DC UNIVERSE ANIMATED ORIGINAL MOVIE BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHT WORLD PREMIERE & PANEL SET FOR JUNE 28, 2008 AT WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO

Executive Producer Bruce Timm & Award-Winning Writers Josh Olson, Brian Azzarello, Greg Rucka and Alan Burnett Headline Panel following 7:00 pm Premiere of Third DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie; Filmmakers Slated for Autograph Session on June 29 at Popular Comics Convention.

BURBANK, CA, (June 19, 2008) – Animation legend Bruce Timm and award-winning writers Josh Olson, Brian Azzarello, Greg Rucka and Alan Burnett will be the featured panelists when DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Animation present the World Premiere of the DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie, Batman Gotham Knight, at Wizard World Chicago on June 28, 2008, it was announced today.

The Batman Gotham Knight premiere will commence at 7:00 p.m. in the 1,500-seat hall within the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, and the screening will be followed immediately by a panel featuring executive producer Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday, Justice League: The New Frontier) and a quartet of the film's writers: Academy Award nominee Josh Olson (A History of Violence), Eisner Award-winning writers Brian Azzarello & Greg Rucka, and five-time Emmy Award-winner Alan Burnett.  The film will be introduced by DC Comics President and Publisher Paul Levitz, and DC Comics Senior Vice President of Creative Affairs Gregory Noveck will moderate the panel.

As a capacity crowd is anticipated, the premiere is a ticketed event. Free tickets for convention attendees will be distributed starting at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, June 28 in the Wizard World Chicago ticketing area.

The panelists will be available for a 90-minute autograph session on Sunday beginning at 10:30 a.m. in the Fountain Area. An encore presentation of the film will screen Sunday at 2:00 p.m., and seating will be allotted on an un-ticketed, first-come, first-served basis.

Batman Gotham Knight is a fresh and exciting new entry into the Batman mythos, spinning out of a 40-year history in animation including the Emmy®-winning Batman: The Animated Series, widely considered a pivotal moment in American animation. A cross section of distinguished creators, award winning producers, and acclaimed writers weave six interlocking stories that reveal Bruce Wayne's journey to The Dark Knight, each with stylish art from some of the world's most revered animation visionaries.

Batman Gotham Knight will arrive July 8, 2008 on DVD and Blu-Ray disc, and will also be available On Demand via digital cable and for download through broadband sites.

ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED SCREENWRITER JOSH OLSON DISCUSSES HIS CHAPTER OF DCU UNIVERSE FILM "BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHT"

Hollywood tradition dictates that an Academy Award nomination begets lucrative offer after offer, and the nominee usually reaps the immediate seven-figure benefits. But sometimes, boyhood dreams take precedence.

Buoyed by his Oscar nod for scripting "A History of Violence," Josh Olson has become one of the most sought-after writers in Hollywood. But amidst the offers following his nomination came the opportunity to pen a chapter of "Batman Gotham Knight" – and that was an offer simply too tempting to resist. The result is an impressive opening segment to the film that not only arrests the imagination with visually stunning perspectives of Batman, but sets the thematic tone for the entire six-chapter film.

In the segment, entitled "Have I Got a Story for You," Olson tells the story of how chance encounters with Batman by a group of street-wise youngsters leave each kid with a very different impression of the Dark Knight.

Since "A History of Violence," for which he was also nominated for the British Academy Award, the Writer's Guild Award, the Edgar and the USC Scriptor award, Olson has been busy drafting screenplays for both film and television. Olson has adapted the Dennis Lehane short story "Until Gwen" and will be directing the project himself. He worked on a draft of "Halo" for Peter Jackson, and is currently adapting L. Frank Baum's "Oz" books for Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures.

Olson will join fellow "Batman Gotham Knight" writers Brian Azzarello, Greg Rucka and Alan Burnett, along with executive producer Bruce Timm, on the panel following the film's premiere at Wizard World Chicago on June 28. "Batman Gotham Knight" will arrive July 8, 2008 on DVD and Blu-Ray disc, and will also be available that day On Demand via digital cable and for download through broadband sites.

Olson strode off the yellow brick road for a short discussion of his role in the creation of "Batman Gotham Knight," his amusement over 1960s Batman action verbiage, and his passion for a good, old-fashioned decapitation.

Without further ado, the Q&A with Josh Olson …

Question:
You have arguably the most visually diverse chapter in the film. How did you communicate the direction in your script for your variety of Batman looks, and how detailed did you go?

