WARNER
BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT
ACCEPTS
MPAA “R” RATING FOR
BatmaN: THe killing joke
All-New
Animated DC Universe Original Movie to Authentically Reflect Best-Selling &
Eisner Award-Winning Graphic Novel;
First Non-PG/PG-13 Rated Film in 9-Year
History of Franchise
Warner
Bros. Home Entertainment has accepted the MPAA’s “R” rating for its upcoming
animated film, Batman: The Killing Joke, choosing to remain true to the
landmark DC Comics graphic novel’s violent, controversial story, and making the
film the first non-PG/PG-13 rated movie in the nine-year history of the DC Universe Original Movie franchise.
Batman:
The Killing Joke, one of the best-selling graphic novels in
history, tells the tale of The Joker’s origin story – from his humble
beginnings as a struggling comic, to his fateful encounter with Batman that
changes both of their lives forever. Actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill
reprise their Batman: The Animated Series
roles as Batman and The Joker, respectively.
Since
its inception in 2007, the DC Universe
Original Movie franchise has brought classic and current DC Comics stories and
characters to animated life through a series of primarily PG-13 rated films.
Throughout the 26-film history of this popular franchise, Warner Bros.
Animation, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment have crafted
animated productions that appeal to the adult fan – from adaptations of fan
favorite stories (Superman: Doomsday,
Justice League: The New Frontier, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns) to
liberal adaptations of contemporary tales (Justice
League: Throne of Atlantis, Batman:
Bad Blood, Justice League: The
Flashpoint Paradox) to original narratives (Batman: Gotham Knight, Wonder
Woman, Justice League: Gods &
Monsters).
Animation
visionary Bruce Timm guided the DC
Universe Original Movie franchise for its initial 16 films, then returned
last summer with his own original story, Justice
League: Gods & Monsters. Timm takes the reigns once again for Batman: The Killing Joke, reuniting a
trio of actors (Conroy, Hamill & Tara Strong) from the game-changing Batman: The Animated Series cast to add
even greater reverence to this heralded tale. Recognizing the fans’ dedication
to the highly acclaimed graphic novel, Timm has worked meticulously to accurately
maintain the intense adult content of The
Killing Joke.
“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.”
At this
time, there are no plans for an edited, PG-13 version of the film.
A
two-time Eisner Award winner written by renowned comics author Alan Moore, Batman:
The Killing Joke has maintained an unparalleled popularity throughout
its 28 years of existence – as evidenced by its ranking as the best-selling
graphic novel of 2015. Batman: The Killing Joke was
greenlit in 2013 and announced in July 2015 at Comic Con International in San
Diego.
Batman:
The Killing Joke also features the voices of Tara Strong (Teen Titans; Batman: Arkham games), as Barbara Gordon and Ray Wise (Twin Peaks, RoboCop) as Commissioner
Gordon. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will host the film’s World Premiere at
Comic-Con International this summer, and see a subsequent release in 2016 on
Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD.
