Ahead of its release, a new video offers an early look at DC’s Gotham by Gaslight adaptation. For years now, DC Comics has been bringing just as much care to their animated films as they do to their live-action ones and their TV shows. As a result, their various movie adaptations of comics and spinoffs of key characters have earned a highly positive reception from fans. With the comic reboot of the New 52, a new continuity of animated films arrived. Alongside it, DC Animation has continued to bring some of its most popular stories to life.
Over the years, key stories like The Dark Knight Returns, The Killing Joke, and Justice League: New Frontier have been transformed into films. Now, one of DC’s Elseworlds stories will receive the same treatment. Envisioned as a series of side stories disconnected from the main DC Comics universe, Elseworlds allowed writers to play ‘what if…?’ with their characters. The first story to ever be released was Gotham by Gaslight, which sees a Victorian Batman hunt Jack the Ripper. Last month, word broke of an animated film in the works based on the comic, and now we have our first look.
DC Animation has released a new featurette on Gotham by Gaslight that’s a Blu-ray and DVD extra for the recently released Batman and Harley Quinn. Like that film, Gotham by Gaslight will sit outside of the main DC Animated Universe, mirroring the story in the comics.



In the video, EP Bruce Timm (responsible for much of DC’s animated efforts) and other creatives on the project breakdown how they adapted the story to film. In between the interviews, fans get plenty of looks at the new movie. Along with the steampunk Batman, characters such as Jim Gordon, Poison Ivy, Hugo Strange, and Selina Kyle appear. All of this, however, it set against the backdrop of Bruce Wayne hunting the notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper.
It’s not just animation that will see DC explore their Elseworlds titles, either. Rumors have claimed a Superman: Red Son film is in development, easily the second most popular Elseworlds story. The recent news of a Joker origin film also sounds like an Elseworlds-style movie given it will sit outside the DCEU.
Along with Batman and Harley Quinn and Gotham by Gaslight, DC Animation will also soon release Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay. Unlike Batman: Assault on Arkham, the new Task Force X feature will take place in the universe established by Justice League: War. If Gotham by Gaslight is a hit, though, we could see more Elseworlds titles get adapted.


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