Josh Olson answers:
My feeling was that I'd never worked in animation before, so if I was going to write a cartoon, I wanted it to BE a cartoon. I tried to come up with something that would be as visually entertaining as possible. Having worked on film crews in the art departments and around the digital effects guys, I know the best people for creating those visuals are the people that actually do it. So I was specific in relation to the story – I described a creature that grows out of shadows, a creature that is more bat than man, things like that. But I didn't get into too much detail because I wanted the directors and designers to knock themselves out. The animators got the chance to go nuts – and with them, and for this, nothing is too wild.

Question:
Are they any particular moments in your segment that exceeded your vision?

Josh Olson answers:
Honestly, I love them all, but there are some little flourishes that the director incorporated that really make me happy. In the robot batman segment, I love the way Batman hops off the building, and the way he sort of skids when he's turning around. There's a wonderful sense of whimsy in that direction that I really love.

Question: Most folks leverage an Academy Award nomination into seven-figure deals, but you opted to draft one-sixth of an animated direct-to-DVD? What were you thinking?

Josh Olson answers:
I'm a comics kid going way back, and we're talking about my favorite character. I got offered a lot of jobs after Violence, but I'm picky. I have to really love the subject to write it. You're supposed to take your big money-making job right after you get a nomination, but I took this Batman project because it was an absolute no-brainer. You don't buy a house off this, but I was absolutely thrilled to do it. I got the chance to write the cartoon I would have wanted to see as a kid, and would still be entertained by today as an adult. I always wanted to write Batman – and when Chris Nolan is done with them, I'm ready.

Question: Did you take a different approach to writing for animation than you normally take to live-action?

Josh Olson answers:
This is so much more about the visual, and you have to be keyed into that. You have to justify the medium you're working in – in other words, it's animated for a reason. It's not an arbitrary choice. So I had to do something that justified that medium, and this one definitely does.

Question:
Is there anything in your segment that we might not see if we weren't looking for it?

Josh Olson answers:
There are all sorts of little in-jokes. When the girl is describing the fight sequence, and she's saying "biff!!!" and "pow!!" -- that's my little tribute to the on-screen sound effects from the old Batman television show. But one of the words they had on screen back then was "flrbbbb!" – that drove me nuts as a kid. That's not a sound effect! So I had to throw that in.

As a nod to Chris Nolan and "Memento," I thought it would be fun to approach this by telling the story backwards. So you'll notice that each time the villain appears, he seems to be gaining weapons instead of losing them. That was an intentional nod to Chris Nolan's film, and I love playing with that type of structure.

Question:
Where did the inspiration for your segment initiate, and how did that play into your approach?

Josh Olson answers
The idea that was pitched reminded me of a great old 1970s Batman comic – Dick Giordano drew it, but it could have been Jim Aparo – that was a short story about three kids, each of whom saying what they thought Batman looked like. I remembered there was also an animated version that had three kids describing him in different iterations. Now you get a third story, so it becomes a legitimate genre. I always loved that story – kids sitting around a campfire talking about Batman, and he shows up. I thought it would be fun to make it more active.

Question:
How did you decide on the street slang the kids used in describing their brushes with Batman?

Josh Olson answers:
That was tough because I didn't want it to be completely locked into contemporary slang. I used some writer's tricks to cover up the fact that I'm way too old to know how kids are talking today. I wanted it to be timeless and a little futuristic, so I used classic street kid slang tossed in with contemporary slang. I thought that was it would become clear that this was not set yesterday – it would be more likely take place tomorrow or the day after, at the latest.

Question:
Was there anything you definitely wanted to include that you're particularly proud made it into the final film?

Josh Olson answers:
Just because it's a cartoon, and because of the nature of the story, I wanted to do the one thing you'd never see in a Batman segment: a decapitation. I was so happy they let me keep it. I thought, "I've gotta get it in there." The director did such a beautiful job. Batman never kills anyone. I wanted to have him do something really grotesquely inappropriate, and yet get the point across that Batman never kills. That was fun … very dark fun.

Question:
So, ultimately, how did you feel about your segment and the overall film?

Josh Olson answers:
It's fun – really visually pleasing. It was the best version I could possibly hope to see. I've never seen a movie that so honored the script – it's up there word-for-word, perfectly translated, and it's really exciting to see that it worked. I'm a huge fan of this film – the visions of Batman are amazing, and the visuals are incredible. I especially enjoyed Alan Burnett's segment – there's a visual of Deadshot on the Ferris wheel with these balloons and fireworks – it is really amazing. This project was an absolute blast.

