DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation have partnered on an animated adaptation of Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta’s best-selling Absolute Batman, announced during a joint presentation at the Annecy International Film Festival on Thursday.
The Batman myth is getting a new job — and it’s starting with an announcement loud enough to fill a festival room.
On Thursday at the Annecy International Film Festival, DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation unveiled their partnership for an animated series adaptation of Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta’s best-selling comic book series Absolute Batman. The show was announced during a joint presentation hosted by Warner Bros. Animation’s Sam Register, with DC Studios Co-Chairman and Co-CEO Peter Safran and James Gunn joining him on stage.
Snyder, the series writer, will serve as executive producer and showrunner. Dragotta, the artist, is set to produce the new animated show.
Absolute Batman has been built to feel different from the start. The franchise reimagines the Dark Knight as a working-class hero pushing against impossible odds, on a mission driven by a simple belief: even in an era of wealth, power, and corruption, one good person can change the world.
The comic series launched in 2024 and has already sold more than six million copies, with the first volume reaching its 11th print run — numbers that turn what’s on the page into a clear signal of where audiences are already leaning.
At the same Annecy presentation, the partners also shared other adult-and-kids plans in motion. They greenlit Joker: Laugh Riot, an adult animation series executive produced by Jim Krieg and directed by Yasuhuro Aoki. The project credits Aoki’s animator work on ChaO and The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim. Joker: Laugh Riot centers on an existential crisis after Joker’s arch enemy Batman is killed. The log-line reads: “When Batman is murdered. the Joker launches a ruthless crusade through Gotham’s underworld to find the killer who took away his greatest adversary. But as his violent quest for answers pushes him closer towards vigilante than villain. Joker is forced to confront the truth that without Batman. he doesn’t know who he is.”.
For younger viewers, the presentation also discussed an untitled kids-focused project starring superdog Krypto. Executive produced by C.H. Greenblatt. the concept follows Krypto as he tags along with a gang of misfit criminal wannabes who live down the block. As Krypto joins their misadventures and poorly laid plans. his pure nature slowly ends up redeeming them — whether they want it or not.
The event didn’t stop there. It also unveiled fresh details and sneak peeks on a raft of upcoming shows, including upcoming seasons of Creature Commandos, Batman: Caped Crusader, My Adventures with Superman, Mister Miracle, DC Superpowers and Starfire.
For fans of DC’s animated universe. the message was hard to miss: the studio slate isn’t just expanding — it’s rearranging familiar characters into new angles. new stakes. and in the case of Absolute Batman. a version of Gotham where “hero” isn’t protected by status. It’s earned, one impossible day at a time.
Absolute Batman DC Studios Warner Bros. Animation Scott Snyder Nick Dragotta Annecy International Film Festival Joker: Laugh Riot Krypto James Gunn Peter Safran Sam Register