic strip collection of The Eternaut (Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano Lòpez), both published by Fantagraphics.

    The publishers with the most nominations this year are Fantagraphics with 17, and Image with 14 (plus four shared). These are closely followed by BOOM! Studios and its imprints with 11 nods, including two for John Allison’s Giant Days and Abrams with eight, including three of the five nominees in the Best Comics-Related Book category: Only What’s Necessary: Charles M. Schulz and the Art of Peanuts, Will Eisner: Champion of the Graphic Novel and Out of Line: The Art of Jules Feiffer. Dark Horse, DC and Marvel have numerous shared and stand-alone nominations. Additional multiple nominees are Drawn & Quarterly (five), Fanfare, First Second, Magnetic Press, Monkeybrain, Oni, TwoMorros and VIZ (three).

    Click here for the complete list of nominees.

    Nominees for the 28th annual Eisner Awards were selected by a judging panel of journalist/reviewer Brian Doherty, comics writer/editor Danny Fingeroth, retailer Jason Grazulis (BSI Comics, Metairie, LA), librarian Jason M. Poole (Webster Public Library, Webster, NY), Comic-Con International board member Natalie Powell, and academic/scholar Carol Tilley (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign).

    The 2016 awards ceremony will take place the evening of Friday, July 22 at Comic-Con.

    Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards
    Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards
  • Universal Uploads New ‘Warcraft’ Trailer

    Universal Uploads New ‘Warcraft’ Trailer

    Hold on to your avatars: the feature film adaptation of Blizzard Entertainment’s smash-hit videogame World of Warcraft just got a new trailer. The second official spot for Warcraft –out June 10 — is full of electrifying magic, massive CG orc warriors, and Paula Patton’s half-orc, half-human Garona telling the heroic knight where he can stick his damsel-protecting intentions. The film is produced by Universal Pictures, Legendary Pictures, Atlas Entertainment and Blizzard; contributing vfx studios include ILM, Rodeo FX, Hybride, El Ranchito VFX, Prime Focus World and Animatrik Film Design.

    Directed by Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code), who also wrote the script with Charles Leavitt and Chris Metzen, Warcraft is set in the medieval-inspired high fantasy world of Azeroth, which stands on the brink of war as its human civilization faces an invasion by orcs fleeing their dying world of Draenor. As a gateway known as the Dark Portal opens to connect the two worlds, both races are desperate to avert their destructive fates.

    Travis Fimmel stars as Sir Anduin Lothar, leader of the humans, opposite Toby Kebbell as orc chieftain Durotan and Paula Patton as Garona Halforcen. Other key characters are played by Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Ben Schnetzer, Robert Kazinsky, Daniel Wu, Ruth Negga, Anna Galvin, Clancy Brown, Terry Notary, Dylan Schombing, Callum Keith Rennie, Burkely Duffield and Dean Redman.

    Warcraft
    Warcraft
  • Licensing Expo Shifting to May in 2017

    Licensing Expo Shifting to May in 2017

    UBM, the organizers of world’s-biggest industry event Licensing Expo, together with the show’s sponsor, the International Licensing Industry Merchandiser’s Association (LIMA), jointly announce that the Expo is moving up a month next year and will take place in May 23-25 2017. The event will remain at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

    This strategic shift provides an opportunity for exhibitors and attendees to better leverage the time of year and the proximity of Licensing Expo to Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) in October. This move offers an additional month of business opportunities between UBM licensing events globally, bringing the total number of days to nearly 140, and thus insuring that exhibitors, attendees and global partners are better situated to capitalize on possibilities around the world.

    “We are excited for this move and see it is a positive for our industry,” said LIMA President Charles Riotto. “Our members have expressed the need for timing that better fits the global business cycle, and we are pleased to be able to offer them a solution that is beneficial to the licensing community.”

    The 2016 Licensing Expo is taking place June 21-23. Registration is now open.

    2016 Licensing Expo
    2016 Licensing Expo
  • Disney Princess and ‘Star Wars’ Boost Hasbro Sales

    Disney Princess and ‘Star Wars’ Boost Hasbro Sales

    Global toymaker Hasbro is crediting major Disney brands for its better than expected growth of sales in Q1, taking in $831.2 million in overall revenue so far this year — a 16% climb in first-quarter sales. According to Fortune, the boost can be largely attributed to strong worldwide demand for Star Wars goods and the inclusion of a new license tied to the popular Disney Princess brand.

