Dec. 08, 2023|USA|97 Min.|Not Rated
Genre: Action;Animation;Comedy;Family
Description: Merry Little Batman is a 2023 American animated superhero film directed by Mike Roth and written by Morgan Evans and Jase Ricci, based on a story by Evans and Roth, and featuring characters from DC Comics, including Batman and Damian Wayne. The voice cast includes Yonas Kibreab, Luke Wilson, James Cromwell, and David Hornsby. The storyline follows Damian as he strives to protect Wayne Manor from various villains during the Christmas season.
The film premiered on December 8, 2023, on Amazon Prime Video, receiving favorable reviews for its animation quality, storyline, and voice performances, particularly Kibreab’s portrayal of Damian. A related TV series titled Bat-Family is currently in development.
The project started when Mike Roth, a writer from Regular Show, was contacted by Warner Bros. Animation vice-president Sammy Perlmutter to create a Batman film set during Christmas, influenced by Ronald Searle’s works. Roth, a long-time fan of both Batman and Searle, agreed to direct, with Morgan Evans brought on to write the script.
In September 2021, it was announced that a Christmas-themed animated film focused on Batman and Damian Wayne was in the works at Warner Bros. Animation, intended for HBO Max and Cartoon Network. Roth was set to direct, with Evans responsible for the screenplay, while Sam Register and Roth would serve as executive producers.
By August 2022, HBO Max relinquished its distribution rights for the film, along with several other projects. Nevertheless, the film progressed in development while a new distributor was sought. In April 2023, it was revealed that Amazon Prime Video, which had previously acquired Caped Crusader rights, would take over distribution for this film. By November 2023, Jase Ricci was added as a co-writer, having previously penned the script for Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham.
Cast director: Mike Roth
Cast actor: Yonas Kibreab, Luke Wilson, James Cromwell, David Hornsby, Dolph Adomian, Michael Fielding, Brian George, Therese McLaughlin, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams, Natalie Palamides
Original name: Merry Little Batman