Batman Beyond, the landmark animated television series that illuminated the imagination of a new generation of Batman fans with its creation of an altogether new hero, is celebrating its 20th anniversary – and you get the gift! Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has remastered the heralded series for its first-ever presentation on Blu-ray in the all-encompassing Batman Beyond: The Complete Animated Series Limited Edition, arriving on Digital ($49.99 SRP USA, $59.99 SRP Canada) starting October 15, 2019 and in a stunning box set ($99.99 SRP USA, $119.99 SRP Canada) on October 29, 2019. Distribution in Canada will be day-and-date with the USA, Pre-orders are now available.
The extraordinary Batman Beyond: The Complete Animated Series Limited Edition package features approximately 1,500 minutes of entertainment spread over four Blu-ray discs, plus the two bonus discs of enhanced content. In addition to a newly-remastered Blu-ray presentation of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, there are 15 featurettes on the bonus discs, highlighted by two new inside looks at the beloved television series, led by Nostalgic Tomorrow, a gathering of Batman Beyond production talent and cast led by executive producer Bruce Timm and actors Kevin Conroy and Will Friedle, the voices of Batman and Terry McGinnis, respectively. The bonus discs also spotlight four episodes with audio commentary from Timm and select members of the production team.
Collectibles within the stunning packaging include an exclusive chrome Batman Beyond Funko POP, and four beautifully-designed lenticular art cards produced especially for Batman Beyond: The Complete Animated Series Limited Edition. This ultimate collectors Blu-ray box set will be individually numbered for a Limited Edition release of 50,000.
Produced
by Warner Bros. Animation, Batman Beyond premiered on January 10,
1999 to instant ratings and critical success. The series would run for three
seasons, covering 52 total episodes and a full-length animated film, Batman
Beyond: The Return of the Joker. Nominated for nine Emmy Awards, Batman
Beyond would ultimately take home two Emmys – including Outstanding Special
Class Animated Program in 2001 – as well as three Annie Awards.
Of the 52 original Batman Beyond episodes, 41 have
been fully-remastered from either their original 35mm film source or the
uncommon format “OCND,” the original camera negative digital (a digital scan of original
negative). Lines and resolution have been enhanced, and dust and dirt have been
removed – however, cell dirt remains to not disturb the original picture.
Included in the remastering was the removal of grain, resulting in enhanced colors.
The remastering process does cause a slight aspect ratio change (approximately
3% loss of screen image).
Due to time-worn irreparable damage, the remaining 11
episodes were “Smart Rezzed” from standard definition Digibeta video. The
process provides for significant enhanced resolution and improvement of the
original source material in converting from standard to high definition, though
it does sacrifice horizontal lines for clearer image and color representation.
While still a marked improvement over the original video, viewers will notice a
slight difference between the Remastered and the Up-Rezzed final footage. The
11 affected episodes are: “Eyewitness,” “Final
Cut,” “The Last Resort,” “Armory,” “Sneak Peek,” “The Eggbaby,” “Zeta,” “Plague,”
“April Moon,” “Sentries of the Lost Cosmos” and “Speak No Evil.”
The creative team
behind the breakthrough animated series was headed by the producing quartet of
Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Alan Burnett and Glen Murakami, alongside executive
producer Jean MacCurdy and associate producer Shaun McLaughlin. Shirley Walker
composed the award-winning score with the Dynamic Music Partners trio of Lolita
Ritmanis, Kristopher Carter and Michael McCuistion, while 8-time Emmy Award
winner Andrea Romano guided an impressive collection of actors as casting/dialogue
director. Butch Lukic, Dan Riba and Curt Gida directed the majority of episodic
animation along with James Tucker, Kyung Won Lim and Yukio Suziki. Primary
story editors and writers on the series were Burnett and Dini with Bob Goodman,
Rich Fogel, Hilary Bader and Stan Berkowitz.
The Batman
Beyond cast was spearheaded by Kevin Conroy, the fan favorite voice of The Dark
Knight as established in the landmark Batman: The Animated Series. Will
Friedle (Boy Meets World, Kim Possible) created the character of Terry
McGinnis, Batman’s protégé. Veteran voiceover actresses Cree Sumner (Codename:
Kids Next Door, Drawn Together) and Lauren Tom (Friends, The Joy Luck
Club, Futurama) were series regulars as Max and Dana Tan, respectively.
