The Joker may return in Batman TV series
There is no casting news as to who may take over the highly coveted and hard to replace role of The Joker, but Warner Bros. is reportedly looking at Karl Urban, or a "Karl Urban" type, to take on the weekly chores of playing Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Here is the letter received in regards to the forthcoming television series that would revolve around billionaire Bruce Wayne and his further adventures in Gotham City as The Dark Knight:
"WB has no plans to rush out another Batman Movie once Christopher Nolan has completed The Dark Knight Rises. Instead, the heads in power are looking at something to do with TV.
The idea comes from the successful TV transitions of Smallville and Sherlock Holmes --the Hartswood Films/BBC Television show of the same name starring Benedict Cumberbatch that screened recently.
So, WB is looking at putting together a live action Batman TV series. The Head Executive in charge (name removed to protect source) who has overseen the development and production of such notable hits as: "Two and a Half Men", "The Mentalist", "ER", "The West Wing", "Without a Trace" and " Friends ", has been given the task. He would like to keep it in line with the Christopher Nolan movies. No word on any stories or script, but he wants a real world feel with young adult audiences in mind.
It has also been mentioned that this is a way to re-introduce The Joker as a completely new version and not step on Heath Ledger's memory/version, as WB knows this is a sensitive subject. They believe that the Joker alone will garner ratings through the roof and are already planning on a closed set with extremely tight security to prevent any leaked footage.
The actor they have mentioned as a "type" to play Batman/Bruce Wayne is Karl Urban. Karl Urban plays Dr. McCoy in the new Star Trek franchise.
The idea comes from the successful TV transitions of Smallville and Sherlock Holmes --the Hartswood Films/BBC Television show of the same name starring Benedict Cumberbatch that screened recently.
So, WB is looking at putting together a live action Batman TV series. The Head Executive in charge (name removed to protect source) who has overseen the development and production of such notable hits as: "Two and a Half Men", "The Mentalist", "ER", "The West Wing", "Without a Trace" and " Friends ", has been given the task. He would like to keep it in line with the Christopher Nolan movies. No word on any stories or script, but he wants a real world feel with young adult audiences in mind.
It has also been mentioned that this is a way to re-introduce The Joker as a completely new version and not step on Heath Ledger's memory/version, as WB knows this is a sensitive subject. They believe that the Joker alone will garner ratings through the roof and are already planning on a closed set with extremely tight security to prevent any leaked footage.
The actor they have mentioned as a "type" to play Batman/Bruce Wayne is Karl Urban. Karl Urban plays Dr. McCoy in the new Star Trek franchise.
There is no official word on a Batman television series from Warner Bros. at this time, so this news should be taken as a rumor. We will be sure to let you know as soon as an official statement is made, but don't look for that until after The Dark Knight Risesis released in 2012.
The Dark Knight Rises comes to theaters July 20th, 2012 and stars Liam Neeson, Tom Hardy, Christian Bale, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Aidan Gillen, Marion Cotillard. The film is directed by Christopher Nolan.
Comments (78)
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RojoDiablo
Karl would be a solid choice as Batman for sure and more importantly, the Joker HAS to be selected VERY carefully imo. If they do that, this could be sweet!
1 year agoby @rojodiabloFlag
IlikePie202
dude you're overreacting
1 year agoby @Ilikepie202Flag
TheStonedReviewer
No please no! no! no! that would be awful!
1 year agoby @stonedFlag
ed_wood
Batman could work well as a tv show. I just don't want them tied to the movies at all.
1 year agoby @ed-woodFlag
Bane. Ferguson
@Pie202 yes
1 year agoby @Zak-FFlag
IlikePie202
@Cult it might be alright. If they have sh*tty producers and that stuff, than it will be a terrible idea. do you even like Nolan?
1 year agoby @Ilikepie202Flag
Bane. Ferguson
no, it wont, also Christopher does not sell out like that
1 year agoby @Zak-FFlag
IlikePie202
@TheCultClassics this might be a good thing. if Christopher Nolan has something to do with it, than it's a great thing. if a sh*tty director has something to do with it, than it's a bad thing. but it would still be cool to see Batman on TV once again...