DC COMICS' SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF CREATIVE AFFAIRS GREGORY NOVECK DISCUSSES "BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHT"

DC Universe original animated movies are created by a unique collaboration between four diverse units within the Warner Bros. family – Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video, Warner Bros Animation and, the source of the characters and many of the stories, DC Comics. Leading the charge for the latter group is Gregory Noveck, Senior Vice President, Creative Affairs for the iconic comics company, and credited as Executive in Charge of Production for DC Comics on all of the DC Universe films.

Noveck was instrumental in launching "Batman Gotham Knight" into production, guiding the team toward its original concept and recruiting an amazing array of writing talent for the project. It proved to be a most interesting production at every turn – including diverging from many of the traditional processes to bridge the creativity between the writers, the production team at Warner Bros. Animation and the directors and animators at three individual studios in Japan.

As Noveck says, the end result is even more intriguing, inspiring and visually stimulating – and he looks forward to witnessing the reaction of Batman fans across the planet. His first opportunity will come at Wizard World Chicago on June 28 when he moderates the panel following the world premiere of "Batman Gotham Knight."

"Batman Gotham Knight" will arrive July 8, 2008 on DVD and Blu-Ray disc, and will also be available that day On Demand via digital cable and for download through broadband sites.

Noveck explained the origins of "Batman Gotham Knight," his sentiments on the movie, and his thoughts on how it will be received by fans in a short interview this week.

Question: How did this film originate, particularly in terms of recruiting such a fantastic group of writers and animators?

Gregory Noveck answers:
When we decided to make this film, we wanted to get the best Japanese animators and the best Batman writers we could. David Goyer was an obvious choice, having written "Batman Begins" and the story for "The Dark Knight" and knowing Batman so well. Jordan Goldberg had worked with the Nolans extensively on the films and was a natural to help us conceive the story.

Then we said, "Who has written some of the best Batman comics?" and Brian Azzarello and Greg Rucka immediately came to mind. We wanted a screenwriter with a gritty, realistic tone, and we thought of Josh Olson, coming off an Academy Award nomination for "A History of Violence." And then we said, "Is there someone that has been involved with Batman for a long time and never gotten the chance to really go edgy with the character?" Alan Burnett was the easy call there. Amazingly, everything fell into place. Everyone was our first choice, everyone said yes, and we ended up with an awesome lineup.

Question: Do you have a favorite segment amongst the six?

Gregory Noveck answers:
All of the segments have a special appeal to me for different reasons – from Greg Rucka's Gotham Central aspect to Brian Azzarello showing us a side of Batman we've never seen before, to Burnett's showcase of Deadshot. It's all pretty dazzling. Conceptually, my favorite is probably Josh Olson's opening segment because you get the unique, individual perception of Batman through the eyes of several people. The entire movie is really about that theme – how Batman is viewed from other perspectives – and that theme succeeds on many different levels.

Question: Does the final visual product match what you envisioned when the film was initially discussed?

Gregory Noveck answers:
The look of the film ended up being something I couldn't have imagined. The idea was to bring in some of these really well known Japanese animators, people who might have always wanted to work on Batman and never had the opportunity, and just let them have at it. There were certain limitations on what they could do – in terms of staying within the styles. They couldn't put him in red, not that they wanted to. But what they did really exceeded anything beyond what I'd imagined. They gave Batman so many new, different looks, and still kept him recognizable as Batman, and that's what we wanted.

The opening segment – and the very first Batman that audience will see in the film – is a very good example of the limitlessness of the animators' creativity. To see that for the first time was strange, but really cool. Not just his physical appearance as a shadow morphing into the Batman, but when he turns toward the camera and gives that first look, it really catches you. At first, it was strange to see – but when you put it in the perspective of that image being seen through a kid's eyes, then it makes perfect sense. And that segment has grown to be the most visually arresting. I like the Batman in Jordan Goldberg's "Field Test" segment because he reminds me of the G-Force/Battle of the Planets cartoons when I was a kid. Batman has such a sleek, high-tech appearance – I just love the look of him in that segment.

Question: You know the Batman and comics fans as well as anyone. How do you think the fans will react to this Batman film?

Gregory Noveck answers:
I think fans will be enthralled with the film's strong blend of original, never-before-seen interpretations of Batman and some very familiar aspects of the character. The visuals of this film are amazing, particularly the unique perspectives of Batman and the detailed, intriguing visions of Gotham City. At the same time, fan favorite Kevin Conroy keeps Batman grounded in familiar territory with his renowned voice – as does the inclusion of both villains like Scarecrow and Killer Croc, and allies like Commissioner Gordon, Alfred, Lucius Fox and Crispus Allen of Gotham Central fame. It's a great mix and I think, from the opening moments to the closing credits, fans will be blown away.

