In this week’s LOS FANBOYS PODCAST, we touched on R-rated superhero flicks, and the fact that we don’t expect there to ever be a live-action Batman that features the adult-only rating. We will, however, get an animated one. It was announced that DC Films was working on an animated adaptation of the classic Alan Moore graphic novel THE KILLING JOKE. Now we’ve got some more to report about the film, which has hardcore fans foaming at the mouth due to the legacy of Moore’s book. 

Phil Bourassa, an artist who’d worked on an earlier attempt at making THE KILLING JOKE, took to Instagram to reveal a Joker concept sketch, but- more interestingly- he sheds some light on the road that lead us to THE KILLING JOKE.

“In 2009 I started working on an animated adaptation of The Killing Joke under the supervision of legendary Animation artist Bruce Timm. Two weeks into the project we were told to stop development because The Watchmen had underperformed at the box office and WB had lost faith in R rated superhero movies. Happy to say that you guys are gonna finally get your animated Killing Joke adaptation in 2016. Apparently enough money has been made from superhero movies and adaptations of comics of every stripe that it now transcends the previously assumed limitations of the genre. It’s a good time to be a comic geek!”

Yes, things certainly have changed since 2009. If the current superhero boom has taught us anything, it’s that fans will eat up anything comic book-related, as long as it’s done well. Expect studios to continue to take calculated risks, while ditching preconceived notions about what can or cannot be done with comic book adaptations. 

SOURCE: Instagram