Superman vs. The Elite

Superman vs The Elite
Directed by	Michael Chang
Written by	Joe Kelly
Starring	George Newbern Pauley Perrette Robin Atkin Downes David Kaufman
Edited by	Christopher D. Lozinski
Production companies	Warner Bros. Animation Warner Premiere DC Comics
Distributed by	Warner Home Video
Release date	June 12, 2012 (2012-06-12)
Running time	76 Minutes
Language	English

Superman vs The Elite is an upcoming animated superhero film based on Action Comics #775, What's So Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way?. The movie was adapted and written by Joe Kelly, who wrote the comic it was based on, and is directed by Michael Chang. It is set to be released on June 12, 2012. The film will also feature the return of George Newbern as Superman, and David Kaufman as Jimmy Olsen, reprising their roles from the DC animated universe respectfully. It is the 14th film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line.

Plot

Superman's effectiveness as a super hero comes into question when a new group of super powerful crusaders, known as "The Elite," appear on the scene. As super heroes, the Elite know no bounds, and are more than willing to kill, even on a massive scale, to stop villainy—putting them on a collision course with the ever-ethical and decidedly non-lethal Man of Steel.

Voice cast

• George Newbern - Clark Kent / Kal-El / Superman
• Pauley Perrette - Lois Lane
• Robin Atkin Downes - Manchester Black
• David Kaufman - Jimmy Olsen
• Crispin Freeman

Production

The film was first announced at Comic Con 2011, during the screening of Batman: Year One, as one of the films from the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line for 2012, by producer Bruce Timm. Joe Kelly, writer of Action Comics #775, What's So Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way?, adapted his own work into the film. He was quoted as saying that "the story tackles themes that go way beyond a typical superhero story...politics, the price of power and America's place as a force in the world are all viewed through the lens of the DC Universe. Even if fans aren't paying close attention to these issues, they're all over the media. You can't escape them. So with the state of affairs being what it is, I can't think of a better time to see Superman confront these themes...I'm a big fan of taking real world issues and working them out through our "superhero" stories—but this one goes beyond strict allegory. Like the original comic story, the film is thought provoking without being preachy and really delivers a punch." He also said that, in terms of expanding the comic book issue into an animated film, and the differences between the two; that he "had Alan Burnett. Alan helped me cut to the heart of the story and personalize it for an audience who might not have known the original comic...the original story was about anti-heroes and comic fans and trends in the industry that were disturbing to me when it was written. For the story to work as a film, we needed to get beyond that while keeping the core of the story: that Superman serves a purpose and his moral code is relevant even in the modern world. This is where the expansion into "world politics" really helped."

Home media

Superman vs The Elite will be released on DVD and Blu-ray with a combo pack. Features include: a sneak peak at Part 1 of the animated film version of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, two featurettes "The Elite Unbound: No Rules, No Mercy" and "Superman and the Moral Debate", audio commentary, two episodes of Superman: The Animated Series, and Action Comics #775 as a digital comic.The combo pack will be released June 12th, 2012.

External links

• Superman vs. The Elite at IMDb
• Superman vs The Elite @ The World's Finest