Could DC's BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE Possibly Be Rated R?

With Bruce Timm involved and Mark Hamill giving us one last laugh as the Joker, it seems as though DC is going all out for their upcoming adaption of The Killing Joke.

By LEVITIKUZ - Oct 10, 2015 10:10 AM EST

Filed Under: Batman (Animated)

When it comes to DC animated films, they have been mostly great. Last few Batman films (focusing more on Damian Wayne's Robin) and Justice League films (using New 52 storylines) have been mixed. But with Bruce Timm's return to DC animated films in Justice League: Gods And Monsters, it seems DC is going back to making great animated films. At SDCC this year it was revealed that DC animation will be doing a film based on Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's iconic story Batman: The Killing Joke. Now if you read The Killing Joke, you'd know there are scenes that are very graphic. Joker shoots Barbara and takes her clothes off and takes photos of her. He then takes Jim Gordon into a circus from hell trying to make him go crazy. Gordon, who is naked, is shown photos of his naked daughter. Not your everyday G rated stuff. At NYCC, it seems as though DC is given the ok to make the film R.

DC gave permission to make Killing Joke movie for R rating. #NYCC
— Stitch Kingdom (@stitchkingdom) October 10, 2015

Just to clarify, James Tucker said he was given okay to make Killing Joke for R rating but added that doesn't mean he will. #nycc
— Stitch Kingdom (@stitchkingdom) October 10, 2015

Never fails that I get misquoted at a con! I'm not directing "Killing Joke" and what rating it gets won't be decided for a long time.
— James Tucker (@JTuckerAnimator) October 10, 2015

My opinion? It seems that Tucker said at NYCC that if they wanted the film to be Rated R, it's ok by WB. While it's ok by WB, it hasn't been decided if the film will be Rated R as it's likely early in production. This isn't the first time WB has given the ok to give an adult rating to a DC product. Batman: Arkham Knight was given a M rating and when Rocksteady learned about it and found out why it was rated M, WB told them not to worry. If you want my 2 cents, I can see why it was rated M but there was nothing graphic like The Killing Joke has. What are your thoughts? Comment below, let me know. Peace and remember....

Batman: The Killing Joke is set to be released in 2016. Directed by Sam Liu and executive produced by Bruce Timm, it will adapt the graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore & Brian Bolland. The films stars Mark Hamill as the Joker.

Viral BATMAN BEYOND Animated Teaser Has Fans Wondering Why WB Hasn't Moved Forward With A Similar Concept

Recommended For You:

BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER Leaked Character Designs Reveal The Show's Leads And Surprise New Looks

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

15 Comments

DeusExSponge - 10/10/2015, 10:52 AM

Cool, hoping the end product is good.

TheEpicJuicebox - 10/10/2015, 11:04 AM

Just make it good

GhostDog - 10/10/2015, 11:16 AM

IT BETTER BE! I just hope it great

SteveBosell - 10/10/2015, 11:23 AM

I don't think an R rating will improve the quality. There are plenty of ways to imply the horror without actually showing it.
Plus, I just don't think we need an R-rated Batman movie.

sKeemAn - 10/10/2015, 11:27 AM

I saw this rumor last night. I thought it was a killer joke.

BlackIceJoe - 10/10/2015, 11:36 AM

This is great news and hopefully is a sign how dark Ben's Batman movie will be next. WB has come along way since Wonder Woman's animated movie came out. I rember it was originally rated R but WB made sure the scenes were taken out to get it to PG-13 instead.

MrFridayNights - 10/10/2015, 12:02 PM

Obviously it has to be rated R The Killing Joke is the darkest Batman comic.
I would love to see a live action The Killing Joke movie but I doubt DC would take the risk to make it rated R.

billnye69 - 10/10/2015, 1:23 PM

Suck on that PG-13.

Darkknight2149 - 10/10/2015, 3:34 PM

Great news, if true. Giving it the "Rated R" option would give the creative team the control they need to properly adapt THE KILLING JOKE.

