HBO Max, Cartoon Network order Batman: Caped Crusader
May 20, 2021
HBO Max and Cartoon Network have greenlit a straight to series order for Batman: Caped Crusader, an all-new animated series and reimagining of the Batman mythology through the lens of executive producers Bruce Timm, J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves and produced by Warner Bros Animation (WBA), Bad Robot Productions and 6th & Idaho.
The news was announced by Tom Ascheim, President, Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics (GKYAC) and Sam Register, President, Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) and Cartoon Network Studios (CNS).
Ascheim said: “It is always fun to feed the insatiable appetite fans have for all things Batman. Batman: Caped Crusader will entertain first time and die-hard fans alike and, with such an impressive creative team in place, we know we have another future Batman classic in the making.”
Batman: Caped Crusader represents Timm’s return to the iconic DC character in animated episodic television, which began with the Emmy Award-winning Batman: The Animated Series. Praised by many to be the gold standard of animated superhero storytelling, Batman: The Animated Series is considered one of the best depictions of the Dark Knight in any medium.
Now, nearly 30 years since the series premiered, Timm once again takes on the mantle of the Bat alongside two of the most acclaimed filmmakers in the industry: J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves. Utilising state-of-the-art animation techniques and technologies available, this powerful creative partnership will once again reinvent Batman and his iconic rogue’s gallery with sophisticated storytelling, nuanced characters and intense action sequences all set in a visually striking world.
Register said: “Batman: The Animated Series was a masterpiece that shaped the perception of the character for an entire generation of fans. It is in that spirit that we are bringing together three master storytellers in J.J., Matt and Bruce – each with their own intuitive understanding and affection for the character – to create a new series that will continue in the same groundbreaking legacy.”
Executive Producers Timm, Abrams and Reeves said in a joint statement: “We are beyond excited to be working together to bring this character back, to tell engrossing new stories in Gotham City. The series will be thrilling, cinematic and evocative of Batman’s noir roots, while diving deeper into the psychology of these iconic characters. We cannot wait to share this new world.”