The animated adaptation of one of the best Batman stories written is inching ever closer with Batman: Year One and a new set of images are now floating about and a good chunk of the voice cast has been announced. The new direct to video animated feature from the DC Universe line of shows adds another of the more serious stories to its roster and is one fans have been hoping for since it’s still considered one of the defining Batman stories years after its original debut as written and by Frank Miller and drawn by David Mazzucchelli. back in 1987.
The new movie, directed by Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu with the script by Tab Murphy brings in an interesting voice cast. Ben McKenzie takes on the role of Bruce Wayn/batman while Bryan Cranston will server as James Gordon. Eliza Dushku is jumping on board to play Catwoman while Katee Sachoff will be playing Detective Sarah Essen. Alex Rocco will be joining the cast as well Carmine Falcone, the crime boss of Gotham.
“The source material is surprisingly cinematic; it’s a pretty straight forward literal retelling,” says executive producer Bruce Timm. “Mazzucchelli’s artwork is beautifully composed and we were able to refer to the comic for about 80 percent of the camera setups.”
“I wasn’t aware of this level of storytelling in animation. I confess that freely,” said Bryan Cranston. “They didn’t give the characters the short shrift. I was stunned.”
The new feature is set to be released on DVD and Blu-ray in the fall of 2011, but it will get a world premiere at Comic-Con in July this year.
Plot summary: A young Bruce Wayne is first starting out as a costumed vigilante. He creates an early bond with Lieutenant James Gordon, whose importance in the tale makes it as much as Gordon’s story as Wayne’s.
