Cast and director of Batman: Under the Red Hood revealed

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

With the release of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths less than two weeks away, some people have already received a copy and have thus seen the preview for Batman: Under the Red Hood. The LA Times Blog has posted news about the director and cast and has put up the first image from the movie.

The director is Brandon Vietti (who co-directed Superman: Doomsday with Bruce Timm and Lauren Montgomery). The cast includes Bruce Greenwood as Batman, Jensen Ackles as Red Hood, Neil Patrick Harris as Nightwing, John DiMaggio as the Joker, and Jason Isaacs as Ra's Al Ghul. The script is written by Judd Winick, adapting his own comic book storyline.

Here's an image of Red Hood.

 

[Christopher]

Bruce Greenwood is someone I would've cast in a role like Hal Jordan or maybe Superman, but I'm interested to hear what he'll do with Batman. Jensen Ackles -- not impressed with him or his voice. Neil Patrick Harris is a cool choice for Dick/Nightwing. John DiMaggio as the Joker is an unexpected choice, but I'm fascinated to find out what he'll do with the role. Jason Isaacs seems like a valid choice for Ra's, but I'm neutral about it. (And I wish somebody would cast an Arab or other Middle Eastern actor as Ra's instead of always going with white Brits.)

Brandon Vietti has also directed numerous episodes of The Batman, Legion of Super Heroes, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

Isn't that a rather revisionist look for the Red Hood? I was expecting the usual featureless dome. Although this version does look a lot less goofy.

 

[JacksonArcher]

Pardon my comic-book ignorance, but isn't the Red Hood a precursor to The Joker?

 

[Lonemagpie]

No Kevin Conroy? Not the Batman, then...

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Pardon my comic-book ignorance, but isn't the Red Hood a precursor to The Joker?

The Red Hood first appeared in the 1950s in an iteration of the Joker's origin story. A hoodlum leading a robbery on a chemical plant wears a red hood to hide his identity. When he's cornered by Batman he falls into a vat of chemicals and becomes the Joker. Alan Moore wrote a different take on this in The Killing Joke.

Judd Winick's "Under the Hood" storyline features a new Red Hood who operates as a bloodthirsty vigilante.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Pardon my comic-book ignorance, but isn't the Red Hood a precursor to The Joker?

I'm sure they'll be someone along that explains it better, but this was a new Red Hood, who is revealed to be someone from Batman's past...anything more would be spoilers.

This version of the Red Hood has been around for awhile in the comics.

 

[JacksonArcher]

Ah, thanks guys. I was only familiar with the 50's iteration of the character and not the Judd Winick version. This certainly sounds interesting. Also, does anybody know if this will be a feature-length animated film in the vein of Superman: Doomsday or a short film a la the upcoming Spectre animated short?

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Ah, thanks guys. I was only familiar with the 50's iteration of the character and not the Judd Winick version. This certainly sounds interesting. Also, does anybody know if this will be a feature-length animated film in the vein of Superman: Doomsday or a short film a la the upcoming Spectre animated short?

It's a full-length movie, with Jonah Hex as the short attached as a bonus feature.

 

[Christopher]

No Kevin Conroy? Not the Batman, then...

The DC Universe movies use a different cast and continuity in each film. They did bring back Conroy, Tim Daly, and Clancy Brown as Batman, Superman, and Luthor in the recent Superman/Batman: Public Enemies movie, and Conroy played Batman in the various Gotham Knight anime shorts that tied into the Nolan movies, but Batman was played (to much acclaim) by Jeremy Sisto in JL: The New Frontier and will be played by William Baldwin in the upcoming JL: Crisis on Two Earths.

Also, does anybody know if this will be a feature-length animated film in the vein of Superman: Doomsday or a short film a la the upcoming Spectre animated short?

It's feature-length.

 

[JacksonArcher]

Ah, thanks guys. I was only familiar with the 50's iteration of the character and not the Judd Winick version. This certainly sounds interesting. Also, does anybody know if this will be a feature-length animated film in the vein of Superman: Doomsday or a short film a la the upcoming Spectre animated short?

It's a full-length movie, with Jonah Hex as the short attached as a bonus feature.

I'm still anxious to see an adaptation of The Long Halloween that's been rumored.

 

[Broccoli]

Ah, thanks guys. I was only familiar with the 50's iteration of the character and not the Judd Winick version. This certainly sounds interesting.

Spoiler: The "New" Red Hood

DC brought back the concept of the Red Hood when they resurrected Jason Todd, the second Robin, into a villain/anti-hero character. He was pissed at Batman for not avenging his death, so takes on this persona to screw with him. Hilarity ensues.

