BATMAN (2016): West and Ward Reprise Their Roles in Animated Film

West And Ward Will Voice Animated Batman Film. Adam West and Burt Ward will be returning to their respective roles of the 1966 era Batman and Robin in an upcoming animated film. West and Ward themselves broke the news at last weekend’s Mad Monster Party in Charlotte, North Carolina. The film will be released in time to commemorate the 1966 Batman series 50th anniversary in 2016 and there may be at least two separate films.

In 2014, the 1960’s Batman series arcane licensing restrictions were lifted, enabling the franchise to openly seek merchandising deals. Previous to 2014, the Batman series was so tied up in knots by the restrictive deal that the show couldn’t even be released on Blu-ray. From this point on, we can expect to see a steady release of toys, t-shirts and video games set to capitalize on all of the 60’s era Batman fan’s pent up longing for physical displays of their appreciation for the show.

Warner Bros. has had a pretty strong run with their animated DC films and there is no reason to believe that the licence has fallen into the wrong hands by landing with them. There is so much variety in the styles of their DC animated film library that even this campy Batman and his groovy sixties antics will fit in seamlessly.

Nostalgia factor is the main selling point for the upcoming animated 1966 Batman feature. The West and Ward Batman series was one of the biggest television phenomenons of the sixties. Younger Batman fans may only know sixties Batman as the version that caused the public to view Batman as a joke. It wasn’t until 1989 when Tim Burton’s dark re-imagining of the character hit theaters, that the public perception of the character shifted back towards the brooding hero that we are all currently familiar with.

Batman is a character that remains prominent in our pop culture zeitgeist because of his ability to adapt to the mood of any given era and it will be interesting to see how Batman’s onscreen persona changes after his latest depiction in the very realistic Christopher Nolan Dark Knight films. After experiencing a grounded in reality version of Batman with more similarities to James Bond than a comic book super hero, will audiences be ready for the character to embrace the type of extraordinary Batman tropes that are closer to his comic roots?

Batman Series Synopsis,

Eccentric Gotham City tycoon Bruce Wayne dons tights to fight crime as Batman, aided by pal Dick Ward as equally Spandex-clad Robin, in this ’60s camp classic. Together, they fight evildoers such as the Penguin, the Joker, the Riddler, Egghead, Catwoman and Mr. Freeze.

Leave your thoughts on the Animated Batman movie below in the comments section. For more Batman photos, videos, and information, visit our Batman Page, subscribe to us by Email, follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, or “like us” on Facebook.

Source: Slashfilm, IMDB