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⚡ Quick Take

• Warner Bros. and DC Studios’ Absolute Batman animated series should spearhead a whole new Absolute DCU for animation.

It was just announced at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival that Warner Bros. and DC Studios have announced an Absolute Batman animated series is in production, with the creators of the comic book, writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta, as executive producers. This is huge news for DC Comics fans, as Absolute Batman has been a massive hit for the publisher. According to many comic book shop retailers, its success has led to sales not seen for DC since the ’90s comics boom. But if successful, we think Absolute Batman should be but the first in a whole new animated universe. One that could be a game-changer if done right.

DC Comics

Absolute Batman, in comic book terms, is a truly generational hit. The series has sold around 3 million copies since it debuted in the fall of 2024. That title is by no means a one-off. The entire Absolute line at DC has sold a staggering 8 million copies overall, with Batman leading the charge. Absolute Batman #20, the most recent issue, sold half a million alone. Western superhero comics, in general, haven’t sold like this in a very long time. So it’s incredibly wise for Warner Bros. to look at what’s working so well in publishing, and strike while the iron is hot. It’s no different than how producers back in the ’90s saw that X-Men #1 sold 8 million, and greenlit X-Men: The Animated Series to debut the very next year.

DC Comics

For those unaware, Absolute Batman is the main title in DC Comics’ Absolute Universe. This alternate world showcases the main DC heroes reimagined in an inherently darker world. However, while it may sound very “grimdark” and “edgelord,” it’s actually anything but. In the Absolute Universe, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are not born into privilege. Kal-El was not born to a noble house on Krypton; his parents were miners. He didn’t come to Earth as a baby, but as a teenager who saw his world die. Wonder Woman wasn’t raised a princess in Paradise; she was raised in Hell by a witch. And Bruce Wayne wasn’t a billionaire; he was a working-class kid whose father died in a mass shooting. His mother, Martha, is still alive.

DC Comics

Absolute Batman makes several huge changes to established Dark Knight lore. This Bruce grew up in Crime Alley, and most of his famous rogues’ gallery were his childhood friends. Without the resources of a billionaire, he uses his skills as a civil engineer to come up with all the equipment he needs to fight crime. Bruce is a giant hulk of a man, measuring 6’9 and weighing 400 pounds. And those 400 pounds are of pure muscle. And the Joker? He’s an immoral billionaire, flipping the script on the usual Batman/Joker dynamic. In a real world where billionaires are villains, and those who struggle are finding the heroism to fight back, let’s just say, this version of Batman resonates in a big way.

But none of these circumstances make the DC Trinity into “darker heroes.” Ok, Batman is darker. But he doesn’t become a killer. Batman might chop off a hand or two with his bat-ax, but he’s not the Punisher. He’s not a wanton murderer. And Superman isn’t The Boys’ Homelander. The great thing about the Absolute Universe is that it shows that, despite less ideal upbringings, the inherent goodness and nobility of the DC heroes always shine through. This has been an incredible canvas for DC Comics to reinvent its 90-year-old universe. All while letting the classic version exist alongside it. And it’s captured the imagination of a new generation of comic book readers, mainly those raised on manga. So Warner Bros. is incredibly wise to mine this take on their heroes in mass media.

DC Comics

If Absolute Batman clicks, then we think Warner Bros. Animation should instantly look to Absolute Superman and Wonder Woman next. Make an entire mini-Absolute anime universe. Writer Jason Aaron’s and Kelly Thompson’s takes on Kal-El and Diana, respectively, are equally perfect for animated adaptation. The designs for Superman by Rafa Sandoval, and Wonder Woman by Hayden Sherman, are exaggerated in just the right way for animation. While the classic iterations of these heroes may continue to live on in live-action films, as they should, there’s no reason the Absolute versions can’t thrive in animation. And they can inject new life into the characters for an entirely new audience, maybe ones who always thought of them as their grandparent’s superheroes.

DC Comics

All of this can help DC Comics too, in a big way. The pipeline from manga, to anime adaptation, right back to manga, has only helped manga sales go through the roof in North America. This could be the exact kind of synergy that could help Western comics compete with manga in raw sales. No blockbuster superhero movie or TV show has ever helped lift comic book sales significantly, despite the genre’s dominance for the past two decades. But this might be the thing that works. If readers love the Absolute anime series, they’ll run to the comics to see what comes next. And long before the next animated season arrives. It’s a win/win for everyone. Hopefully, the folks in charge see they have a gold mine in the Absolute universe and utilize it.

