It may not be as highly anticipated as some of 2016's live action superhero offerings, but Batman: The Killing Joke is a big deal. We've seen snippets of the story in both Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Knight, but the upcoming animated movie - which will reunite the popular vocal duo of Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy - is aiming to bring Alan Moore's influential 1988 graphic novel to life as faithfully as possible.
A new 10 minute behind-the-scenes featurette for the film has been unveiled, and it gives us plenty of insight into how they've made the comic to screen translation. Check it out below...
The aesthetic on display here bares a close resemblance to the exceptional DC Animated Universe, unsurprising when you consider that Bruce Timm is one of the film's producers. I've long said that having someone like a Bruce Timm or a Paul Dini spearheading DC's live action properties in a Kevin Feige-esque role could work wonders; these guys truly understand these characters, and if you need a blueprint for how to make the Justice League work on screen, you need look no further than the fantastic animated series.
I'm really intrigued to see how far the film goes when it comes to depicting the shocking violence in Moore's controversial novel - from the looks of the footage revealed in the sneak peek the film will be pretty dark - and there's no denying the appeal of watching one of the all time great Batman stories brought to life. Seeing Hamill back in his element as the Joker only has me more excited.
Starring Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Tara Strong, and Ray Wise, Batman: The Killing Joke will debut at this year's San Diego Comic-Con before being released to stores later this Summer.
Images: Warner Bros