CELEBRATED NOVELIST GREG RUCKA DISCUSSES WRITING CHAPTER OF "BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHT," THE THIRD DC UNIVERSE ANIMATED ORIGINAL FILM

Want a nice, frank conversation? Corner Greg Rucka and pick a subject. He is anything but restrained, speaking freely and constantly exuding the kind of creative flashpoint from which arises his fascinating array of benchmark characters.

Raised on California's Central Coast, and schooled at Vassar College and USC, Rucka brings a street sensibility to his work – which has ranged from nearly a dozen novels and several short stories to a daunting list of comics, non-fiction essays and, now, a segment of the highly-anticipated animated film, "Batman Gotham Knight."

"Batman Gotham Knight," the third film in the ongoing series of DC Universe animated original PG-13 movies, will arrive July 8, 2008 on DVD and Blu-Ray disc, and will also be available that day On Demand via digital cable and for download through broadband sites. The film is produced as a collaboration between DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Animation.

Rucka will make the trek from his Portland, Oregon home to Wizard World Chicago this June to attend the world premiere of "Batman Gotham Knight" and participate on the post-premiere panel. With Rucka joining producer Bruce Timm and fellow BGK writers Alan Burnett and Brian Azzarello on the panel (and quite possibly a few yet-to-be-announced special guests), it promises to be an extremely entertaining evening.

Rucka has already built an astonishing career, complete with his share of Eisner Awards for works like "Whiteout: Melt" and  "Gotham Central: Half a Life." His characters, most notably bodyguard Atticus Kodiak and "Queen & Country" series protagonist Tara Chace, have drawn a legion of fans into his literary wake. He's written for some of DC Comics' best-known characters, including Superman and Wonder Woman. Inspired by his graphic novel of the same name, "Whiteout" will come to theaters as a major motion picture later this fall with Kate Beckinsale in the lead role.

But Batman is the subject today – and Rucka is happy to share his thoughts. For his segment, entitled "Crossfire," Rucka brings to animated life the detectives familiar to fans of his "Gotham Central" comics – highlighted by the starring role of Crispus Allen. In the segment, which is the second chapter of the six-part film, the Gotham City police don't trust the mysterious Dark Knight – until they get a first-hand experience of his power and integrity while both detectives and super hero are under fire.

If you want to read a great Greg Rucka biography, or two, go to his website – www.gregrucka.com. It's worth the trip. What you won't read there is the following Q&A … and if you like that, there's even more interesting information, images, shout-outs and a brand new widget at the film's official website: www.BATMANGOTHAMKNIGHT.com …

Question:
As this is your first time writing for animation, how did you feel about the translation of your words to the screen?

Greg Rucka answers:
It was dynamite, especially the final sequences of my segment. It was almost exactly what I was going for. What was really cool was to hear Kevin Conroy say stuff that I typed. I've written some screen stuff before, but I haven't written Batman for the screen before. That's cool on one level. But I love those Alan Burnett-Bruce Timm-Paul Dini animated series – I thought it was revolutionary – and Kevin was central to that.

Question:
As this film is produced in an anime-style, does the look of your segment come close to the way you envisioned that world?

Greg Rucka answers:
I try not to set my expectations to high or have any preconceived notions, because everything has to go through so many hands of creation. "Batman Begins" did such a great job of building Gotham that that was the Gotham that I was writing. In that sense, it is the city as I imagined it.

My biggest gripe is the pacing of the dialogue – I think I heard everything a lot crisper in my head. Like during this one conversation between the two main cops, I was trying to achieve the unique relationship between partners, and the familiarity that comes when they spend hours at a time talking in their car. Instead it was very heavy and argumentative.

But the flipside is that I really like the segment, and the film itself is brilliantly done. In a way, this is just like writing a comic in that it's an entirely collaborative process. But trying to always be open to that collaboration and what it's going to bring is a hard part of the job.

Question:
Were there any particular visuals that struck you within your segment?

Greg Rucka answers:
The image of Batman coming through flaming wreckage was pretty much exactly as I wanted it. I really was trying to get the psychological impact of seeing this man, who maybe isn't a man if you don't know, coming through the flames – literally a walking, talking, burning bush, standing and staring the villain down. If somebody was staring me down from the middle of flames, they could have anything they want. I think the animators executed that really well.

I also really like this moment when you're in the squad room and you see the Batman silhouette through the dusted glass – because that was an image that I clearly had in my mind when I wrote it. You see what the detectives are seeing – not the Batman, but a shadow of the Batman. That visually goes to the trust issues.

Question:
Was there anything you definitely wanted to incorporate into your segment?