I'm still anxious to see an adaptation of The Long Halloween that's been rumored.

I personally think that is more fan speculation than anything else. I really don't see that happening for two major reasons:

1) It would be impossible to cut the story down to the 75 minutes that these movies have been. If they do, it would be such a watered down version of it. I don't mean to suggest they can't do it, just that it'll be really hard.

2) Many of the story beats of TLH was already adapted into The Dark Knight. The ground has been already covered and could be, incorrectly, perceived as being a redundant, running-out-of-ideas move.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

I personally think that is more fan speculation than anything else.

No, Bruce Timm has mentioned The Long Halloween as one of the storylines they're considering adapting.

I really don't see that happening for two major reasons:

1) It would be impossible to cut the story down to the 75 minutes that these movies have been. If they do, it would be such a watered down version of it. I don't mean to suggest they can't do it, just that it'll be really hard.

The New Frontier had a lot more plot than The Long Halloween (the latter has a high page count, but Loeb and Sale worked in a very decompressed style of storytelling) and they tackled that. They'd have to refashion the The Long Halloween quite a bit, just as they did with The New Frontier, but I don't think it would necessarily put them off adapting it.

2) Many of the story beats of TLH was already adapted into The Dark Knight. The ground has been already covered and could be, incorrectly, perceived as being a redundant, running-out-of-ideas move.

I think there are enough differences between The Long Halloween and The Dark Knight to avoid those perceptions.

 

[Mr Light]

I wonder how they'll reveal the spoiler identity of the Red Hood. Because to establish the character in the opening of the movie would clearly telegraph his/her forthcoming return, else why else would they be mentioning that person?

 

[Gojirob]

I personally think that is more fan speculation than anything else.

No, Bruce Timm has mentioned The Long Halloween as one of the storylines they're considering adapting.

I really don't see that happening for two major reasons:

1) It would be impossible to cut the story down to the 75 minutes that these movies have been. If they do, it would be such a watered down version of it. I don't mean to suggest they can't do it, just that it'll be really hard.

The New Frontier had a lot more plot than The Long Halloween (the latter has a high page count, but Loeb and Sale worked in a very decompressed style of storytelling) and they tackled that. They'd have to refashion the The Long Halloween quite a bit, just as they did with The New Frontier, but I don't think it would necessarily put them off adapting it.

2) Many of the story beats of TLH was already adapted into The Dark Knight. The ground has been already covered and could be, incorrectly, perceived as being a redundant, running-out-of-ideas move.

I think there are enough differences between The Long Halloween and The Dark Knight to avoid those perceptions.

To some extent, even the 2000's animated The Batman used the 'twilight of the mobs, dawn of the freaks' theme that Long Halloween established.

As to Jason Todd, have there ever been any posted shots of alternate artwork for 'A Death In The Family' had the call-in poll saved Jason? Given how far in advance these things are set up, there had to have been at least some art made up, in case of either possibility. I had heard rumors once that it was all a fix, but there was nothing I heard further to back that up.

 

[Broccoli]

I wonder how they'll reveal the spoiler identity of the Red Hood. Because to establish the character in the opening of the movie would clearly telegraph his/her forthcoming return, else why else would they be mentioning that person?

Unless they don't keep it hidden and reveal it right away to the audience, then use flashbacks to establish the connection to Bats.

 

[Christopher]

Hmm, I bet some people are going to see this movie and think, "Man, they totally ripped off Return of the Joker!"

 

[nx1701g]

I wonder how they'll reveal the spoiler identity of the Red Hood. Because to establish the character in the opening of the movie would clearly telegraph his/her forthcoming return, else why else would they be mentioning that person?

My thoughts exactly. Most people don't even know who SPOILERED NAME is!

The only Batman related live action media he's mentioned in is Birds of Prey!

 

[Admiral_Young]

I'm really liking the casting choices...curious that they're using Ra's instead of Talia as I believe that Ra's had been killed off during the Batman: Death and the Maidens storyline and we discover that Jason had been resurrected by Talia using the Lazarus Pit. I wasn't looking forward to this when it was first announced but the casting has changed my mind.

 

[Broccoli]

Hmm, I bet some people are going to see this movie and think, "Man, they totally ripped off Return of the Joker!"

While I realize your comment is tongue in cheek, I guess a lot of that depends on how the story of UtH is developed and presented.

 

[Obiwanshinobi]

Red Hood looks kind of like Deadpool. Just no black circles around the eyes.