While we’re getting lots of news about Matt Reeves’ The Batman, it appears that Warner Bros. are still keen to develop more standalone projects for the Dark Knight. And that’s because according to our sources, the same ones who told us Diana would get her golden eagle armor in Wonder Woman: 1984, and that Han was returning in Fast & Furious 9, WB want to build on the success of Joker with Elseworlds-style pictures placing familiar DC characters in unusual situations.
One of these projects is tipped to be a new take on Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, which has already had a well-received animated adaptation and is now set to get the live-action treatment, with the studio said to be in early, early development on it. As fans will know, the original one-shot came out in 1989, courtesy of Brian Augustyn, Mike Mignola and P. Craig Russell and focused on a 19th century reimagining of Bruce Wayne and Batman taking on Jack the Ripper. The blending of the steampunk genre with the trappings of Gotham City were a success, and it’s considered to be the first Elseworlds publication, albeit one that came before the label was used by DC to distinguish its self-contained plotlines.
The 2018 animated take on the story, meanwhile, wasn’t a straight adaptation of the original comic, but did put its Victorian-era setting to good use with another version of the Ripper storyline. And, as mentioned above, it was also received fairly well by fans and critics alike.
What was notable in the animated adaptation was the presence of many of Batman’s friends and villains, as well as its darker tone and graphic content for a DC Animated movie. We certainly enjoyed the film quite a bit when it came out and clearly it ranks highly in WB’s plans for future projects.
Of course, Gotham By Gaslight wouldn’t be the only standalone DC film in-development, with our sources previously telling us about more one-off villain pictures. Although there’s still a commitment to upcoming DCEU movies, which will hopefully overcome the recent box office disappointment of Birds of Prey, it does appear that the company want to recapture the appeal of Joker as well. Given all the uncertainty at DC right now, things can always change, but it seems execs certainly feel that Batman: Gotham by Gaslight would be a great idea for a different take on the Dark Knight.