Greg Rucka answers:
I wanted that revolutionary moment for Crispus Allen, that moment of understanding of exactly what Batman is in the context of Gotham. I won't give away any spoilers, but in that moment, that came across really well, too.

Ultimately, getting to use Cris was just great. And it was especially neat seeing Cris get picked up in some of the other pieces I didn't write. In my 10 years of working for DC, there aren't a whole slew of characters that I created that have been given legs and moved into the wider world. So just seeing Cris in three other segments was kind of a hoot.

Question:
How were you approached and what made you say yes?

Greg Rucka answers:
It was pretty much a no-brainer for me. It's Batman, it's animated … if you've gotten to write Batman before, then you know – it's a thrill. It's really, really fun. Plus, I was asked to bring that Gotham Central segment to this film, and that appealed to me on so many levels – particularly to my ego, in the sense that I love that element in that universe.

That approach really gives the everyman element – the view from the street. Most of the time in comics, and even in animation, we're with the guy in the suit. And you forget what that guy in the suit looks like to everyone else.
 

Question:
How was the writing process for an animated film different than for comics?

Greg Rucka answers:
When you script comics, you can't script action – you can only script a moment of action. Writing for film or television or animation or live-action changes that. You can write a sentence that says "running across the road" and they'll actually run across the road. That's the most obvious mechanical element. When you write a comic strip, I tend to be very controlling of what the camera is doing. When you're writing for film, whatever the format, that's not really your job. That's the director's job. So it becomes a task of conveying what information has to be seen – what the viewer must know – and hopefully the director gets it.

Question:
What were you setting out to accomplish in your segment in terms of balancing the theme of trust with all the action?

Greg Rucka answers:
The action element is easier to accomplish because you know there's going to be a gun battle – I described some specifics, but I'm not going to script out the action beat by beat by beat. That would take 40 pages for 20 seconds of screen time. But the trust issue influences the writing at every level. My overriding thought was this: Gotham has no trust in the people it should trust, and that's had a tremendous effect on all cops, especially the few good cops who have tried to do right. Crispus Allen is one of the good guys. But what he wonders is that, in a world where the most reprehensibly corrupt group is the cops, how are we going to fix that by turning to a masked guy who doesn't have to answer to anybody?

Question: You've had some notable experience working on Batman – can you compare the differences in working on this Batman tale vs. the Batman, Detective Comics and Gotham Central comics?

Greg Rucka answers:
Almost everything I've written for Batman treats him as a fully established entity in that world. He's known and he's trusted. Every now and then there's a story line that tries to shake that up, but we all know how that'll end. Gotham Knight fits very tightly in the gap of continuity between the two (live-action) movies, right between that moment of introduction in Batman Begins and his first major battle in Dark Knight, so I'm getting to write it fresh – to write characters who are seeing Batman for the first time. Those were rich moments.

Question:
Are there any rules for you in writing for Batman?

Greg Rucka answers:
This is my favorite kind of Batman – when you see him in short bursts. Chris Nolan really made that point in "Batman Begins." For Batman to work psychologically, you can't see him coming. That's the essence of the character. If YOU are watching the movie, and he's about to leap off a building, sure, do a long sweeping shot of him and eat it up with a spoon. But if your point of view is that of one of the characters, nobody should see him for long. If you're in Gordon's POV, then he shouldn't get a good look at the guy. Batman is always goal oriented – he's not going to waste time. I think the key to writing Batman is to give him the fewest words possible, because he's there to get the job done.

Question:
What's your attraction to Batman?

Greg Rucka answers:
Aside from the cool factor? I love the inherent tragedy of the man. The really good characters in Gotham are filled with pathos. Your heart breaks for them – and especially for Bruce Wayne. When Batman is made properly, and Batman Begins certainly did this, what you're seeing is a man who is driven by a fundamentally altruistic mission, even if it's for the most personal reasons. And it's a mission that he's doomed to fail at. Still, he doesn't stop. There was a line that I used in a Batman comic – and I've heard it echoed elsewhere – that Batman is on a fool's errand. Well, it is a fool's errand, but that doesn't make him a fool.

Question:
You have extensive experience within comic book arena – what made this your genre of choice?

Greg Rucka answers:
It was purely by accident. I'm a novelist, but I'm also a novelist who has always loved comics. So when the opportunity came, I was going to take it. I had written a couple of novels, and I had an idea of a comic – Whiteout – and as a result I was brought to the attention of Denny O'Neil at DC Comics. He had read my novels, and he asked if I had any interest in doing some Batman stories. I was in New York at the time, and I said "Hell Yeah!" On the flight back, I wrote the whole script for the first story. I typed it up when I got home, sent it off a day later, and they called and said "What do you want to do next?" And all of a sudden, I was in the clutches of DC Comics, from which I've never fully escaped.