The post ABSOLUTE BATMAN Should Launch a New Animated DCU appeared first on Nerdist.

General Atlantic has tapped tennis legend Novak Djokovic to serve as a global strategic advisor.

⚡ Quick Take

• Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey will skip influencer screenings.
• Increasingly, big movies use influencer word of mouth to sell their movie rather than critics.
• Universal is bucking this trend.

The rise of social media as a primary form of communication across all generations has led to the creation of “influencer screenings” for new movies. Unlike critics, who could potentially give the movie a bad review, the hope is that influencers and social media figures who attend will begin to generate word-of-mouth (loosely defined) popularity. However, for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming The Odyssey film, based on Homer’s epic, Universal has decided to skip straight to critic screenings. This, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Universal Pictures

The Odyssey will follow the story of Odysseus, a Greek king, as he travels back home after the Trojan War. He encounters his fair share of mythological beings along the way, from cyclopes to witches. His journey stretches over ten years, so it being nearly three hours long is understandable. Matt Damon is playing Odysseus, and he will be joined onscreen by an astonishing number of other big names. From Robert Pattinson to Travis Scott, a myriad of unexpected stars will appear as figures of Greek myth.

There are several drawbacks to studios using influencers to promote new movies. First of all, often times there is no complete honesty from studios on whether the promoters they are using even are influencers. Additionally, influencers often give much more fanatically positive reviews of early-screened movies than do professional critics. This can be misleading, and viewers usually see their feedback not as honest reviews, but rather advertisements.

Universal’s choice to do this on a Christopher Nolan film, of all directors, may very well influence the way other studios move when it comes to screenings. Critics and Nolan’s diehard fans alike take his films very seriously, which makes it all the more weighty.

The movie will premiere in London on July 6 and move directly to professional critic screenings. It will come out to the public on July 17.

The post THE ODYSSEY Will Not Hold Influencer Screenings appeared first on Nerdist.

“We don’t believe this kind of government access process should become the long-term default,” says OpenAI. “It keeps the best tools from users, developers, enterprises, cyber defenders, and global partners who need them.”

⚡ Quick Take

• Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour are reuniting.
• Netflix has cast the pair as father and daughter for Jack Thorne’s spy thriller series.
• Stranger Things only ended six months ago.

Eleven’s ultimate fate on Stranger Things might always remain a mystery, but we now know the series wasn’t the end for David Harbour playing Millie Bobby Brown’s dad on Netflix. The streamer has ordered a new spy series starring the two. And once again, they will play father and daughter, something that seemed very unlikely not that long ago.

Netflix

Netflix has ordered what it calls a “thrilling new drama” from Jack Thorne (Adolescence co-creator, Lord of the Flies, Wonder) and A24. Harbour is not the only Netflix veteran Brown is reuniting with on the project. Thorne has written both Enola Holmes films starring Brown as the titular detective. He also penned the upcoming third installment in the franchise.

The show is loosely based on A Spy In the Blood, the debut novel from Paul Warner. It will move the story from across the pond and the world of MI6 to the U.S. and the FBI. Here’s how Netflix describes the show:

In the series, disgraced FBI agent turned security expert Matt Wolfe (Harbour) is drawn back into the world he left behind when his estranged daughter, Rebecca (Brown) — now an FBI agent determined to follow in his footsteps — vanishes on a mission, forcing him to return to a field that has evolved beyond him.

Netflix

“We are delighted to bring this spy drama to life with an extraordinary group of talent we’ve been fortunate to collaborate with before,” said Jinny Howe, Netflix head of scripted series, US and Canada, in a press release. “Jack Thorne’s ability to find the deeply human story inside a thriller is unmatched, and watching Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour reunite — this time as estranged father and daughter on opposite sides of a crisis — is something audiences are going to love. A24 is the perfect partner to bring this story to our members around the world.”

Unsaid is that it wasn’t that long ago that this type of reunion between Harbour and Brown seemed entirely unlikely. Reports first surfaced last November that she filed a complaint with Netflix against her older co-star, who she said “bullied and harassed” her ahead of filming Stranger Things 5. Neither ever denied the problems. Since then the two have acknowledged the issues, which Netflix investigated, while also swearing they maintain a close bond. That would appear to be true since they are maintaining a close working relationship.

Minus the part where their spy show’s dad and daughter as estranged. But that’s still better than not knowing what happened to Eleven.

The post Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour Reuniting For Netflix Father-Daughter Spy Series appeared first on Nerdist.