    The company saw broad growth in Q1, with “boys” toys sales up 24% and “girls” toys growing an impressive 41%. The overall revenue total for the quarter increased $117.7 million .The positive news nudged Hasbro shares up about 5%.

    Analysts point out the increase is atypically dramatic, as the first quarter is usually a slow one for toy makers, which usually see their strongest sales in the last three months of the year thanks to winter holidays. Hasbro has been helped by the late 2015 release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and from taking over the Disney Princess fashion doll licensing business from Mattel.

    The lucrative Princess line will gain a touch of diversity this year with the launch of Disney Junior series Elena of Avalor — centered on a Hispanic heroine — and Disney animated feature Moana, set in ancient Oceania. Hasbro’s partnership with Disney also includes Marvel properties with upcoming movies like Captain America: Civil War and next year’s Spider-Man.

    Disney Princess
    Disney Princess
  • ‘Giggle and Hoot’ Spinoff Takes Wing in Australia

    ‘Giggle and Hoot’ Spinoff Takes Wing in Australia

    ABC Australia announces that it will premiere new hybrid preschool series Hoot Hoot Go! on May 16. The 26 x 5 program is a spinoff of the network’s flagship show Giggle and Hoot, and will air daily at 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

    Hoot Hoot Go! introduces a new avian amigo named Hootly to owl stars Hoot and Hootabelle. Hootly is a curious, orange owl who holds down a job with Owl Traffic Control on the Night Watch and serves as a guide and watch-bird for her owl friends as they face everyday situations. Other familiar characters in the new series include Pirate Hootbeard, Giggle Fangs, Hootaluna and Giggle Bot.

    Executive produced by Jan Stradling, the series blends live-action puppetry and CG animation and focuses on values of teamwork, friendship, positive problem-solving, and inclusive play fueled by the imagination.

    Hoot Hoot Go!
    Hoot Hoot Go!
  • Neptuno Films Sells ‘Tex’ to Spain’s RTVE

    Neptuno Films Sells ‘Tex’ to Spain’s RTVE

    At the close of the MIPTV festival, Spanish production company and co-production partner Televisio de Catalunya announce their animated kids series Tex (52 x 13) has been picked up by RTVE for broadcast. Aimed at kids ages 4-7, Tex is an entertaining exploration of the world of arts and crafts, with a healthy dose of mystery solving.

    Set in a pretty little village, Tex utilizes computer animation technology to create a mixed-media style world full of different textures and materials reinterpreted in charming ways. Surrounded by paper trees and cardboard mountains, under a slice of orange that stands in for the sun, the village’s curious inhabitants include Mrs. Tortoise with her shell made of river pebbles, a caterpillar made of corks and Mr. Hedgehog with his spines made of color pencils. The most eccentric character is Tex the donkey: the worst trainee detective in the world. In each episode, Tex must solve a mystery, like the case of the zebra who lost his stripes, the enigma of the un-scary ghost, or the theft of Mrs. Tortoise’s pebble.

    Neptuno is currently negotiating several pre-sale contracts for Tex. Some of the studio’s other series include Connie the Cow, Sea Princesses, Dougie in Disguise (with RTVE) and King Arthur’s Disasters.

    Tex
    Tex
  • Daily News Bytes

    Daily News Bytes

    Could The Jungle Book Become the First “Live-Action” Film to Win the Oscar for Animation?
    Washington Post‘s Michael Cavna walks readers along the ever-thinning line between traditional filmmaking and digital wizardry exemplified in Jon Favreau’s adaptation.

    Focusing on Local Animation, Disney India Moves Away from Live-Action Shows
    Disney India’s flagship TV channel has dropped live-action from the air and aims for a 40-50% locally-produced toon lineup in the next three years.

    Pinnacle Studio 19.5 Boosts Creative Possibilities with All-New Stop Motion Animation
    Registered customers get free access to new stop-motion capabilities plus a variety of performance and speed enhancements.

    Viacom and OSN Bring Big Laughs to the Small Screen in MENA with Exclusive Launch of Comedy Central HD
    The home of South Park joins its sister channels Nickelodeon and MTV in the region as OSN’s latest acquisition.

