Movies based on comic book properties don’t come as easy as they used to. The wellspring of beloved characters like Batman and The Avengers that can reliably support multi-million dollar franchises has dried up. Nowadays, film and TV producers have to dig in more and more unlikely corners for old IP to adapt into fresh content. This has led in some cases to surprise success (“The Guardians of the Galaxy,”) and, in others, to bitter disappointment (“R.I.P.D.”).
Whether the upcoming “DC League of Super Pets” will fall into the former or latter category is up in the air, but it’s certainly not the kind of superhero story audiences are used to seeing. Based on DC Comics’ Legion of Super Pets, the film will be a 3D computer-animated affair with elements of comedy and action-adventure. The animation was handled by Animal Logic, the studio behind hits like “Happy Feet,” “The Lego Movie” and “Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.”
The star-studded cast is led by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who will voice Krypto the Superdog. Meanwhile, Kevin Hart will voice Ace the Bat-Hound, with Marc Maron providing the voice of iconic DC villain Lex Luthor. Other voice cast members will include Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, and Keanu Reeves.
The film was written by Jared Stern, who is best known for scripting likable studio comedies like “The Watch,” “The Internship,” and “The Lego Batman Movie.” Stern also co-directed alongside Sam Levine, who previously co-created the Disney XD animated series “Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero” with “Zootopia” writer/director Jared Bush. The project’s family-friendly approach and use of superhero iconography are sure to yield profitable results. In other words: it’s probably fair to expect a sequel or two.
After a year-long delay, “DC League of Super Pets” is scheduled for theatrical release on May 20, 2022. But you’ll be able to get your first real look at the film this November, when DC will release the first theatrical trailer.