FRANK MILLER’S COMIC MASTERPIECE IS NOW AN
ALL-NEW DC UNIVERSE ANIMATED ORIGINAL MOVIE
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, PART 1
COMING SEPT. 25, 2012 FROM WARNER HOME VIDEO

RoboCop star Peter Weller leads Stellar Voice Cast as Batman
in Animated Blu-rayTM Combo Pack & DVD


BURBANK, CA (August 1, 2012) – Frank Miller’s landmark graphic novel
about fear, hope and redemption is celebrated with proper measures of
haunting visuals and intense action in Batman: The Dark Knight
Returns, Part 1, the next entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC
Universe Animated Original Movies. Produced by Warner Premiere, DC
Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the all-new, PG-13 rated
film arrives September 25, 2012 from Warner Home Video as a Blu-ray™
Combo Pack and DVD, On Demand and for Download. The Blu-ray™ Combo
Pack will include UltraViolet™.

The DC Universe Animated Original Movies have been a fan favorite
since debuting in 2007 with Superman Doomsday. Now averaging three
releases each year, the DCU animated films are based on classic tales
from DC Comics’ revered library or original stories featuring DC’s
fabled characters. Stars of feature film and primetime television
populate the stellar voice casts of the DCU animated films. Batman:
The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 represents the 15th film in the
ongoing series.

Fanboy demi-god Peter Weller (RoboCop) leads a stellar voice cast as
Bruce Wayne/Batman. Joining Weller behind the microphone is David
Selby (The Social Network, Dark Shadows) as Commissioner Gordon, Ariel
Winter (Modern Family) as Carrie/Robin, three-time DCU veteran Wade
Williams (Prison Break) as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, and Michael McKean
(This is Spinal Tap) as Dr. Bartholomew Wolper.

In the bleak and ominous future of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns,
Part 1, it’s been a decade since Bruce Wayne hung up his cape,
following most of the other superheroes who had been forced into
retirement. Facing the downside of middle age, a restless Bruce Wayne
pacifies his frustration with racecars and liquor – but the Bat still
beckons as he watches his city fall prey to gangs of barbaric
criminals known as The Mutants.

The return of Harvey Dent as Two-Face finally prompts Wayne to once
again don the Dark Knight’s cowl, and his dramatic capture of the
villain returns him to crime-fighting – simultaneously making him the
target of law enforcement and the new hope for a desolate Gotham City.
Particularly inspired is a teenage girl named Carrie, who adopts the
persona of Robin and ultimately saves Batman from a brutal attack by
the Mutant leader. Armed with a new sidekick, and re-energized with a
definitive purpose, the Dark Knight returns to protect Gotham from
foes new … and old.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 is directed by Jay Oliva (Man
of Steel, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights) from a screenplay by Bob
Goodman (Warehouse 13). Sam Register (Young Justice, Teen Titans, Ben
10) and Bruce Timm (Justice League: Doom) are the executive producers.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 will provide the epic story’s
thrilling conclusion with its release in early 2013.

“Frank Miller’s classic re-imagining of Batman has been faithfully
recreated under Bruce Timm’s skilled guidance as a masterpiece of
storytelling,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Home Video Vice
President, Family & Animation Marketing and Partner Brands. “This
story has been treated with great reverence, including a tour-de-force
performance by science fiction legend Peter Weller as the voice of
Batman. We know our fans will not only love this film as a
stand-alone, but will clamor for the release of the second half next
year.”

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 Blu-ray™ Combo Pack has more
than 2 hours of exciting content, including:
• Standard and high definition versions of the feature film
• UltraViolet™*
• Sneak Peak at Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2, the next DC
Universe Animated Original Movie
• Featurette – “Her Name is Carrie … Her Role is Robin” – An all-new
featurette. Experience the role of Robin, through the eyes of a
female warrior.
• Featurette – “Batman and Me: The Bob Kane Story” – A documentary
comprehensively chronicling the remarkable life of the creator of
Batman.
• Two bonus episodes from Batman: The Animated Series handpicked by
producer Alan Burnett: Two-Face, Parts 1 and 2
• Digital Comic – “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” (digital comic
with cover art and three full comic pages)

* Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 UltraViolet offer is a
limited time offer. Restrictions and limitations apply. Go to
ultraviolet.flixster .com/info for details.



About Warner Premiere:
Warner Premiere specializes in the development and production of both
features and digital content for home entertainment platforms. Past
projects include A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song, Scooby-Doo!
Curse of the Lake Monster and Batman: Year One, as well as the digital
series Mortal Kombat: Legacy and Aim High. Warner Premiere is at the
creative forefront in the made-for-home entertainment marketplace,
producing properties that exemplify the commitment to story,
production and brand equity for which Warner Bros. is known.

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group:
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group brings together Warner Bros.
Entertainment's home video, digital distribution, interactive
entertainment/videogames, direct-to-DVD production, technical
operations and anti-piracy businesses in order to maximize current and
next-generation distribution scenarios. WBHEG is responsible for the
global distribution of content through DVD, electronic sell-through
and VOD, and delivery of theatrical content to wireless and online
channels, and is also a significant worldwide publisher for both
internal and third party videogame titles.

About DC Entertainment:
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman,
Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and
MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating
its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC
Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to
unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not
limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and
interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels
and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest
English-language publisher of comics in the world. In January 2012,
DC Entertainment, in collaboration with Warner Bros. and Time Warner
divisions, launched We Can Be Heroes—a giving campaign featuring the
iconic Justice League super heroes—to raise awareness and funds to
fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

BATMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and ©
DC Comics. (s12)

About Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) is one of the leading producers of
animation in the entertainment industry, with an innovative and
talent-rich roster boasting some of the most accomplished writers,
producers and artists working today. The studio is on the cutting edge
of animation technology and has both CG and traditionally animated
projects in current production and development. For TV, WBA produces
series such as Green Lantern: The Animated Series, The Looney Tunes
Show, MAD, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated and Young Justice:
Invasion, as well as the forthcoming Beware The Batman and Teen Titans
Go!, for Cartoon Network. WBA also produces series and additional
original content — including animated shorts — for Cartoon Network’s
multiplatform branded DC Nation programming block. In addition to TV
programming, WBA produces theatrically released CG cartoon shorts
featuring iconic Looney Tunes characters, rendered in stereoscopic 3D.
WBA also creates the highly successful series of DC Universe Original
Animated Movies for DVD. Producing for multiple platforms including
TV, digital and home entertainment both domestically and
internationally, WBA is highly respected for its creative and
technical excellence, as well as for maintaining the Studio’s rich
cartoon heritage. It is also the home of the iconic animated
characters from the DC Comics, Hanna-Barbera, MGM and Looney Tunes
libraries. One of the most-honored animation studios in history, WBA
has been honored with six Academy Awards®, 35 Emmy® Awards, the George
Foster Peabody Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents’ Choice
Award, the HUMANITAS Prize, two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards
(honoring excellence in animation).