DC's next animated film will reimagine Batman as an Aztec warrior defending his home from invaders as an all-new kind of Dark Knight.
DC revealed the upcoming movie Batman Azteca: Choque de Imperios (Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires). The animated film is set to debut courtesy of HBO Max Latin America and will follow the young Aztec warrior Yohualli Coatl. When Yohualli's father and village leader, Toltecatzin, is murdered by Spanish Conquistadors, the young boy flees to warn others of the impending danger. From within a temple dedicated to the bat god Tzinacan, and with the help of his mentor and assistant Acatzin, Yohualli trains to become the brooding hero his people need. The film will be produced by Warner Bros Animation alongside Anima and Chatrone. Harley Quinn director Juan Meza-Leon is set to helm the film, which will be produced entirely in Mexico.
Sam Register (Teen Titans Go!, Mike Tyson Mysteries) and Tomas Yankelevich are serving as executive producers on the upcoming Batman Azteca, which will also be produced by Jose C Garcia de Letona, Aaron D. Berger, Carina Schulze, and Fernando De Fuentes. Doctor Alejandro Diaz Barriga of Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico is consulting on the film as a specialist in Mesoamerican studies and the ethnic history of Mexico and the Andean region. The film will reportedly showcase the country's art, with production working diligently to ensure that indigenous representation is both appropriate and relevant.
Anima is currently celebrating its 20th year, and in that time has become a leading animation studio in Latin America and a recognized name in the industry on a global scale. The studio is largely known for its work on 2011's Top Cat: The Movie, as well as the 2015 prequel Top Cat Begins, both based on the iconic Hanna-Barbera series of the same name. The first film held the record as one of the biggest box-office premieres at the time of its release, amassing nearly $127 million pesos over the course of its theatrical run.
Batman Azteca is the latest animated feature to reimagine the titular hero in a new time period and corner of the globe. 2018's Batman Ninja transported the Dark Knight and several of his greatest enemies to feudal Japan following a disastrous encounter with Gorilla Grodd. What ensued was a largely acclaimed anime that leaned as heavily into the relatively new territory for the franchise as it did its iconic roots. Batman Ninja was adapted as a manga by Area 51 artist Masato Hisa shortly after its release, with a stage play adaptation following three years later.
Batman Azteca: Choque de Imperios does not currently have a release date.
Source: Warner Bros.
