More changes are afoot at Warner Bros Discovery, as surprisingly Batman: Caped Crusader is no longer moving forward at HBO Max. However, not to worry, as it is one of several animated titles being shipped to over streamers.
TVLine broke the news, but I first heard it in the middle of the night as people reacted to this and thought, “Well, this sucks.” Yet, when you read the piece and numerous reporters had to state this animated series wasn’t cancelled, just looking for a new home.
In case you don’t know what the hell Batman: Caped Crusader is, it is an animated series from the brain triangle of J.J, Abrams, The Batman director Matt Reeves and Batman: The Animated Series mastermind Bruce Timm. They’re serving as Executive Producers and it’s described as an animated reimagining of Batman mythology.
For Batman fans, this sounds fucking amazing, and the fact Reeves, who directed one of the greatest Batman and comic book movies ever, and Timm, who created BTAS (which is still seen as the benchmark of all Dark Knight content), is super exciting.
At the time, Warner Bros Animation and the EPs described the series as a “reinvent Batman and his iconic rogues gallery with sophisticated storytelling, nuanced characters and intense action sequences all set in a visually striking world.”
To find a buyer for a Batman series will be a lucrative get for any streaming service. I expect the bidding war to possibly go in the hundreds of millions and highlight how much debt WB is in following the merger with Discovery, as it’s reported by the New York Times to be $55 billion.
Additionally, the cost-cutting is happening before the launch of the new combined HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming service.
Side note: While we’re talking about Caped Crusader, don’t be surprised if My Adventures with Superman (another animated series focusing on a young Superman, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen) has been given the can.
I’m bored of doom and gloom and people thinking the world is collapsing at WBD and blaming David Zaslav for everything. I’m focusing on the positives here, and there are some.
HBO Max isn’t available worldwide, unlike the streamer’s competitors, so more people will get a chance to see it on another platform. WBD will make a fair bit of change from this and other deals for animated projects. On the other hand, the streamer will make money from those (like me) willing to get their platform for this project alone.
For this reason, I believe Apple will be hard for this because Apple TV+ is seen as a high-end streaming service. They’ll know getting Caped Crusader will gain them a spike in subscriptions. Additionally, they have the money to basically write a blank check to WB.
These are the other animated projects looking for new homes are:
Merry Little Batman – A Home Alone spoof set within the Batman universe as a six-year-old Damien Wayne transforms into “Little Batman” to defend Wayne Manor and Gotham City from super-villains and crooks intending to destroy Christmas.
Predicted Home – Apple TV+ (possibly something included in the Caped Crusader deal)
The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie – A odd couple-buddy movie as Porky and Daffy must save their town from a secret alien mind-control plot.
Predicted Home – Amazon Prime
Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical – An interesting plot as Bugs Bunny has been starring in a long-running Looney Tunes Broadway production and is exhausted, he wants to trade in the sold-out shows for the simple life as a regular rabbit. This opens the door for Daffy Duck to finally have his moment in the lead role – it doesn’t go to plan as an obsessive fan kidnaps him with sinister plans for her favourite stage duck.
Predicted Home – Apple TV+ or Amazon Prime
Did I Do That To The Holidays: A Steve Urkel Story – This is an animated musical based on the well-known (to a particular age group) Jaleel White’s nerdy character. I have no idea who this is for, as Family Matters ended in 1998, so either kids my age (29) have forgotten or never saw Family Matters in the first place.
Predicted Home – Completely cancelled or Netflix
The Amazing World Of Gumball: The Movie – The final project finding a new home, is a movie based on this cult fantasy series that ran from 2011-2019 and has a strong fanbase. The film follows Gumball’s biggest fan finding the series’ “missing episode” and it opens a portal connecting his world to Gumball’s cartoon world.
Predicted Home – Netflix
The Bear Cave 