Nipping at the heels (cape?) of yesterday’s Comic-Con promo that was, unsurprisingly, all about the Caped Crusader, USA Today has premiered a handful of pics for The LEGO Batman Movie that unveil both Robin (Michael Cera) and Zach Galifianakis’ wicked Clown Prince of Crime.
Hailing from both extremes of the moral spectrum, Cera’s enthused companion looks to be a flamboyant, wide-eyed sidekick who ought to riff off Will Arentt’s glowering Caped Crusader remarkably well; the Joker, on the other hand, is a wilder spin on Batman’s arch-enemy that we’ve seen in previous LEGO adaptations, sporting a bad case of bed hair and razor-sharp teeth.
According to director Chris McKay, “The Joker sees himself on the same level as Batman, a peer, at the top of the game. But Batman says that’s not the case, which sends Joker into a spiral trying to prove to Batman that he is indeed the greatest enemy.”
Robin, meanwhile, is an unflinching optimist and Batman’s loyal companion. Here, McKay heaps praise on Michael Cera’s delicate performance: “Robin is a super-positive kid who always sees the glass as half full. Really, at the end of the day, he just wants a hug. Michael brings the sweetness and honesty.”
Also starring Ralph Fiennes as Batman’s right-hand man Alfred, Rosario Dawson as Batgirl and, finally, Mariah Carey as the Mayor of Gotham, The LEGO Batman Movie is due to land on February 10, 2017. Expect a new trailer to surface during San Diego Comic-Con in the coming days.