Question:
Where else would you like to creatively venture?

Greg Rucka answers:
I've got an interest in everything – books, comics, live-action, animation. I've got two young kids, so I'm trying to come up with a good young kids story. If I've got it in me, I'd like to find it. I'd also love to do a project that involved the colonial period of American history – it's a period of such remarkable courage, and that appeals to me, maybe because of where we are in the journey of this nation right now.

Question:
As a writer, what do you see as the positives and negatives of the extreme passion of the comics fans today?

Greg Rucka answers:
The great thing about comics fandom is that it's immediate. I write a novel and it'll be a year before people tell me what they think of it. Comics fans react that day. Comics are in many ways like soap operas in that the fanbase rests mostly in the characters. Consequently, the fans can be prone to hysteria. With the prevalence of the internet, there's been this movement where everyone wants to be an insider, everyone has an opinion, and everyone wants to spread the information as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, a lot of times, the information is wrong or horribly incomplete. That's the huge downside.  You have people reviewing the first 22 pages of a story arc that is going to span months, and that's like judging a novel on the first paragraph of the book. You can't judge the story before you know what it is – that's what I find most annoying. But at the end of the day, you also have to remember that these things don't exist without that fanbase – and they are devoted … and vocal.

Question:
As a comic book fan, and a comic book writer, is there a better time to be a "geek"?

Greg Rucka answers:
This is the summer of the geek. Go down the line of movies and look what's coming up, and it's going to be insane. It's truly fantastic and flattering to be a part of it. It's not often you get to have a role in something that is going to live and endure long after you're gone, and to have been a part of that legacy in any way, shape or form is an honor.

Question:
There have been so many different takes on Batman – how did you know yours was the right one?

Greg Rucka answers:
I don't. But it's the right one for me.

Join the Concerned Citizens of Gotham City and help summon Batman by adding this widget to your pages. Just click the GET WIDGET button below.

OFFICIAL SITE UPDATED, be sure to checkout the weekly Shout Outs from Bruce Timm and Gregory Noveck @: BatmanGothamKnight.com

Bat Crew

Checkout these new stills from Batman Gotham Knight.  Be sure to go leave comments in the Movie Stills Album.

Bat Crew

AWARD-WINNING WRITER ALAN BURNETT DISCUSSES "BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHT,"

THE THIRD DC UNIVERSE ANIMATED ORIGINAL MOVIE

Alan Burnett has spent more consecutive years "in the Batcave" than anyone in animation history.

Not counting his stint on "Super Friends" in 1983, Burnett has constantly helped bring the Batman's legacy to animation since 1991 – when he began scripting episodes of "Batman: The Animated Series," the Emmy®-winning production widely considered a pivotal moment in American animation.

This summer, the latest animated venture into the Dark Knight's mythos takes an altogether different approach than anything produced during Burnett's 17-year association with the character. Burnett served as movie story editor and the writer of the anchoring segment of "Batman Gotham Knight," the third in the ongoing series of DC Universe animated original PG-13 movies.

"Batman Gotham Knight" is a fresh and exciting new film weaving six interlocking stories that reveal Bruce Wayne's journey to The Dark Knight, each with stylish art from some of the world's most revered Japanese animation visionaries. The film features stories written by several of the most talented scribes of film, comic books and animation, including Burnett, Academy Award®-nominated screenwriter Josh Olson ("A History of Violence"), David S. Goyer ("Batman Begins:), Jordan Goldberg (Associate Producer, "The Dark Knight"), and award-winning comics writers Greg Rucka and Brian Azzarello.

Burnett, Azzarello and Josh Olson, along with producer Bruce Timm, have already confirmed their participation on the panel following the world premiere of "Batman Gotham Knight" at Wizard World Chicago in late June. "Batman Gotham Knight" will arrive July 8, 2008 on DVD and Blu-Ray disc, and will also be available that day On Demand via digital cable and for download through broadband sites. The film is produced as a collaboration between DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Animation.

An anime fan, Burnett said he was very intrigued and inspired by the idea of allowing Japanese directors to have relatively free reign on the animated look of Batman.

"From a visual point of view, this is the most stylized Batman that's come out of Warner Bros. -- what they've done is really eye-catching, and it truly expands his world," Burnett said. "Their visualization of Gotham City is stunning, and it's very interesting to see how they've envisioned Batman, his environment and his action and movements."

