DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation have announced a new slate of projects that include an Absolute Batman series, and a pair of anime shows centered around Joker and Superman's dog, Krypto.
Sharing the news on Friday (June 26) at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the two studios, led by DC Studios Co-CEO Peter Safran, WBA President Sam Register, and EVP Peter Girardi, presented a combined slate titled "World's Finest Animation: DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation Showcase."
After being asked about the importance of animation in the DCU, Safran said it was "extraordinarily important" to the studio, adding: "We’ve talked a little bit about some of these titles we're going to talk about individually, but to be able to be here and for the first time reveal the true extent of what we’re doing, of together bringing the greatest of the DC heroes and villains, telling their stories in a broad diverse range of genres, styles, scales, tones, with storeys for audiences of all ages."
The headline reveal was Joker: Laugh Riot, DC's first-ever anime series, produced in Japan with Sola Entertainment. Directed by Yasuhiro Aoki, whose credits include The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim and Batman: Gotham Knight - In Darkness Dwells, the series will see Joker hunt Batman's killer in Gotham’s underworld after the Dark Knight is murdered.
Next to be announced was a full CG adult animated Absolute Batman series, adapted from the popular Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta comic that has gone on to sell more than six million copies. Snyder will serve as executive producer and showrunner, while Dragotta will join as a producer. "It's going to be a whole different tone and a whole different take again on Batman," Register said of the show.
The third major announcement was an untitled kids series centered on Krypto, executive-produced by Chowder and Jellystone creator C.H. Greenblatt. The show will see Superman's dog stumble into the misadventures of a crew of would-be criminals, his unstoppable good nature slowly reforming the group against their will. "Krypto is really one of my favourite characters in the DC canon," Safran said, "and we are thrilled he is finally getting his own show."
Beyond the three headliners, the showcase revealed details about other upcoming projects, such as My Adventures With Green Lantern and an origin series for DC superhero Starfire.
