‘Batman And Harley Quinn’ Hook Up To Reign In Poison Ivy [Video]


Batman is jumping back into action in a new animated movie and, while he will have a partner in this new story, Robin won’t be the one teaming up with the Caped Crusader. Instead, as the Batman and Harley Quinn title reveals, the Dark Knight will be going a little darker and creating an alliance with Harley Quinn. While that might seem more than a little awkward for Batman, who has often fought off the advances of Joker’s ex main squeeze on occasion, the new duo is teaming up for a very specific goal. Batman and Harley Quinn are hoping to stop Poison Ivy before her plan of a plant apocalypse gets out of control.

Batman and Harley Quinn Need Help To Pull Poison Ivy’s Weeds

Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are on opposite sides in a new animated movie. [Image by DC Entertainment/Warner Bros.]

Collider reveals that the plot of Batman and Harley Quinn is a good deal more complex than it might seem at first glance, particularly with the misleading title, which suggests something more of a romantic farce than a mismatched team out to save the world. The animated movie, which is under the control of Bruce Timm, brings back the nostalgic style of Batman: The Animated Series to tell a story of heroes and villains out to stop a catastrophe of global proportions.

Batman and Harley Quinn unites the two title characters obviously, but it casts them together in a team with Nightwing, as well. Together, the trio is out to stop Poison Ivy and Jason Woodrue, a.k.a. the Plant-Master, from trying to bring about a plant-dominated society. Specifically, Poison Ivy and her partner are turning animals into plant hybrids to destroy mankind’s dominion over the planet.

In casting Batman and Harley Quinn, Timm has brought back some familiar voices and added a few new ones, as well. Fans of Batman: The Animated Series will be happy to know that Kevin Conroy will be returning as the Caped Crusader. Loren Lester will again play Nightwing, also returning from that same series. Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory) is new to Batman and Harley Quinn, voicing the Harley Quinn character for the first time.

Also new to the Batman and Harley Quinn animated movie will be Paget Brewster of Criminal Minds. While Brewster will be new to Gotham, she’s not new to the DC universe, having previously provided voice work for Lana Lang and Lois Lane.

Batman and Harley Quinn Stars Open Up About Their Characters

Batman, Nightwing, and Harley Quinn team up to stop plants from taking over the world. [Image by DC Entertainment/Warner Bros.]

Empire reached out to the actors participating in the Batman and Harley Quinn movie to get their insight into voicing the iconic DC heroes and villains. First among the group was Melissa Rauch, who says she shared a connection with Harley Quinn, as far as her upbringing and natural accent were concerned. Long before acting coaches worked it out of her, Rauch says she had an accent similar to Harley Quinn’s New York style of speaking. The Batman and Harley Quinn actress says she enjoyed working with that accent again.

Beyond the mechanics of voicing the character, Melissa says she really enjoyed playing Harley Quinn, because of the ways in which she deals with challenging people and situations.

“I love that Harley is a bada** and, beyond that, that she uses her humor as another weapon in her arsenal,” comments Rauch. “She knows just how to diffuse a situation with her humor, and how to incite a situation with her sarcasm. It’s a dream role.”

While Loren Lester admits fans are very eager for another animated Batman series, the Nightwing voice actor says doing movies like Batman and Harley Quinn is much better in some ways. Specifically, Lester likes being unrestricted by network regulations, allowing the story to tackle more mature issues. He feels that the broader leeway allows them to bring a greater sense of humanity and emotional exploration to the characters, but adds that having Bruce Timm at the helm also helps to keep that same feel of Batman: The Animated Series.

Batman and Harley Quinn will be a direct to video release available on digital download, Blu-ray, and DVD later this year.

[Featured Image by DC Entertainment/Warner Bros.]

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