DC Studios and Warner Bros are reportedly working on a ground-breaking new Batman spin-off movie with a unique twist.
In the time since James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios, the blue brand has not been shy in leaning into the world of Batman.
A sequel to Matt Reeves' The Batman has been announced. A mainline DCU Batman is also on the way thanks to the upcoming The Brave and the Bold, and more The Batman spin-offs are confirmed for development as well.
A Ground-Breaking Batman Movie Announced
A Batman spin-off film focused on the superhero's iconic sidekick, Robin, has been confirmed to be in the works.
As reported by Deadline, the project, titled Dynamic Duo, will be a first-of-its-kind joint effort by DC Studios and Warner Bros Pictures Animation and will feature a unique animation style never before seen in the world of DC comics.
The film is being developed in what is known as "Momo Animation," which is a mix of CGI animation and practical elements like stop-motion, and real-time performance with elements like puppetry.
Dynamic Duo is said to be an origin story for Batman's iconic right-hand man, recounting the early days of two different Robins — Jason Todd and Dick Grayson.
The pair will reportedly call themselves the "Dynamic Duo," operating as small-time thieves on the streets of Gotham City in hopes of achieving a better life.
The movie's script is being penned by Coco writer Matthew Aldrich and will come to life at the new Swaybox animation studio based in New Orleans.
Swaybox co-head Arthur Mintz will take on directing duties. The Batman's Matt Reeves, by way of his 6th and Idaho production company, and DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran will be executive producers on the project.
Gunn shared his enthusiasm for Dynamic Duo on X (formerly Twitter), writing in a lengthy post that he is "over the moon excited" about the movies and calling it "something special:"
Over the moon excited to announce the newest DC Studios/Warner Bros Pictures Animation greenlit film for theaters, 'Dynamic Duo,' the story of Robin…or should I say, Robins, as in Dick Grayson and Jason Todd. The first feature film from the visionary Swaybox, a mix of animation, puppetry, and CGI, a script from the wonderfully talented Matt Aldrich, produced with our partners at Matt Reeves’ 6th & Idaho. This is something special.
Different Batmans For Different People
As fans eagerly wait to hear about James Gunn and Peter Safran's take on the Batman universe set within their interconnected DCU, updates like this will satiate the Dark Knight devotees in the DC fandom.
This Dynamic Duo project seems to be yet another example of the DC Studios creative team opening the door to another corner of the Batman fanbase for a project specifically related to them.
Batman, as a character, means so many different things to different people. While some characters within the DC canon stand firmly in the same tonal milieu with each ensuing project, Batman can go from the zany adventures and shark-punching to the gritty grounded drama of The Dark Knight trilogy.
Judging from these decisions early on from the Gunn/Safran creative brain trust, it seems that they understand that.
While Matt Reeves' The Batman universe has been deemed an "EPIC. CRIME. SAGA.," satisfying those who want the serious borderline R-rated gritty Batman world, a project like Dynamic Duo seems to be doing something different.
Then, projects like The Brave and the Bold movie will likely look to show yet another unique angle on the Caped Crusader.
This approach is fairly unique to the world of big-screen comic book media as of late, where, for the last decade or so, characters have (for the most part) tried to stay within the same sort of tone from in their movies so as to not confuse the audience.
But, funnily enough, this presumed strategy from Gunn and Safran almost mimics the world of comic books where any character can have any number of different stories/runs going at any given time with their own look, feel, and tone.
It is unknown when Dynamic Duo will swing into theaters. Batman fans looking for their fix of the Dark Knight can tune into The Penguin on HBO with new episodes dropping every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.
