One of the most influential Batman stories ever published is finally making the jump to animation. During the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on Tuesday, DC and Warner Bros. Animation debuted the first trailer for Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall. Attendees were also shown a screening of the first film. Polygon was present, and we’ll have a more detailed story about the movie, but for now, let’s talk about that trailer.
The opening chapter in the planned trilogy will adapt the landmark 1990s comic storyline. In it, Bane famously broke Batman both physically and psychologically. The trailer offers a first glimpse at Anson Mount as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Michael Mando as Bane. “When the mysterious behemoth known only as Bane frees Batman’s entire Rogue’s Gallery from Arkham Asylum, the Caped Crusader is pushed to his mental and physical breaking point,” an official description reads.
“Gotham City needs Batman,” the Dark Knight says in a weary voice as the trailer opens. Robin reminds Batman that he hasn’t slept in the two days since Arkham Asylum exploded, releasing an entire Rogues’ Gallery of villains onto the streets of Gotham. Robin wonders aloud if they should ask “Jean-Paul” for help, so Batman can take a break. (He’s referring to Jean-Paul Valley, a Bat Family ally who moonlights as the vigilante Azrael and also appears in the trailer.)
“We’re all that stands between those inmates and the fall of Gotham,” Batman says to Robin in response.
Then, as Batman takes off his cowl inside his mansion, Bane appears out of the darkness to threaten him.
“Let chaos reign in Gotham,” Bane later says in voiceover.
Based on the sprawling DC Comics crossover event by Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant, Dennis O’Neil, Peter David, Jo Duffy, Jim Aparo, Graham Nolan, Norm Breyfogle, and Jim Balent, Batman: Knightfall Part 1 adapts the opening act of the saga. The story follows Bane as he systematically exhausts Batman by freeing his entire rogues’ gallery before striking when the Dark Knight is at his weakest. Elements of this iconic comics arc were adapted into Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, though this retelling much more closely follows the original story. (Nolan mixed and matched with Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns.)
Jeff Wamester directs from a script by Jeremy Adams. The voice cast also includes Pablo Schreiber as Jean-Paul Valley, aka Azrael, whose role becomes increasingly more important as the Knightfall saga unfolds. While a firm release date remains unconfirmed, Part 1 is expected to arrive later this year.