1 year agoby @Ilikepie202Flag
SupermanEmpire
Lane,
Are you comparing the Scott brothers to Nolan? Are you serious? Look they both know action and can deliever it by the boat load...but artistry? are you serious?...I just saw Unstoppable about a month ago...good action, yup...fast paced fun, yup...any kind of emotional depth, Nope. Thats why the Scotts are perfect for the transition to TV producing...they don't need to do sh*t but make money and put the Scotty spin on things...they don't give a rats ass if some TV exec tells them changes are coming...they just make the bank to produce their films. Nolan on the other hand is a true original...an artist who can make style, and substance, and intelligence an engrained part of action/adventure/dramatic film-making. I could see him producing TV shows...just not one that has the potential to sh*t on what he's created for himself in film.
1 year agoby @supermanempireFlag
Remy72883
i think it could work if done right, they could do a Arkum Assylum special 2 part episode among other stories, But i say leave the joker character alone it is too soon. Also i say the next Batman film that should be done in the franchise is Batman Beyond, think about it. One whole movie about the new and younger batman with personally i would like to see Micheal Keaton play the older Bruce Wayne cause to me he was the best Batman. Then after that movie they could do a Batman Beyond Return Of The Joker then another actor could be used and it would be understood how he looks different same with Bruce
2 years agoby @remy72883Flag
Emmytt
*sigh*
2 years agoby @emmyttFlag
Yahzee
if this does indeed happen (I hate commenting on rumors, I rather make fun of them) I hope that instead of trying to tie in with Chris Nolan masterpieces, it creates a universe and identity of its own. I don't wanna see Nolan's version made into a lame (yeah, whoever tries to follow Nolan on TV is lame) TV series. They can sure take some points off it, like Batman The Animated Series took from Burton's films (and look how great that turned out on its own right)
2 years agoby @yahzeeFlag
Josh
Batman would do better on TV than most superheroes. You can do a lot on a small budget with this kind of character.
2 years agoby @shuabertFlag
Summit10
there are always limitations...great ideas comes from great minds. I do hope Chris Nolan would Produce to get the same grit of the films. Also, Karl Urban would be nice to play Bruce and the Joker could continue to humiliate Batman... this could work!
2 years agoby @summit10Flag
Pjwolsker
As long as its not on the CW ill be fine.. Michael C Hall as joker anyone???
2 years agoby @pjwolskerFlag
The Narrator: The Better Man
@Lane, agree about Season 4 and 5 of Smallville. I really didn't like Season 4. The story arc was a bit of a stretch for me, Lana was a f*cking witch, I didn't like the Teague's. Sigh... overall, it was a the worst season IMO. I liked 5 thou, so again, I agree with you there.
2 years agoby @narratorFlag
Aamiros
Well this doesnt sound good to me....superheroes look good on animation when it comes to tv series....i mean cmoon....making a live action would mean smallville except it would be dark.....the reason y i watch smallville is cuz i want 2 see tom welling as superman....thts all...smallville is just satisfactory..i mean u have all those limits in tv series...not tht gud CGI....and so on...well it will be gud if batman continues to have movies rather than live action tv series.....but im sure as hell waiting for an animated series....F**K yeahh :D
2 years agoby @aamirosFlag
Goodbye
Lame
2 years agoby @drifter49Flag
Lane
"If anything, 5 was better than 4, and much like with Smallville, could be completely skipped over as being total suckage." (meaning season 4, of course). Just so my comment isn't misconstrued, lol.
2 years agoby @lane1Flag
Lane
@SupermanEmpire: So I guess when big name movie directors Tony and Ridley Scott created and executive produced "Numbers" together, they gave up creative control and freedom, huh? Guess the fact that it went for six seasons just "never worked", either.
@IUH: FOX would cancel the show halfway thru its first season, even if it were Batman, lol. While Fox is a great network and has produced many a great show, I'd like to think that Warner Bros. would just not go there, as you suggested they not do.
@Joker926: "Gotham Central" for a Batman title? Really? I think they'd be better off just sticking with "Gotham" (until or unless they can find something better). Its a simple title and that's what they go for on TV. Not to mention, Gotham Central just sounds terrible. Plus, imagine the ads...
"Gotham Central, tonight at 8, 9 central" - LMFAO
@Slysnide: Even though the argument got off topic from the article, how can you be a 24 fan but say that season 5 was "in the middle"? If anything, 5 was better than 4, and much like with Smallville, could be completely skipped over as being total suckage. 1-3 for both shows were good, as was 5, but not so much 4. And I dunno what show you were watching, but I was pretty much kept in suspense with every season of 24, no matter what was going on. Saying that it "reused the same formula" is not a valid excuse to not liking the show. Anyone who knows anything about 24 knows that the formula it started off with was the same formula it continued with. That was never going to change. Its a show that takes place in the course of a day EVERY season. What other formula were you expecting it to use had that changed?
