It’s nearly upon us. For those of you attending San Diego Comic-Con next weekend, you’ll be treated to the world premiere of the animated adaptation of Batman: The Killing Joke. And for the rest of the Batfans, you can catch it in theatres for one night only on July 25th. As one of my favorite books of all time, I personally am ecstatic.
Right back when it was first announced last year, almost offhandedly by Bruce Timm, I have been frothing at the mouth in excitement for it. Then, I heard that my favorite voice actors for Batman and The Joker were returning, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, I fell in a daze. It’s actually happening.
What we do know so far is that the flick will add more to the story, including a Batgirl prologue. The emphasis on building the Batgirl character is an incredibly wise move on WB/DC’s part as one of the main points of controversy is that Barbara is crippled and implied to have been sexually assaulted as simply a plot device. Expanding her role is a move made by a more enlightened society.
The news here is that Mark Hamill was asked about the upcoming adaptation at the Star Wars Celebration in Europe, at which he discusses more details regarding the movie, and how it has earned its R-rating. He also spoils us by performing some lines from the movie.
Check out the video below:
First of all, Star Wars whipped Hamill into shape and he looks better than he has in years. Second, how amazing was his performance?
Okay, I’m done gushing. Let’s get into the details of what he said. The story is not a direct adaptation of the book, instead being part of a larger story and connects Batman and Batgirl. Again, expanding Batgirl’s role as more than a plot device. Good stuff. I always wondered how much of an R-rating the Killing Joke could receive because the book wasn’t very violent. It was incredibly disturbing, but it doesn’t contain anything truly explicit, but it looks like the added content really pushes the rating.
And again, how amazing was his performance? I got chills from his laugh. It was perfection.
Batman: The Killing Joke will premiere at San Diego Comic-Con on July 22nd, hits theatres for one night on July 25th, hits digital download on July 26th, and then home media on August 2nd.