In honor of Batman Day, Warner Bros. has released a new poster for The LEGO Batman Movie that reminds you to always be yourself…unless you can be Batman. As most of you know, the upcoming film is a spin-off of the celebrated The LEGO Movie, directed by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, who serve as producers on this film while co-director Chris McKay steps up and takes the reins as director. In the movie, Batman (Will Arnett) must fend off the Joker’s (Zach Galifianakis) hostile takeover, but in order to do so, he might have to learn to work with others.
Everything I’ve seen from The LEGO Batman Movie makes it seem like Warner Bros. has a huge hit on their hands. Not only does all the footage look great (watch the trailer here), but the images and marketing materials make me confident in the look and feel of the movie.
Also, unlike previous Batman movies, The LEGO Batman Movie will feature different spins on iconic characters like Robin and Joker. For example, when it comes to Joker, this isn’t the chaos-loving, crown prince of crime. He’s got his own insecurities. Specifically, “The Joker sees himself on the same level as Batman, a peer, at the top of the game,” director Chris McKay says. “But Batman says that’s not the case, which sends Joker into a spiral trying to prove to Batman that he is indeed the greatest enemy.”
And the plans for Robin are even funnier. In the comics, Bruce Wayne adopted Robin/Dick Grayson after criminals murdered Grayson’s parents, who were trapeze artists. That’s a little dark for an animated family film, so they’re going with something more ridiculous: Dick Grayson “turns out to be a child that Batman’s alter ego, billionaire Bruce Wayne, accidentally adopts at a charity auction.” Which is fantastic.
McKay says, “Robin is a super-positive kid who always sees the glass as half full. Really, at the end of the day, he just wants a hug. Michael Cera brings the sweetness and honesty.”
And if this one-liner from McKay doesn’t make you eager to see The LEGO Batman Movie, nothing will:
“Lego Batman is About a Boy as directed by Michael Mann.”
Check out the poster below and here’s the official synopsis for The LEGO Batman Movie:
In the irreverent spirit of fun that made “The LEGO® Movie” a worldwide phenomenon, the self-described leading man of that ensemble – LEGO Batman – stars in his own big-screen adventure. But there are big changes brewing in Gotham, and if he wants to save the city from The Joker’s hostile takeover, Batman may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up.
click on the poster for high-res