Back on topic though, here's a fun fact: The idea of Smallville actually came from Batman's failed leap to the small screen. It wasn't until they scrapped the Bats series and decided to reboot the film franchise instead that the idea for a Superman series came about. Now, given that Smallville has been so successful, surely WB can see how they would benefit from a Batman series while still keeping in mind that they're 2 very different characters and the shows can be nothing alike (aside from the comic book aspect and being in the same comic universe).
2 years agoby @lane1Flag
Lane
Hmmm. Interesting.
2 years agoby @lane1Flag
Pjwolsker
michael c hall as joker
2 years agoby @pjwolskerFlag
TheMime
The Mime agrees a 100% with @Slysnide regarding the joker. To some it might not mean the same, but Heath's version of Joker is the REAL Joker. It was that version's characteristics that made the "image" of joker so cool. The Attitude of a real "PRINCE OF CRIME"......... Sorry about this but personal matter my a$$. It kind of seems to me that they care more about the character than the actor. "Not wanting to redo Heath's version of Joker"
It is in fact true that The Joker alone appearing in the TV show will result in high ratings. But providing a good joker, like the one Heath portrays, will leave the audience wanting to come back for "NEXT" episodes in the hopes to catch him again and what not. RIGHT? The Mime certainly will. Of course it doesn't just applies to the joker, but in joker's case, this is. It is just that they already have a cool version, and the risk of coming up with a new version that might not be as cool as the one already in hand might not be so pleasant. Jeezes, does The Mime make any sense? Bottom line is, use the really really cool one that is already there, or take a massive time off, gather some good and creative minds and work up a cool version. Fingers cross.
2 years agoby @themimeFlag
Pjwolsker
@Slysnide i take the f*ckin retarted back. Since your a fan of the Bauer I apologize ha
2 years agoby @pjwolskerFlag
slysnide
@Pjwolsker: Don't get me wrong. I LOVED the first 4 seasons. It's just that the formula started getting reused so much that there were no surprises, and things which would keep me in suspense all week were no longer working for me. I've got seasons 1 & 3. Plus Season 5 seemed to be getting real political with the whole Logan storyline. I mean I liked it, but it took forever to develop. Hence it was most realistic since the whole thing took place in a day, but it wasn't doing much for me as the other storylines in that season were. 6/7/8 were just blah to me. 5 is in the middle. And the first 4 rock!!!
2 years agoby @slysnideFlag
Pjwolsker
@ejk1 @Slysnide scratch the season 5 part and Maybe the f*ckin retarded part too.. i get carried away when it comes to 24
2 years agoby @pjwolskerFlag
ejk1
Pj, read what Sly said. AFTER season 5. And picking fights with people won't do you any good. Apologize to Sly.
2 years agoby @ejk1Flag
Pjwolsker
@Slysnide clearly you are f*cking retarted. Season 5 was amazing.. It won Emmy's and has been nominated multiple times for other awards. 7 wasnt the worst.. 3 was. And the last season was awesome. the finale set up the future movie perfectly as Jack on the run from Russia and America
2 years agoby @pjwolskerFlag
slysnide
@Pjwolsker: 24 pretty much died after season 5. 7 was especially the worst. Season 1 tops for the realism and lack of epic storytelling as the later seasons insisted on centering around random espionage crap that served for '90s spy related movies. Plus it was never a surprise when there was a turncoat since it happened so often with the same type of characters. 8 was the worst series finale ever. Just ended like a regular episode, no finality. That's why HBO & Showtime got all the goods for the past decade.
@ALL: Why are many so against going with Heath's Joker again? It was that attitude of Ledger's Joker which made the character great. Nobody had considered taking it in that direction before, and that's why it worked. I've seen dozens of knockoffs since then which aren't half bad. Just cuz he was phenomenal at it doesn't mean he was the only one who could do it. Heath's interpretation was a MAJOR part of what made the character succeed. Hence, it can be done again. And since we don't want a Nicholson/Romero hybrid, and you guys apparently don't wanna see a Ledger version again, then what version would you suggest? For whether or not the series happens, Warner will eventually revive the Joker in another franchise years down the road...
2 years agoby @slysnideFlag
Shadow Of The Day
Great.
2 years agoby @asifFlag