The guest cast
included a healthy collection of film and primetime television stars spanning
from Academy Award nominees Paul Winfield, Stockard Channing, William H. Macy,
Teri Garr and Michael McKean; Emmy Award winners John Ritter, Wayne Brady, Seth
Green, Tim Curry, David Warner and Patton Oswalt; Golden Globe winners Stacy
Keach, Amanda Donohoe and Jill Eikenberry; four Grammy Award winners led by
Ice-T; and five members of the Hollywood Walk of Fame – Macy and Ritter along
with George Takei, Michael Ansara and Mark Hamill. The cast also included
legends of the entertainment industry and several young actors heading toward
stardom, like Adrienne Barbeau, Kate Jackson, Angie Harmon, Linda Hamilton,
Clancy Brown, Gary Cole, Ed Begley Jr., Wendie Malick, Cary Elwes, Olivia
Hussey, Kurtwood Smith, Robert Patrick, Ian Ziering, CCH Pounder, Frank Welker,
Johnny Galecki, Pauley Perrette, Michael Rosenbaum and Diedrich Bader.
All totaled, the Batman
Beyond cast featured actors with laurels totaling five Academy Award nominations,
47 Emmy Awards, 206 Emmy nods, four Gold Globe Awards, 45 Golden Globe
nominations, three Grammy Awards and nine nominations, and five actors forever enshrined
with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Batman Beyond: The Complete Animated Series Limited Edition
Enhanced Content
Nostalgic Tomorrow – A Batman
Gathering (All-New Featurette) – Many of Batman Beyond’s core
production team and actors gather for an enthralling roundtable discussion of
the evolution and execution of the animate series. Join producers Bruce Timm
and Glenn Murakami, casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano, director James
Tucker, writers Bob Goodman & Stan Berkowitz, and stars Kevin Conroy &
Will Friedle as they take a wildly entertaining trip down memory lane.
Knight Immortal (All-New Featurette) – A visual and visceral
celebration of the Dark Knight’s 80 years of crime fighting, narrated by
storytellers of the past, present, and future.
“Tomorrow Knight: The Batman Reborn” (Featurette)
– Storytellers explore the rise of Terry McGinnis as Batman and Bruce Wayne’s
relationship with the young hero as he mentors a new Dark Knight for modern
times.
Batman Beyond: Return of the
Joker (Feature-Length Film) – The beloved hit animated film from 2000
is included in the box set – fully remastered for your enjoyment.
Audio Commentaries –
Enlightening audio commentaries by filmmakers and voice actors for four key
episodes: “Rebirth, Part 1”; “Shriek”; “Splicers”; and “The Eggbaby.”
Featurettes – A dozen inside
looks at the genesis, production and effects of Batman Beyond.
Disc 1
- Rebirth,
Pt. 1
- Rebirth,
Pt. 2
- Black
Out
- Golem
- Meltdown
- Heroes
- Shriek
- Dead
Man’s Hand
- The
Winning Edge
- Spellbound
- Disappearing
Inque
- A
Touch of Curare
- Ascension
- Commentary
on the episode “Rebirth, Part 1” by producers Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Paul
Dini & Glenn Murakami and director Curt Geda.
- Audio
Commentary on episode “Shriek” by producers Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini
& Glen Murakami, director Curt Geda and writer Stan Berkowitz
- “Music
of the Knight” – producer Bruce Timm introduces a feature allowing access
to key scenes from Batman Beyond, accompanied by the compelling score
created for the series.
- “Inside Batman Beyond – Meet the Creators”
– producers Alan Burnett, Bruce Timm, Glen Murakami and Paul Dini discuss the
creative process behind Batman Beyond and its inaugural season. Jason
Hillhouse moderates.
- Batman
80th Anniversary Collection trailer
Disc 2
- Splicers
- Earth
Mover
- Joyride
- Lost
Soul
- Hidden
Agenda
- Bloodsport
- Once
Burned
- Hooked
Up
- Rats!
