BATMAN LIVE Coming to an Arena Near You

DC Entertainment is following in Marvel’s footsteps by taking one of their most successful franchises on a foray into live action. A joint project of Warner Bros., DC and Nick Grace of Water Lane Productions, Ltd., BATMAN LIVE promises to be a “unique, action-packed live show,” complete with “impressive stunts, pyrotechnics, illusions and video screen sequences.”

The tour will open in the UK in July 2011, sweep across Europe and land on North American shores in the summer of 2012 (just in time for the debut of The Dark Knight Rises)  For those of you who are worried that BATMAN LIVE will turn into another Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, rest assured. In the words of the executive producer Nick Grace (Walking with Dinosaurs – The Live Arena Show):

“BATMAN LIVE will be a totally unique experience.  This is not a musical but a high quality live show with a thrilling Batman story, filled with action that will appeal to adults, teenagers and families”

Hit the jump for information on how you can purchase tickets.

Though we brought you the BATMAN LIVE announcement back in April, there hasn’t been much buzz about the project between then and now. And that’s a good thing. Unlike Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, which has been mired in difficulties for years now, no news is good news for the Batman faithful.

Details are limited as far as the storyline goes, but it is an original creation for this production. Fans can expect to see not only Batman, but also Robin and Alfred as they battle iconic villains such as the Joker and Harley Quinn, Two-Face, Penguin, Catwoman and the Riddler. And expect the characters to duke it out in a variety of famous settings including Gotham City, Wayne Manor, the Batcave and Arkham Asylum.

The powers that be sound genuinely enthusiastic and downright proud of this multi-million dollar theatrical production. Take DC co-publisher Jim Lee’s word for it:

“When a character has as wide an audience and as rich a history as Batman, it’s truly exciting to see him introduced into an all-new storytelling medium. BATMAN LIVE will bring a completely new experience to fans of the character – it’s great to be able to give them something they haven’t seen before.”

And if you think this one’s just for the kiddies, Brad Globe, President of Warner Bros. Consumer Products, thinks differently:

“Batman is one of the most iconic and recognizable brands in the world. For the very first time, we are bringing the world of Batman to life in a live show.  And the fact that we are doing it within arena-sized venues is sure to be a thrill for audiences of all ages.”

I think that BATMAN LIVE has a good chance to do this right. To pull it off, they will have to have learned from the mistakes of the campy 1960’s live show (Zaaap! Pkow! Urk!), avoid the pitfalls of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and build off of the action sequences used in the Six Flags stunt shows of my youth.

If you want to take the family to see BATMAN LIVE – WORLD ARENA TOUR (or if you just want to go be a kid again) check out the official website.