And as good as THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS animated films were, I felt there was a lot of things that were changed from the graphic novel to maintain a PG-13 rating. Unsurprising, they admitted so in a featurette.

ThedamnBatman - 10/10/2015, 3:48 PM

Good. I want it to be R, the main story is super dark, so hope they R it

Luminus - 10/11/2015, 12:46 AM

INSTANT buy, if it is!

Could DC's BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE Possibly Be Rated R?

With Bruce Timm involved and Mark Hamill giving us one last laugh as the Joker, it seems as though DC is going all out for their upcoming adaption of The Killing Joke.

Viral BATMAN BEYOND Animated Teaser Has Fans Wondering Why WB Hasn't Moved Forward With A Similar Concept

BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER Leaked Character Designs Reveal The Show's Leads And Surprise New Looks

Viral BATMAN BEYOND Animated Teaser Has Fans Wondering Why WB Hasn't Moved Forward With A Similar Concept

New LEGO DC Batman Gotham City Skyline Is Perfect For Fans Of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES

BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER Leaked Character Designs Reveal The Show's Leads And Surprise New Looks

Viral BATMAN BEYOND Animated Teaser Has Fans Wondering Why WB Hasn't Moved Forward With A Similar Concept

New LEGO DC Batman Gotham City Skyline Is Perfect For Fans Of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES

BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER Leaked Character Designs Reveal The Show's Leads And Surprise New Looks

AZTEC BATMAN: CLASH OF EMPIRES Still Promises A Vastly Different Take On DC's Dark Knight

BATMAN BEYOND Animated Movie Pitched To Warner Bros. Last Year; Jaw-Dropping Concept Art Revealed

BATMAN: THE CAPED CRUSADER Producer Bruce Timm Confirms Kevin Conroy Will NOT Appear In Animated Series

Popular Headlines

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Happy Meal Toys Reveal A First Look At MCU’s Take On Red Hulk

SUPERMAN: James Gunn's DCU Reboot Finds Its Martha "Ma" Kent

MCU Rumor Roundup: AVENGERS 5 Shoot Date, X-MEN Synopsis, Natalia Tena's Role, & More - Possible SPOILERS

SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Shares New Behind-The-Scenes Photo With David Corenswet And Rachel Brosnahan

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Responds To Producer Who Said "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

MCU Rumor Roundup: Updates On THE FANTASTIC FOUR's Silver Surfer Twist, AVENGERS 5, BLADE, And More

TRANSFORMERS ONE: Chris Hemsworth And Scarlett Johansson Assemble The Autobots In First Trailer

TRAP: First Trailer For M. Night Shyamalan's New Movie Gives The Big Twist Away... Or Does It?

MCU Rumor Roundup: Updates On THE FANTASTIC FOUR's Silver Surfer Twist, AVENGERS 5, BLADE, And More

TRANSFORMERS ONE: Chris Hemsworth And Scarlett Johansson Assemble The Autobots In First Trailer

TRAP: First Trailer For M. Night Shyamalan's New Movie Gives The Big Twist Away... Or Does It?

ALIENS VS. AVENGERS Comic Book Crossover On The Way From Marvel's SECRET WARS Creative Team

BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE Director Zack Snyder FINALLY Explains The Infamous "Martha!" Scene

REBEL MOON: PART TWO Described As "Marginally Better Than PART ONE" In First Reactions

Hot Headlines

SUPERMAN: James Gunn's DCU Reboot Finds Its Martha "Ma" Kent

Hollywood Producer Slams MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney: "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

Leonardo DiCaprio Was In Talks To Play Lex Luthor In BVS; Gave Zack Snyder JUSTICE LEAGUE Idea

THE FANTASTIC FOUR Rumored To Introduce Norrin Radd Alongside Julia Garner's Silver Surfer

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Responds To Producer Who Said "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

REBEL MOON - PART TWO: THE SCARGIVER's Rotten Tomatoes Score Has Been Revealed (And It's Not Good)

THE WITCHER Has Been Renewed For A Fifth And FINAL Season; Will Adapt Final THREE Books

