There's a new Batman project set to hit TV screens just in time for the holiday season.
Merry Little Batman was first announced back in April 2023 and we have some fresh looks at the upcoming, original animated film courtesy of Entertainment Weekly.
If the kitschy animation style looks familiar then you've probably seen an episode or two of Cartoon Network's Regular Show. Mike Roth, who was a creative director, writer, and storyboard artist on the show is helming Merry Little Batman.
Speaking to EW, Roth stated, "Because it's a Christmas story, telling it through the eyes of a child seemed apropos. Typically, Damian is a teenager who struggles with good and evil. While this was an interesting idea that was initially explored, we landed on a younger Damian. We decided to turn the clock back on Damian's petulant nature to a time when he was more innocent and wide-eyed."
Roth went on to say, "The idea of a teeny, tiny, little kid in this huge city aspiring to become Batman like his dad was such a fun starting point. It gave us the heart and comedy we were looking for and opened the window to a Gotham City Christmas like we've never seen before."
On the animated film's take on the Joker, Roth stated, "He is heavily inspired by Bob Fosse's portrayal of the Snake in the 1974 version of The Little Prince.Our Joker is a perfect foe to a little kid because he is basically like a big, peevish child himself — coaxing, cunning, and apt to rapid and irrational tantrums. His temperament swings from merry to murderous faster than you can say, 'Holy nightmare, Batman.'"
In a press statement at the time of the project's announcement, Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon and MGM Studios shared, "Batman: The Animated Series helped pioneer in the evolution of superhero storytelling and defined the Dark Knight for a generation. Batman: Caped Crusader will no doubt continue that tradition and, alongside Merry Little Batman and Bat-Family, we’re thrilled to collaborate with Warner Bros. Animation to offer a variety of takes of the Batman mythos to our global Prime Video customers."
David Hornsby (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) portrays the Joker in the film while Jonas Kibreab (Sweet Tooth, Elio) voices Damian. Also voicing characters in the film are Luke Wilson (Old School) and James Cromwell (L.A. Confidential, Succession).
Merry Little Batman will premiere on Prime Video, December 8, 2023.