Burnett's stellar talents have merited four Emmy Awards, three Annie Awards and two Humanitas Prizes. His work within the Batman realm includes as a series producer on  "Batman and Superman" and "Batman Beyond," and most recently as supervising producer and story editor for Warner Bros. Animation's four-time Emmy Award-winning series "The Batman." In the direct-to-DVD arena, Burnett co-produced and co-wrote the animated feature film "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm," was supervising producer and writer for "Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman," and served as producer on the feature-length "Batman Beyond: Return of The Joker."

For "Batman Gotham Knight," Burnett served as story editor for the entire film, and writer of the sixth and final segment, "Deadshot." The segment ties together threads from all the film's chapters as Batman must thwart an unerring assassin whose love of guns and disregard for human life lets him cross lines that even a Dark Knight shies away from.

Burnett said having the opportunity to finally bring the villainous Deadshot to the screen was instant motivation to pen the script. First, "Batman Gotham Knight" provided the perfect vehicle for a villain associated solely with guns – an attitude that flies in direct opposition to Batman's anti-gun approach to heroism. The anti-gun theme is prevalent throughout the film. Moreover, because television standards do not allow the use of "real" bullets in children's programming, Deadshot has been kept out of Batman's animated legacy. For Burnett, this was the first opportunity to portray Deadshot as he is known in comics.

"I've always liked Deadshot as a villain, and I really like stories with assassins," Burnett explained. "The fact that they're killers, and what they do has impact, automatically heightens the energy of the story."

In addition to writing the script "Deadshot," Burnett also story-edited the film, ensuring all six scripts – from six different, widely-acclaimed writers – worked fluidly together to interconnect into one story. The ever-modest Burnett said his job entailed little more than a few alterations for flow and continuity while he attempted to maintain each writer's individualism.

"I thought it was important to keep the integrity of each writer's words," Burnett said. "The writers all pretty much had the same voice for Batman, so I had to change very little dialogue – just small fixes to tie up loose ends, and reinforce transitions and connections between the stories. But I did as little editing as I could because I respected what the writers wrote, and I thought it was important that their voice was heard. Just as the artists made their segments their own, so should the writers."

Overall, Burnett is pleased with the final product, and excited to see the fans' reactions to the film – particularly the use of shorter segments to tell great Batman stories.

"For my segment, I think the first Deadshot murder is quite good – there's a lot of eye candy within the cityscape. The artists added fireworks and balloons and a lot of interesting elements to what ultimately is a cold-blooded murder," Burnett said. "I like the short-form for Batman, because it feels almost like a 22-page comic book story. In short form, the stakes are elevated from the beginning, and it gives you a chance to really heighten the action quickly – so you can make your points hard and fast and get out.

DC UNIVERSE ANIMATED ORIGINAL MOVIE

BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHT

 WORLD PREMIERE SLATED FOR

JUNE 28, 2008 AT WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO

Third DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie to Screen at Popular Comics Convention; Post-Premiere Panel Planned for Filmmakers, Voice Talent

BURBANK, CA, (April 10, 2008) –DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Animation will present the World Premiere of the DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie,  Batman Gotham Knight, at Wizard World Chicago on June 28, 2008, it was announced today.

Scheduled for an evening presentation, the Batman Gotham Knight premiere will be followed immediately by a panel featuring members of the film crew and cast, including legendary animation producer Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday, Justice League: The New Frontier); acclaimed comics writer Brian Azzarello and Emmy Award-winning television writer Alan Burnett.  Other filmmakers and voice talent are expected to participate.

Batman Gotham Knight is a fresh and exciting new entry into the Batman mythos, spinning out of a 40-year history in animation including the Emmy®-winning Batman: The Animated Series, widely considered a pivotal moment in American animation. A cross section of distinguished creators, award winning producers, and acclaimed writers weave six interlocking stories that reveal Bruce Wayne's journey to The Dark Knight, each with stylish art from some of the world's most revered animation visionaries.

Batman Gotham Knight will arrive July 8, 2008 on DVD and Blu-Ray disc, and will also be available On Demand via digital cable and for download through broadband sites.

BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHT

VOICE CAST ANNOUNCED

REVISED ENHANCED CONTENT FOR

DC UNIVERSE ANIMATED ORIGINAL MOVIE

Fan Favorite Kevin Conroy returns to benchmark title role for July 8, 2008 Release; Primetime stars join cast of third DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie; Two-Disk Special Edition & Blu-ray Disc filled with Special Features; Price Point enchanced for Single Disc release

BURBANK, CA, (March 19, 2008) – Kevin Conroy, the benchmark by which fans compare all Batman voices, returns to the title role in Batman Gotham Knight, the third release in the DC Universe Animated Original Movie series from DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Animation, it was announced today. The all-new, original movie will street July 8, 2008 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, as well as OnDemand and Pay-per-View. The film will be available for download on the same date.

