Ten years after the acclaimed animated adaptation of Batman: Under the Hood, filmmaker Brandon Vietti is reuniting with Bruce Greenwood and John DiMaggio for the next DC animated movie, Batman: Death in the Family.
Adapting the 1988 classic comic book storyline of the same name by Jim Starling and Jim Aparo, the film is an interactive experience, with audiences able to make vital story decisions at various points of the movie to determine how its characters will proceed next. A first look trailer for the film presents divergent paths as Jason Todd takes on the vengeful personas of Red Hood or Red Robin, depending on choices made, as he hunts Gotham City's criminals after recovering from a devastating attack at the hands of the Joker.
Jason's death served as the inciting incident in the 2010 animated film Under the Red Hood, with Batman and Nightwing confronting the resurrected vigilante during a gang war for Gotham. Bruce Greenwood reprises his role as Batman with John DiMaggio and Vincent Martella returning as the Joker and young Jason Todd, respectively, in Death in the Family.
The film will be included this fall as part of the DC Showcase series, containing short anthology stories starring popular DC characters. With the 1988 comic allowing readers to call in and determine Jason's fate, the interactive experience gives modern audiences a similar chance to decide if the most controversial Robin lives or dies to rise vengefully from the grave.
Produced, written and directed by Brandon Vietti, Batman: Death in the Family stars Bruce Greenwood, John DiMaggio, Vincent Martella, Zehra Fazal and Gary Cole. It is scheduled to be released this fall on Blu-ray and digital HD.