    Thomas‘ New Pals Arrive as Migration Becomes a Hot Topic in Licensing
    Euromonitor International’s Utku Tansel looks at how Thomas & Friends: The Great Race relates to the effect of migration on licensing biz.

    Thomas & Friends: The Great Race
    Thomas & Friends: The Great Race
  • Google ATAP Releases ‘Pearl’ Trailer

    Google ATAP Releases ‘Pearl’ Trailer

    The Google ATAP oyster has cracked open to let out a little shimmer from Patrick Osborne’s buzzed-about Spotlight Stories project, Pearl. A new trailer has launched online, just ahead of the world premiere of the animated interactive experience’s 2D theatrical version at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival. (Screening times and tickets available here.)

    From the director of the Oscar and Annie Award-winning Disney short Feast, Pearl is both a narrative and a 360-degree interactive experience soon to be available on Android and iOS. Set inside the beloved hatchback that serves as their home, Pearl follows a girl and her dad as they crisscross the country chasing their dreams. It is a story about the gifts we hand down and their power to carry love, and finding grace in the unlikeliest of places.

    Pearl
    Pearl
  • Autodesk Acquires Arnold Developer Solid Angle

    Autodesk Acquires Arnold Developer Solid Angle

    Amid the broadcasting tech buzz emanating from the NAB Show in Las Vegas, software giant Autodesk announces it has acquired Solid Angle — the developer behind Arnold, an advanced ray-tracing image renderer for high-quality 3D animation and visual effects.

    An efficient global illumination renderer used by more than 500 studios and thousands of independent artists, Arnold has become a preferred tool for high-quality rendering. The technology has been put to use in recent Academy Award-winning films Ex Machina and The Martian, as well as Emmy-winning series Game of Thrones, among other acclaimed features, TV shows and commercials.

    “We’re constantly looking out for promising technologies that help artists boost creativity and productivity,” said Chris Bradshaw, SVP of Autodesk Media & Entertainment. “Efficient rendering is increasingly critical for 3D content creation and acquiring Solid Angle will allow us to help customers better tackle this computationally intensive part of the creative process. Together, we can improve rendering workflows within our products as well as accelerate the development of new rendering solutions that tap into the full potential of the cloud, helping all studios scale production.”

    Under Autodesk’s roof, Solid Angle’s development team will continue to improve on Arnold, working in close collaboration with its user community. Arnold will remain available as a standalone renderer for Autodesk products and third-party applications including Houdini, Katana and Cinema 4D running on Linux, Mac OS X and Windows. Autodesk’s 3ds Max and Maya will continue to support other third-party renderers.

    Arnold pricing and packaging is unchanged, and Autodesk will continue to offer perpetual licenses of Arnold. Customers should continue to purchase Arnold through their usual Solid Angle channels.

    Autodesk Acquires Arnold Developer Solid Angle
    Autodesk Acquires Arnold Developer Solid Angle
  • Ballyfermot to Open Ireland’s First VFX/3D Course

    Ballyfermot to Open Ireland’s First VFX/3D Course

    Dublin’s Ballyfermot College of Further Education (BCFE), which has built a reputation over the years for preparing students for a range of entertainment industry careers, including animation, has announced that it will open Ireland’s first dedicated VFX and 3D Technology course in September.

    Coordinated by Gareth Lee, who also manages the Animation Skillnet training center (animationskillnet.ie), the new VFX course is a two-year program with 24 places offered for the inaugural September enrollment. The program will guide students through everything from learning to light and shot live-action elements to creating and combining digital backgrounds and characters into footage to create a final scene — all using industry standard software and hardware.

    VFX and 3D animation are growing industries in Ireland. But up to now there has not been a dedicated VFX course in the nation, leaving aspiring VFX artists to cobble together experiences from animation or 3D graphics courses and live-action film studies. The BCFE assembled the new program in consultation with key industry professionals in response to the growth of local 3D, CG and VFX demands.

    Notable Irish studios operating in this sphere include Brown Bag Films, Giant Animation, Windmill Lane VFX, Egg Post Production, Screen Scene VFX, Piranha Bar VFX, Outer Limits Post and GLUE VFX. The local industry is expected to continue growing thanks in part to the Irish government’s improvement and extension of the Section 481 tax incentive for audiovisual production as announced in the 2014 National Budget.