- Mind
Games
- Revenant
- Babel
- Terry’s
Friend Dates a Robot
- Commentary
on the episode “Splicers” by producers Bruce Timm and Glen Murakami, storyboard
artist James Tucker, casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano and Will Friedle,
the voice of Terry McGinnis/Batman
Disc 3
- Eyewitness*
- Final
Cut*
- The
Last Resort*
- Armory*
- Sneak
Peek*
- The
Eggbaby*
- Zeta*
- Plague*
- April
Moon*
- Sentries
of the Last Cosmos*
- Payback
- Where’s
Terry?
- Ace
in the Hole
- Commentary
on the episode “The Eggbaby” by producers Bruce Timm & Glen Murakami,
director James Tucker, Producer Glen Murakami, casting/dialogue director Andrea
Romano and Will Friedle, the voice of Terry McGinnis/Batman
- “Inside
Batman Beyond: The Panel” – An in-depth discussion with producers Bruce
Timm, Alan Burnett, Glen Murakami and Paul Dini as season two of Batman
Beyond is explored with moderator Jason Hillhouse.
Disc 4
- King’s
Ransom
- Untouchable
- Inqueling
- Big
Time
- Out
of the Past
- Speak
No Evil*
- The
Call, Pt. 1
- The
Call, Pt. 2
- Betrayal
- Curse
of the Kobra, Pt. 1
- Curse
of the Kobra, Pt. 2
- Countdown
- Unmasked
- “Inside
Batman Beyond: Season 3” – A fascinating discussion on season three of Batman
Beyond with producers Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Glen Murakami and Paul
Dini.
- “Inside
Batman Beyond Season 3: Close-Up On...” – producers Bruce Timm and Paul
Dini, directors Butch Lukic and James Tucker, and voice actor Will Friedle
discuss their favorite moments among final-season episodes.
- “Inside
Batman Beyond Season 3: Out of the Past” – producers Bruce Timm & Paul
Dini, director James Tucker and voice actor Will Friedle sit down together to
talk about “The Legend of Batman” musical (which appears in this episode) and
other memorable moments.
- “Inside
Batman Beyond Season 3: The Call, Part 1” – producers Bruce Timm & Paul
Dini, director Butch Lukic and voice actor Will Friedle gather to discuss the
additional heroes and the exciting action showcased in this episode.
- “Inside
Batman Beyond Season 3: The Call, Part 2” – producers Bruce Timm & Paul
Dini, director Butch Lukic and voice actor Will Friedle talk about the
appearance of Starro and Superman in this episode.
- “Inside
Batman Beyond Season 3: Curse of the Kobra, Part 1” – producers Bruce Timm
& Paul Dini, director James Tucker and voice actor Will Friedle reminisce
about the personal relationships that highlight the story of this episode.
Disc 5
- “Nostalgic Tomorrow – A Batman Gathering” (All-New Featurette) – Nostalgia strikes like it’s 1999. Seated at the table are the Batman Beyond Team: producers Bruce Timm & Glen Murakami, actors Kevin Conroy & Will Friedle, director James Tucker, casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano, and writers Bob Goodman & Stan Berkowitz. Care to join us for a chat?
- “Knight Immortal” (All-New Featurette) – A visual and visceral celebration of the Dark Knight’s 80 years of crime fighting, narrated by storytellers of the past, present, and future.
- “Tomorrow Knight: The Batman Reborn” (All-New Featurette) – Storytellers explore the rise of Terry McGinnis as Batman and Bruce Wayne’s relationship with the young hero as he mentors a new Dark Knight for modern times.
- “Gotham: City of The Future” – A Close-Up Look at Gotham City Circa 2039, the modernization and the inspirations for its high-tech design and massive scale.
- “The High-Tech Hero” – Batman Beyond storytellers discuss the evolution of the new Bat Suit and its futuristic design and capabilities.
- “Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics” (Documentary) – The Story of DC Comics and the rise of the Super Hero mythology as a zeitgeist in American pop culture.
Disc 6
“Batman Beyond: Return
of the Joker” – Remastered for Blu-ray, the heralded animated feature
film spawned by the Batman Beyond series is included on a separate bonus
disc in the box set.
*=Due to source material, episode resolution
was enhanced (up-rez) instead of remastering.
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
On October 15, Batman Beyond: The Complete
Animated Series Limited Editionwill be available to own in high
definition and standard definition from select digital retailers including
Amazon, FandangoNow, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. On October 15,
Batman Beyond: The Complete Animated Series Limited Edition will be made available digitally on
Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select
gaming consoles.