Dynamic Duo (2028)

[Silver Nemesis]

A new animated coming-of-age movie has been announced focusing on the friendship between Dick Grayson and Jason Todd and their respective origin stories as Robin. It's currently scheduled for a 2028 release date, with Matt Reeves and James Gunn producing.

It's not clear yet whether this is set within Gunn's new DCU, but some sources are stating it is not connected to Reeves' Batman universe. Early reports indicate the experimental animation style has something to do with puppets.

[The Dark Knight]

Hard to comment much at this early stage. I'm all for Robins being reintroduced into Batman media, however preferably alongside Batman. The puppets could be a master stroke or an embarrassing mistake. Very much a matter of wait and see.

[thecolorsblend]

The puppet thing made me think of the earliest iteration of the CG Clone Wars animated show as some character designs looked kind of like puppets. Dooku comes to mind. I'm wondering if that's what it means.

[Silver Nemesis]

The puppet thing made me think of the earliest iteration of the CG Clone Wars animated show as some character designs looked kind of like puppets. Dooku comes to mind. I'm wondering if that's what it means.

The resemblance to puppets was intentional. Lucas said the character designs in Clone Wars were inspired by the marionettes in 1960s Gerry Anderson shows like Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet. Anderson created an updated version of Captain Scarlet in 2005, only this time the original marionettes and miniatures were replaced with CG animation. The 2005 Captain Scarlet – which was criminally underrated and a worthy successor to the classic original series – debuted just three years before Clone Wars and showcased a similar animation style. I suspect that series might also have influenced Lucas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETDkqOgFk1o

Almost exactly ten years ago, in spring 2015, Thunderbirds also got a remake. The special effects were created by Wētā Workshop, who opted against using pure computer animation in favour of mixing real miniature sets and vehicles with CG character models. The result was an interesting blend of live action and animation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y2hFqgtjLk

Then in 2018 Gerry Anderson's son Jamie produced a pilot for a series tilted Firestorm which showcased an advanced puppetry technique dubbed 'Ultramarionation'. This show's effects combined practical miniatures, puppetry and CG. The results were impressive, but sadly the series was never made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-yhwYMoRfk

Maybe we'll get something similar with this Dynamic Duo film. A mixture of practical miniature effects – possibly stop motion or CG-enhanced puppets – with animated backdrops. I'm curious to see what the animators are cooking up.