    Learn more and apply online at www.bcfe.ie.

    Ballyfermot College of Further Education
    Ballyfermot College of Further Education
  • IFC Center to Hold WIP Screening of ‘Seder-Masochism’

    IFC Center to Hold WIP Screening of ‘Seder-Masochism’

    New York City’s IFC Center will be holding a work-in-progress benefit screening for Nina Paley’s latest project, Seder-Masochism. Taking place Thursday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m., the definitely not-for-kids event will include free matzoh (happy Passover!) and a Q&A with Paley, the multiple award-winning indie animation director behind Sita Sings the Blues, and all proceeds will go towards finishing her ambitious animated film project.

    Paley’s second feature-film project, Seder-Masochism is, like Sita Sings the Blues, a musical animated epic that explores the story of the Exodus, narrated with real-life recordings of Passover Seders. The IFC screening will be over 40 minutes of the so-far completed core musical scenes, promising goats, plagues, death, idols, commandments and “unsubtle phallic imagery.”

    Info and tickets are available here. You can also make a tax-deductible donation to the project and get sweet benefactor swag like an “Angel O’Death” t-shirt, signed prints, on-screen credit for the completed film and entry to a semi-kosher VIP Seder with Paley (on April 22) through the Seder-Masochism Kickstarter campaign.

    Seder-Masochism
    Seder-Masochism
    Seder-Masochism
    Seder-Masochism
  • VFX Producer Paul Grimshaw Joins Tippett Studio

    VFX Producer Paul Grimshaw Joins Tippett Studio

    Two-time Academy Award winner Tippett Studio announces the hiring of Paul Grimshaw as Executive Producer of Commercials and New Media. Grimshaw brings to Tippett extensive experience in advertising and a background in both live-action and animation/vfx production, having held the post of Executive Producer at Industrial Light & Magic’s commercial division and VP/Executive Producer at The Orphanage.

    Grimshaw’s appointment is a key step in the studio’s planned expansion of its commercial and advertising visual effects business, which has recently delivered high-profile content for brands like Mixis’ Monster Strike and Frito-Lay’s Cheetos Sweetos. The campaign for Monster Strike — a Japanese multiplayer social game — comprised several spots for the U.S. release produced with advertising agency Pereira O’Dell. These were directed by Wayne McClammy and feature comedy star Andy Samberg interacting with a ragtag team of monstrous misfits designed and animated by Tippett’s team. One of the social media spots collected nearly 6 million views in its first week on YouTube.

    Before accepting the EP post, Grimshaw had served as a freelance producer for Tippett on commercials for Advantage II (with Grey Health Group) and Cheetos Sweetos (with Goodby Silverstein & Partners). “Paul Grimshaw’s breadth of experience in all manner of TV, advertising, and digital production made him a natural fit. We are thrilled to have Paul as our Executive Producer for commercials and new media.” said President & CEO Jules Roman.

    Tippett Studio
    Tippett Studio
  • Mike Kubat to Head Entertainment at JMP

    Mike Kubat to Head Entertainment at JMP

    Santa Ana, California-based toy and product developer JMP Creative announces that Mike Kubat has been hired on to head its newly created entertainment division. Kubat brings over 20 years of experience writing and developing television animation — including credits on Ed, Edd ‘n Eddy and Atomic Betty.

    “Mike’s work on beloved cartoons and impressive track record of creating funny, original concepts and stories made him a natural for taking our roster of brands and IPs to the next level,” says CEO Jim McCafferty. “Mike will play an integral role in the evolution of our newest venture as we continue to forge relationships with broadcasters across all technology platforms.”

    Kubat will be overseeing creation and development of new properties, as well as all social media efforts for the company.

    JMP Creative
    JMP Creative
  • Daily News Bytes

    Daily News Bytes

    Star Fox Gets Animated in a Series First, Streaming Live This Wednesday
    Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins is the videogame series’ first-ever animate short, and will stream live April 20 from Nintendo.

    Rainbow Ruby Joins Family Jr.’s Monday Funday Lineup
    In Canada, DHX TV channel Family Jr. will debut CJ E&M’s imaginative CG series on April 23.