Batman Gotham Knight is a fresh and exciting new entry into the Batman mythos, spinning out of a 40-year history in animation including the Emmy®-winning Batman: The Animated Series, widely considered a pivotal moment in American animation. A cross section of distinguished creators, award-winning producers, and acclaimed writers weave six interlocking stories that reveal Bruce Wayne's journey to The Dark Knight, each with stylish art from some of the world's most revered animation visionaries.

Conroy set the standard for modern day Batman voices with his performance in Batman: The Animated Series, The New Adventures of Batman and Robin and The New Batman Superman Adventures. He reprised the role as an aging Bruce Wayne playing mentor to a new Caped Crusader in Batman Beyond. Animation legend and Batman Gotham Knight producer Bruce Timm said Conroy was the obvious choice for both widespread fan approval and to provide an overriding sense of continuity within a film in which Batman appears in so many new, visual variations.

"Anytime we initiate an animated Batman project, 'Will Kevin Conroy voice Batman?' is the first question we hear from fans," said Bruce Timm, Executive Producer. "To meet Kevin is to know that he's not anything like Batman, and yet he manages to perfectly nail that indefinable element that is Batman. He's got the voice, he's got the acting chops, and he's absolutely the best man for the job."

Conroy provided a central, rallying point for a cast that perfectly meshes stars of some of today's highest rated primetime television series with many of the most popular voiceover actors in the business. Gary Dourdan (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) and Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty) are heard in multiple segments of the six-story film as police detectives Crispus Allen and Anna Ramirez, key members of a special unit who learn to trust the Dark Knight's motives. Parminder Nagra (ER, Bend It Like Beckham) supplies the voice of Cassandra, a mystical Indian woman who teaches Bruce Wayne to endure and manage his pain. David McCallum (Navy NCIS, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Great Escape) takes on the role of loyal servant Alfred. George Newbern (Father of the Bride) and Alanna Ubach (Legally Blonde) also join the cast.

The cast also features popular voice over artists Corey Burton, Rob Paulsen, Kevin Michael Richardson, Will Friedle, Jason Marsden, Jim Meskimen, Pat Musick, Scott Menville, Hynden Walch, Corey Padnos and Crystal Scales.

Batman Gotham Knight will be available on DVD for $19.98 SRP.  There will also be a 2-disc Special Edition DVD available for $29.98 SRP which contains over 100 minutes of  bonus features plus 4 bonus episodes.  All the content from the 2-disc Special Edition DVD will be available ..ay Disc for $34.99 SRP. 

Batman Gotham Knight 2-disc Special Edition DVD and Blu-ray Disc will feature incredible extras including:

•  "Batman and Me a Devotion of Destiny: The Bob Kane Story" - The comprehensive chronology of the remarkable life of the creator of Batman.

• "A Mirror for the Bat: The Evil Denizens of Gotham City" - A stimulating documentary covering Gotham City's most nefarious of characters, combined with a look into the symbiotic relationship Batman shares with his enemies.
   
• "Batman: The Animated Series" Bonus Episodes - Bruce Timm selects his favorite episodes from Batman: The Animated Series.

• "Sneak Peek: Wonder Woman" - DC Universe animated original movie

• Audio Commentary - Featuring the filmmakers of Gotham Knight.

• Widescreen (1.78:1)

• 5.1 Dolby Digital

Batman Gotham Knight was headed by an impressive list of directors who have brought their distinctly different anime styles to the classic Batman character. The production was divided among three renowned studios – Studio 4ºC, Production I.G and Madhouse – and included the truly inimitable visions of directors Shojiro Nishimi, Futoshi Higashide, Hiroshi Morioka, Yasuhiro Aoki and Toshiyuki Kubooka.  With stories written by several of the most talented writers of film, comic books, and animation, including Academy Award®-nominated screenwriter Josh Olson (A History of Violence), David S. Goyer (Batman Begins), Emmy®-winner Alan Burnett (Batman: The Animated Series), Jordan Goldberg (Associate Producer, The Dark Knight), and award-winning comics writers Greg Rucka and Brian Azzarello, Batman Gotham Knight presents thrilling new adventures of Batman that spotlight several of Gotham City's most dangerous villains, including the fearsome Scarecrow, the freakish Killer Croc and the unnerving marksman known as Deadshot.  Batman  Gotham Knight is produced by Emma Thomas (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight), Michael Uslan & Benjamin Melniker (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight), Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series) and Toshi Hiruma.