Article by Eric Lee
Warner Bros. has confirmed that it plans to split Batman: The Long Halloween into two installments.
The news was dropped at IGN’s Superman: Man of Tomorrow panel which was hosted by IGN, in collaboration with DC FanDome.
As well as talking about Superman, the creators revealed that The Long Halloween feature is indeed in the works. Furthermore, the two parts will be released in the Summer and Fall of 2021.
There are no confirmed casting announcements at this time, but the rumored casting list boasts some big names, like Troy Baker and Jensen Ackles.
Possibilities of a Longer Film
For those who are new, The Long Halloween was initially a 13-issue mini-series. Writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale wrote created a very distinctive series. It chronicles a year-long investigation to discover the identity of the enigmatic Holiday serial killer, notorious for murdering high-profile Gotham mobsters on holidays. The story also follows the rise of then-District Attorney Harvey Dent, and his spiral into darkness when he becomes Two-Face.
The series and subsequent graphic novel heavily influenced The Dark Knight film. Fans speculate that it’s also influenced the upcoming The Batman movie.
Warner Bros. have split a singular story into two animated features before, when they released Batman: The Dark Knight Returns part one in 2012 and part two in 2013. More recently, in 2018, DC Animation divided The Death of Superman and The Reign of Supermen into two entries.
This is a great call on WB Animation’s behalf. Part of the appeal of The Long Halloween comic is the decompressed, serialized storytelling. The original series thrived on the mystery of the identity of the Holiday killer. If the studio had to stuff that story into a 75 minute long movie, it would lose a lot of what makes it engaging.
However, if they wanted to be more ambitious, the studio should release the feature in 13 different chapters, each coinciding with a monthly holiday. How cool would it be to see an ongoing, brewing mystery in smaller, timely installments?
Okay, maybe that’s a pipe dream.
In the meantime, check out Dark Knight News’ in-depth annotations of The Long Halloween graphic novel here!
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