    10 Greatest Animated Music Videos of All Time
    Relive the pinnacles of artistic collaboration where music meets cartooning with this informative WhatCulture slideshow.

    Eurocom Launches VR Developer Program for Sky X9E and DLX7
    Company invites pitches for developers to receive discounts on high-performance laptops.

    Netflix Reports Lowest Churn as Fifth of US Broadband Households Cancel OTT in 2015
    Research from Parks Associates shows that streaming giant retains a strong lead with few dropping the service.

    Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins
    Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins
  • Clips: ‘Norm of the North’ Out on DVD Tuesday

    Clips: ‘Norm of the North’ Out on DVD Tuesday

    The Arctic meets the Big Apple in the CG animated family comedy Norm of the North — and to celebrate its release on DVD and Blu-ray this Tuesday, April 19, Lionsgate is offering up a couple of fun clips. Get your polar groove on with the “Arctic Shake,” or jump straight to the eco message and “Save the Arctic.”

    Arctic Shake Clip:

    Save the Arctic Clip:

    Already available on Digital HD, Lionsgate is releasing Norm of the North on DVD (SRP $29.95) and Blu-ray Combo Pack ($34.99). The disc and digital bonus features include deleted scenes, “Do the Arctic Shake!” Sing-Along, “That’s Funny! The Movie’s Best Jokes & One-liners,” and Arctic Challenge Trivia Game.

    Synopsis: Life can be a real bear—just ask Norm, a polar bear with unusual talents and a heart as big as the great outdoors. When he hears that human homes are going to be built in his Arctic backyard, Norm comes to the rescue. With a team of ragtag lemmings at his side, Norm heads to the concrete jungle of New York City on a freewheeling, fun-filled mission to stop the madness and save the Arctic.

    Norm of the North features the voices of Rob Schneider (Grown Ups), Heather Graham (The Hangover franchise), Ken Jeong (The Hangover franchise), Colm Meaney (Con Air), Loretta Devine (TV’s Grey’s Anatomy), Gabriel Iglesias (Magic Mike), Michael McElhatton (HBO’s Game of Thrones) and Bill Nighy (Love Actually).

    Norm of the North
    Norm of the North
  • Quickdraw Animation Society Finds New Digs

    Quickdraw Animation Society Finds New Digs

    Calgary’s Quickdraw Animation Society announces it has found a new long term location to host its courses, workshops and production assistance — and reminds local artists to pencil the annual Animation Lockdown into their schedules and sign up their young folk for Quickdraw’s summer camps this year.

    Quickdraw will — following some renovations — be located at 2011 10 Ave. SW, in the same building as TRUCK Gallery and the West Village Theatre. The Society is converting the space into a fully functional animation facility with a well-equipped classroom, five production studios and a roomier resource library. The new space is also on the first floor, making it more accessible to those with limited mobility.

    Despite the renovation and relocation efforts taking place this summer, Quickdraw is still planning key yearly activities. First up will be the 9th Annual Animation Lockdown, May 20-23 at the current 11 Ave. location. The 48-hour animation challenge is open to everyone and this year’s theme is “The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning” — loops, transformations and cyclical narratives encouraged. A $100 entry fee gets you a one year producing membership to the Society, production support and food (and caffeine) for the duration of the Lockdown. Completed films will be screened later that week.

    And Quickdraw will still be putting on its Summer Animation Camps for Kids (July) and Teens (August). The week-long courses, taught by Jean-Francois Cote, will guide youngsters as they explore the animation process through drawings, cutout characters, plasticine and CG programs. Each participant will complete a short animated movie with sound and receive a DVD compilation of their work to take home.

    9th Annual Animation Lockdown
    9th Annual Animation Lockdown
  • Daily News Bytes

    Daily News Bytes

    Eye Present in Co-Pro Deal with Pictor Productions
    Tomi Ungerer’s book Flix will be developed into animated content.

    Vegas Winners, Losers, Oscar Conenders, and How CinemaCon Got Taken Over by the ‘Toons
    Deadline‘s Pete Hammond reports from the trenches on the highs and lows of the big show — including the big studios’ push to get in on the feature animation game.

