Back when a new series of DC Showcase animated shorts was announced that included an adaptation of the classic Batman story “Death in the Family” described as an innovative long-form animated short, most fans weren’t sure how it would differentiate from the Batman: Under the Red Hood animated film. As it turns out, not only is Under the Red Hood‘s director Brandon Vietti returning to helm the Batman: Death in the Family animated film but actors Bruce Greenwood, Vincent Martella, and John DiMaggio are reprising their voice roles as Batman, Robin, and Joker respectively. But there’s a twist!
As revealed by IGN, this isn’t a straightforward sequel but rather an interactive special in the vein of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch or Kimmy Schmidt vs the Reverend special. Check out the trailer below and keep your eyes peeled for release details.
Anchoring the compilation of shorts is Batman: Death in the Family, WBHE’s first-ever venture into interactive storytelling that allows fans to choose where the story goes through an innovative navigation guided by the viewer’s remote control. Central to the extended-length short is an adaptation of “Batman: A Death in the Family,” the 1988 landmark DC event where fans voted by telephone to determine the story’s ending.
The interactive Blu-ray presentation offers many different ways for viewers to tell the Batman: Death in the Family story, with numerous twists and turns in the middle, and several possible endings. The choices along the way put greater weight on the viewers’ decisions and result in even stronger stories.
Produced, directed and written by Brandon Vietti, Batman: Death in the Family offers an inventive take on the long-demanded story. In the new animated presentation, the infamous murder of Batman protégé Jason Todd will be undone, and the destinies of Batman, Robin and The Joker will play out in shocking new ways as viewers make multiple choices to control the story. And while Batman: Under the Red Hood provides a baseline, the story also branches in new directions and features several characters previously unseen in the original film. Bruce Greenwood (The Resident, Star Trek, iRobot), Vincent Martella (Phineas and Ferb) and John DiMaggio (Futurama, Adventure Time) reprise their Batman: Under The Red Hood roles of Batman, young Jason Todd and The Joker, respectively. Other featured voices are Zehra Fazal (Young Justice) as Talia al Ghul and Gary Cole (Veep) as Two-Face and James Gordon.
