Warner Bros. has released a new set of images from their hotly-anticipatedBatman: The Long Halloween, Part One. Based on the beloved comics arc byJeph LoebandTim Sale, the animated film has carried its noir roots into the art itself, which is highlighted in these new images.
“I wanted to give the film a timeless look, kind of like the book, where you can’t pinpoint the actual time period,” said supervising producerButch Lukic. Lukic, whose extensive credits at Warner Bros. Animation includes work onBatman: The Animated Series,Batman Beyond, andJustice League, also cited 1940s crime films andThe Godfatheras inspiration for the film’s stylish art direction:
“I really set out to make Gotham City a character onto itself. All the backgrounds were thought out to have a look or feel of classic cinematography. I even shadowed most of the backgrounds myself to get the right style of lighting needed for particular scenes, and to give the film that classic noir look.”
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And those touches really do carry through in the new images, where evocative silhouettes and moody cast shadows lend the tableaus an abstract look. These come across beautifully in two rooftop stills, where Batman (Jensen Ackles) and Catwoman (Naya Rivera) cut iconic figures, dramatically lit by the moon and a floodlight, respectively.
Architecture also plays a role in setting that dark tone, highlighted in images of Wayne Manor and Carmine Falcone’s (Titus Welliver) office. Wayne Manor is as spooky and shadowy as ever, tucked under its perpetually grey, overcast skies, but note how the shadows cast by the window rails in Falcone’s office evoke the Venetian blinds of noir classics likeDouble Indemnity(to say nothing of Vito Corleone’s own office inThe Godfather).
The rest of the cast includesJosh Duhamelas Harvey Dent andBilly Burkeas James Gordon, who both join Batman’s investigation into a string of murders. Their search brings crosses paths with most of Gotham’s criminal underbelly, including the Joker (Troy Baker), Solomon Grundy (Fred Tatasciore), and Calendar Man (David Dastmalchian).Amy Landecker,Julie Nathanson,Jack Quaid,Frances Callier,Greg Chun,Gary Leroi Gray, andJim Pirrialso star.
Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Onewill be released on digital and Blu-ray on June 22.Part Twowill follow on digital on July 27 and on Blu-ray on August 10.
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