Frank Miller’s seminal 1986 Batman tale, THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, has been a staple in comic book history since it first hit stands. Now, the classic story is on its way to the small screen in animated form from the folks at Warner Premiere. Featuring the voice talents of Peter Weller as Batman, Ariel Winter as Robin, Michael Emerson as Joker, and a host of others, the DTV film is ripe with the flavors of Miller’s series, from iconic imagery and a nod to the writer/artist’s style.
Today, we have the trailer and a clip from the film, both of which sing the praises of the source material. The film is split into two parts, again showing the care being taken to adapt the series into a manner that would tell the entire tale. If you’re a fan of Warner Premiere and DCU’s animated films, then this should do it for you.
Here’s the trailer:
Here’s the clip:
Warner Premiere, the animation leg of Warner Bros. recently announced that they’d be shutting their doors, stating that declinging DTV sales have forced them to do so: “Given the continuing decline in the direct-to-video film market and shifting business models in the production of digital series, the decision was made to close Warner Premiere,” the studio said. “The division will continue and complete production on its remaining film and digital series project into the Fall.”
So, what does that mean for the second part of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS? Even though Warner Premiere says they will be finishing up their remaining projects, it does put a damper on whether or not they’ll release part two on blu-ray/DVD. With the digitial format starting to corner the market, it’s certainly possible that it may be a digital only release, which might drive collectors mad, having only part one sitting on their shelf, while part two hides out on their computer.
THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: PART ONE is slated to be released on September 25, 2012 with PART TWO set for release sometime in 2013, either on blu-ray/DVD or potentially as a digital only release.
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