    Japanese City’s Promotional Animation Is an Emotional Roller Coaster Like No Other
    Tsurugashima City’s flipbook style promotional video packs an unexpected punch — one that’s aimed right at your feelings.

    Jungle Book Is a Sweet and Scary Triumph of Modern Moviemaking
    Disney’s latest adaptation of the Kipling classic is not only a visual tech marvel, but hits all the key notes of a crowd-pleaser, says L.A. Times‘ Kenneth Turan.

    Americans Spend 80% of Their Watch-Time with TV
    U.S. adults will spend an average of 4 hours and 5 minutes parked in front of the television each day this year, according to eMarketer.

    The Jungle Book
    The Jungle Book
  • Daily News Bytes

    Daily News Bytes

    YouTube Millionaires: Channel Frederator Appeals “To All Fans of Animation”
    VP of Programming and Audience Development Matt Gielen discusses the online network’s broad appeal.

    Andrew Novick on Fritz the Cat, Adult Cartoons and Deviant Animation at the Sie
    New toons for mature auds series kicks off at Denver’s Sie FilmCenter on Saturday, April 16.

    Xilam Bolsters Sales Management Team
    Marie-Laure Marchand named SVP of Global Consumer Products and Media Distribution for Asia Pacific, U.S. and U.K.; plus three more key exec appointments.

    Animation Sector Booms in Spain wth International Deals Lined Up
    Ilion, Imira and Animation Bikes help drive national industry’s global push.

    Is a Live-Action Pokemon Movie Finally on the Way?
    Warner Bros. reportedly leads the bidding for Hollywood take on the smash-hit game and cartoon franchise.

    Channel Frederator
    Channel Frederator
  • Imaginary Forces & SeePolitical’s Birdee Helps Voters Soar

    Imaginary Forces & SeePolitical’s Birdee Helps Voters Soar

    Imaginary Forces creative studio announces that Birdee — a very cute and politically conscious bird mascot created for SeePolitical’s local voter outreach project — has helped voter turnout in Culver City, California take wing this year. The local election held Tuesday, April 12 managed to smash voter turnout records in the city with the highest numbers in recent history.

    Imaginary Forces artist Wes Yang designed Birdee for the campaign, which kicked into gear about a month before Election Day, with Birdee popping up in public spaces around Culver City as well as on mail-in ballots, sample ballots, high school voter registration drives, candidate forums and other voter-related materials and events.

    Birdee’s hard work helped SeePolitical “brand” the election and increased voter turnout from 14.2% at the last election to a projected 24% in this year’s election — which involved no ballot measures, controversial issues or candidates which usually help boost voter interest. The previous record for Culver City was 20% turnout.

    Birdee
    Birdee
  • WB Accepts R Rating for ‘Batman: The Killing Joke’

    WB Accepts R Rating for ‘Batman: The Killing Joke’

    Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has accepted the MPAA’s “R” rating for its upcoming animated feature release, Batman: The Killing Joke. WB has opted to stay true to the landmark DC Comics graphic novel’s violent, controversial story, and the result is the first ever movie in the nine-year history of the DC Universe Original Movie franchise to carry a stricter rating than PG-13.

    “From the start of production, we encouraged producer Bruce Timm and our team at Warner Bros. Animation to remain faithful to the original story – regardless of the eventual MPAA rating,” said Sam Register, President, Warner Bros. Animation & Warner Digital Series. “The  Killing Joke is revered by the fans, particularly for its blunt, often-shocking adult themes and situations. We felt it was our responsibility to present our core audience – the comics-loving community – with an animated film that authentically represented the tale they know all too well.”

    Alan Moore’s Batman: The Killing Joke is one of the all-time best-selling graphic novels, diving into the Joker’s background to explore his twisted journey from struggling comic to arch nemesis of the Dark Knight. For the movie, actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill once again return to the DC animation universe to voice Batman and The Joker, and they are joined by their Batman: The Animated Series co-star Tara Strong, voicing Barbara Gordon/Batgirl. Ray Wise of Twin Peaks fame voices Commissioner Gordon.

    Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will host the film’s world premiere at Comic-Con International this summer, with a disc and digital release to follow. At this time, there are no plans for a PG-13 version.

    Batman: The Killing Joke
    Batman: The Killing Joke