Batman fever is sweeping the nation, with fans getting ready to see the new version of the Caped Crusader in Warner Bros.' Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opening this Friday.Ben Affleck takes over as the iconic superhero in this next DC Comics adventure. But as it turns out, the studio is also be debuting a much different version of the legendary character this week, with USA Today showing off the first photos from The LEGO Batman Movie, arriving in theaters February 10, 2017. Along with the first photos from the animated movie, the site reveals that the first trailer will arrive Wednesday, March 23.
Back in 2014, Will Arnett voiced the mini-fig version of Batman in The Lego Movie, which went on to become a box office hit, taking in $257.7 million domestically and $469.1 million worldwide, from a $60 million budget. That movie's success lead to Warner Bros. announcing a number of spinoffs, with The LEGO Batman Movie arriving first next February, followed by Ninjago (September 22, 2017) and The Lego Movie Sequel (May 18, 2018). Will Arnett returns to voice Batman in this animated sequel, revealing to USA Today that the Lego version of the Batcave has gotten some serious upgrades.
"The Batcave is even better than we remembered it, it's awesome. But I also love getting into the ho-hum day-to-day of being Batman and what it's like to fight crime each day. Like the idea of Batman oversleeping his alarm clock makes me laugh. It really does humanize him."
The story centers on Batman's solitary life in the Batcave and the only meaningful relationship in his life, with his butler Alfred (voiced by Ralph Fiennes). The plot thickens when Batman's world is upended by the arrival of two sidekicks, Dick Greyson, a.k.a. Robin (Michael Cera) and Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl (Rosario Dawson). Here's what director Chris McKay, who served as the animation director on The Lego Movie, had to say about the story, teasing that several other well-known superheroes will be featured in cameo appearances as well.
"We thought if we can tell a well-rounded, funny story that's action-packed, we can build a big movie around this character. Batman is an island onto himself, the only thing he doesn't have is relationships. We're making About a Boy as directed by (action director) Michael Mann. We're nothing but exhaustive about the cameos and other characters that try to enter Batman's life."
The director is still in production in Australia, creating an intricate LEGO world for this beloved superhero. The director teased they're building an "entire city, the Batcave and vehicles," and they're going "deep into Batman's world." The voice cast is rounded out by Zach Galifianakis as The Joker and Mariah Carey as the mayor of Gotham City. Be sure to check back on Wednesday for the first trailer, but until then, check out the new photos from The LEGO Batman Movie below.
