First Images For Batman: Year One Animated Movie
The Hollywood Reporter has reported that Bryan Cranston, Ben McKenzie, Eliza Dushku, and Katee Sackhoff will be the lead voice cast for the animated adaptation of the Frank Miller’s classic Batman comic book story, Batman: Year One. Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu are directing from a script by Tab Murphy for Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation.
Year One is the story of a young Bruce Wayne,returning to Gotham City after traveling abroad to study and train with the best scholars and masters in the world. Now that he is home again he becomes inspired to take on the mantle of the Batman. Year One shows Bruce starting out as the costumed vigilante, and creating an early bond with Lieutenant James Gordon.
Cranston is playing Gordon, while McKenzie is Wayne/Batman. Dushku voices Catwoman, while Sackhoff is Detective Sarah Essen, a love interest for Gordon. Also, Alex Rocco takes on the role of crime lord Carmine Falcone.
Batman: Year One will be rated PG-13 and is scheduled to arrive in the fall. However, the movie will make it’s world premiere at Comic-Con in July.
Executive producer Bruce Timm told the trade that the movie is faithful to the comic.”The source material is surprisingly cinematic; it’s a pretty straight forward literal retelling,” he says. “Mazzucchelli’s artwork is beautifully composed and we were able to refer to the comic for about 80 percent of the camera setups.”
Cranston, an Emmy winner for AMC’s Breaking Bad, initially turned down the role in Year One, but is glad that he changed his mind. ”I wasn’t aware of this level of storytelling in animation. I confess that freely,” he says. “They didn’t give the characters the short shrift. I was stunned.”
Its too early to tell how well this movie and cast will come together, but the two images that have been released so far gives me the impression that the animation will be awesome.