REBEL MOON: PART TWO - THE SCARGIVER First Reactions Land Ahead Of Netflix Premiere

Cartoons & Animated Features

SNOW WHITE Rumored Plot Details May Clear Up Seven Dwarfs/Seven Bandits Confusion

TRANSFORMERS ONE Trailer Reveals The Origins Of Optimus Prime And Megatron

X-MEN '97 Creative Express Interest In Bringing An X-MEN Animated Movie To Theaters

Gaming

Bethesda's Todd Howard On What's Next: ELDER SCROLLS VI, FALLOUT 5, And STARFIELD

THE WITCHER Has Been Renewed AND Canceled As Season 5 Is Confirmed To Be The Show's Last

FALLOUT TV Series Renewed For Second Season After Impressive Debut On Prime Video

Anime & Manga

Studio Ghibli's SPIRITED AWAY Is Returning To U.S. Theaters This Month

New AVATAR Movie, AANG: THE LAST AIRBENDER, Delayed To 2026

MY HERO ACADEMIA Season 7 Countdown Kicks Off With Class 1-A Character Visuals

Horror

TRAP: First Trailer For M. Night Shyamalan's Latest Spoils The Big Twist

IMMACULATE Star Sydney Sweeney Has Been Slammed By A Hollywood Producer: "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

SCREAM VII: Rumored Details On Sidney And Gale's Roles And Ghostface's Targets - SPOILERS

Action Movies & TV

JAMES BOND: Henry Cavill Isn't Closing The Door On Playing 007; "Maybe I'm Too Old Now. Maybe I'm Not..."

Alex Garland's CIVIL WAR Is The #1 Movie In North America- Opens To $25.7M

THE ACCOUNTANT 2 Adds Four More Actors Including JURASSIC WORLD Star Daniella Pineda

Pro Wrestling & MMA News

The Undertaker Talks Relationship With The Rock Following WRESTLEMANIA Clash As Final Boss Vows Revenge

Damian Priest Reflects On How It Felt To Cash In His Money In The Bank Briefcase At WRESTLEMANIA

AEW EVPs Matt And Nick Jackson, The Young Bucks, Have "No Regrets" After Airing ALL IN Footage

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

REBEL MOON - PART TWO: THE SCARGIVER's Rotten Tomatoes Score Has Been Revealed (And It's Not Good)

THE WITCHER Has Been Renewed For A Fifth And FINAL Season; Will Adapt Final THREE Books

REBEL MOON: PART TWO - THE SCARGIVER First Reactions Land Ahead Of Netflix Premiere

TRANSFORMERS ONE: First Trailer For Animated Origin Movie Takes Us Back To The Early Days Of Cybertron

FURIOSA: Witness Anya Taylor-Joy As The Wasteland Warrior On New Total Film Covers

REBEL MOON Director Zack Snyder Suggests He Has A Six-Movie Plan For Netflix's Sci-Fi Franchise

Cartoons & Animated Features

SNOW WHITE Rumored Plot Details May Clear Up Seven Dwarfs/Seven Bandits Confusion

TRANSFORMERS ONE Trailer Reveals The Origins Of Optimus Prime And Megatron

X-MEN '97 Creative Express Interest In Bringing An X-MEN Animated Movie To Theaters

X-MEN '97 Makes A Big Change To Opening Credits; Showrunner Reveals MAN OF STEEL Inspiration For [SPOILER]

X-MEN '97 Reveals The Fate Of Professor X, The Villain Behind Genosha Attack, And Storm's Future - SPOILERS

Disney's Goofy Was The Inspiration For The Terrifying Monsters In Nicolas Cage's New Horror Movie

Gaming

Bethesda's Todd Howard On What's Next: ELDER SCROLLS VI, FALLOUT 5, And STARFIELD

THE WITCHER Has Been Renewed AND Canceled As Season 5 Is Confirmed To Be The Show's Last

FALLOUT TV Series Renewed For Second Season After Impressive Debut On Prime Video