Yahoo Finance J.J. Abrams is bringing a new Batman animated series to HBO Max
Bruce Timm and Matt Reeves are also on board for 'Batman: The Caped Crusader.'
Ask any '90s era Batman fan about their favorite version of the Caped Crusader, and they'll likely pointed to the 1995 show, Batman: The Animated Series. Created by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, it introduced a level of writing and animation quality beyond the world of Saturday morning cartoons. Now, J.J. Abrams is aiming to recreate that magic by teaming up with Timm and Matt Reeves (director of the upcoming film, The Batman) for a new HBO Max series. Dubbed Batman: The Caped Crusader, it's meant to be a return to the character's noir roots, where the trio hopes to explore the psychology of Batman's cavalry of characters.
We don't have much to go on aside from a single poster and a short press release, but you can color me excited. The stylized approach to Batman — complete with animal-like ears — seems like a smart way to differentiate the show from other DC animated properties. The new show could also be a return to the dark and more mature version of Batman from The Animated Series and Timm's excellent follow-up, Batman Beyond. After all, if you're looking for some levity, the Harley Quinn animated series is already serving that up in spades.
Batman: The Caped Crusader will also air on Cartoon Network. That makes sense, since WarnerMedia doesn't want to silo off content too much. “Batman: The Animated Series was a masterpiece that shaped the perception of the character for an entire generation of fans," said Sam Register, president of Warner Bros. animation and Cartoon Network Studios, in a statement. "It is in that spirit that we are bringing together three master storytellers in J.J., Matt and Bruce – each with their own intuitive understanding and affection for the character – to create a new series that will continue in the same groundbreaking legacy.”
