After two and a half decades existing as an exceptional comic book story, Batman: The Long Halloween is now being adapted across two direct-to-video animated movies. Part One arrives next next week, and among its talented voice cast is Supernatural star Jensen Ackles playing Bruce Wayne/Batman and Dune star David Dastmalchian playing Julian Day, a.k.a. Calendar Man. Just like in the original Long Halloween, Calendar Man plays an integral role in Batman’s investigation into the serial killer Holiday, as seen in this exclusive Part One clip.
Rather than cross paths with him out in the Gotham City wild like Batman: The Long Halloween’s other supervillains, Batman comes face-to-face with Calendar Man while the latter is incarcerated in Arkham Asylum. But even “behind bars,” Calendar Man is all too willing to toy with the Caped Crusader. Watch for yourself below.
Now, to anyone who’s unfamiliar with the Batman mythos, Calendar Man emphasizing the word “joke” might just seem like a weird speech choice. But everyone else will instantly think up the most prominent member of Batman’s rogues gallery. While we don’t see what happens next in this scene, given that Troy Baker is voicing The Joker in both parts of Batman: The Long Halloween, it’s reasonable to assume that at this point in Part One, we’re not far off from seeing the Clown Prince of Crime wreak havoc.
Set during Bruce Wayne’s early years as Batman, Batman: The Long Halloween follows Gotham City’s Dark Knight trying to apprehend Holiday, who is murdering people associated with the Falcone crime family on holidays. Along with the aforementioned actors, The Long Halloween, Part One also stars the late Naya Rivera as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Josh Duhamel as Harvey Dent, Billy Burke as James Gordon, Titus Welliver as Carmine Falcone, Julie Nathanson as Gilda Dent and Jack Quaid as Alberto Falcone, among others. Chris Palmer directed the feature and Tim Sheridan wrote the script.
Batman: The Long Halloween is third time classic DC Comics storyline that’s been adapted across two animated movies. This first happened in 2013 with The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 and Part 2, followed by The Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Going back to Jensen Ackles and David Dastmalchian, Long Halloween is just the latest of their go-arounds in DC territory. Ackles previously voiced Jason Todd, a.k.a. Red Hood, in 2010’s Batman: Under the Red Hood, while Dastmalchian has appeared in The Dark Knight, Gotham and The Flash, and will star as Polka-Dot Man later this year in The Suicide Squad.
Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One will arrive both digitally and in disc form on June 22. Then you’ll be able to buy Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two digitally starting July 27, followed by the Blu-ray and DVD copies coming on August 10.
