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Judd Winick has returned to Gotham City with a vengeance. The award-winning cartoonist has successfully transitioned one of his benchmark storylines from comic book pages to animated film with the upcoming release of Batman: Under the Red Hood, the latest entry in the popular series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies.

Born and raised on Long Island, New York, the University of Michigan graduate gained national fame as a cast member of MTVs The Real World, San Francisco in 1994. In the wake of the death of his Real World roommate and friend, AIDS activist Pedro Zamora, Winick embarked on a national AIDS education lecture tour. Later, the lecture and his friendship with Zamora was documented in his award-winning graphic novel Pedro And Me.

Winick next created his original comic book series, Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius, and then began a long running stint as one of the top writers on mainstream super hero comics. Winick has scripted such titles as Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Trials Shazam, Green Arrow and Outsiders (for DC Comics), Exiles (for Marvel) and Star Wars (for Dark Horse). He also was the creator and executive producer of Cartoon Networks animated series The Life and Times of Juniper Lee.

He is currently developing live action television and animation, writing the new bi-weekly comic title for DC Comics Justice League: Generation Lost, as well as the monthly Power Girl.

In 2005, Winick presented his Red Hood storyline in the Batman comics and it was met with tremendous sales alongside powerful waves of controversy. He has evolved that story into the script for the all-new DC Universe film, Batman: Under the Red Hood. In celebration of the films July 27 street date, DC Comics will distribute a six-issue mini-series, Red Hood: The Lost Days. Written by Winick and drawn by Pablo Raimondi, the mini-series offers greater insight into the back story of the title character.

From the producing triumvirate of Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, Batman: Under the Red Hood will be distributed by Warner Home Video as a Special Edition version on Blu-Ray and 2-disc DVD, as well as being available on single disc DVD, On Demand and for Download.

Winick is thrilled with the way his words have transitioned from comic/graphic novel to screenplay to animated film in the form of Batman: Under the Red Hood, and is only too happy to talk about the end result. Here are some of his thoughts

QUESTION: What was the greatest challenge in taking your graphic novel to script format?

JUDD WINICK: I had to take two years of story and boil it down to 75 minutes of film, and thats a challenge and liberating at the same time. It forces one to cut out all the fat and get to the heart of it. Its about making a movie. And for those who know anything about movies, its about putting one foot in front of the other, building from one scene to the next to the next and so on. There are no cul-de-sacs or crossovers its all about getting the story to its essence.

QUESTION: Were you disappointed with what you needed to cut out?

JUDD WINICK: Actually, I was thrilled about what went in. Im really, really happy that the emotional core of the story is still there. We dont really get to tell stories like this in animation. The opera of it all is usually reserved for live action. This story is about characters actually emoting and dealing with horrible situations. Animation usually gets just the action and the visualization, and not the characters actually feeling anything. So it was nice we got to do that.

QUESTION: Can you describe the gratification of watching your words come to animated life?

JUDD WINICK: Its great. And I dont mean to take anything away from writing for comics, as this is just a different form of story telling. One of the fun parts of writing for film is that it allows you the freedom for your characters to just shut up and fight. We cant do that in comics there always has to be some banter or internal monologue. More importantly, its gratifying to see the words and action come to life in all the ways film affords through incredibly talented actors giving the words all that emotional impact; and to see the characters actually fight and run and yell and shout and cry. They become living, breathing beings. Thats a very exhilarating experience for a writer.

QUESTION: Do the voices of Bruce Greenwood, Jensen Ackles, Neil Patrick Harris and John DiMaggio match what you had in your head while writing the dialogue?

JUDD WINICK: Ive been writing these characters for years, and its remarkable the job those actors did. Greenwood is about as Batman as you can get which is exactly what you want. You dont want to be surprised as soon as he speaks, you want to say to yourself, Thats Batman. Nightwing is exactly as Ive had him in my head Neil Patrick Harris couldnt possibly do it better. Id like to do an entire feature with Bruce Greenwood as Batman and Neil Patrick Harris as Nightwing.

Red Hood is funny for me because I thought Id written this character in this incarnation more than anyone else, but I had no clue what hed really sound like. And yet, when Jensen speaks, thats the right tone and timbre. As far as Joker, that is one of the truly great characters that I think needs to be left up to interpretation. Theres only been a handful of people who have created Joker Mark Hamill set the standard for animation, then youve got Jack (Nicholson) and Heath Ledger. But John (DiMaggio) has such versatility, he could go anywhere with it, and he made it totally his own. He really gives a very big and gruff and masculine performance, so deep and throaty and bass. Hes wonderfully scary and really gets the job done.

Wade Williams as Black Mask absolutely cracks me up. Hes like a lion. Honestly, what came out in the animation came directly out of his performance. Wade made him into a caged animal who might go off at any second. Hes constantly roaring, which is an entirely different take than I anticipated and thats awesome. Thats an actor making decisions and making it his own and really hitting the mark.

QUESTION: Executive Producer Bruce Timm says your pitch was unorthodox in that it was over the phone and yet was absolutely perfect and completely sold him. Howd you pull that off?

JUDD WINICK: Id given a rougher pitch to Gregory Noveck (DC Comicss Senior Vice President of Creative Affairs) and he loved it, but we had to pitch it to the gang. The schedule worked out that I had to be in San Francisco, and they had to be in Burbank. Thats not the ideal way to pitch, especially for me I like to jump around a lot, shout a lot, wave my hands and be theatrical. Thats especially true for this pitch because its a very emotional script. I kind of sold the idea in the first five minutes of the pitch, which was essentially describing the first five minutes of the movie.

I thought this would be a cool animated feature, but to really tell this story, we had to find a way to show Robin dying. We had to get the history in quickly to start the movie with that emotional smack. So Im on my head set, going through this scene, talking about Batman barreling down the street of Sarajevo, the Joker beating Robin to death,. Im banging my hands on the desk, yelling as loud as I can, and by the time I said Fade to black, cue to opening credits, it was just dead quiet on the other end of the line. I said, Is everybody still there? And they said, Yeah, that was awesome. Done. Sold.

QUESTION: How did you first enter the Batcave as a fan?

JUDD WINICK: Like many people of my age, Im sure I was reading the comics but I remember watching the TV series more and not really liking it. It didnt quite feel right. I know I enjoyed it more like watching Super Friends, but I really gravitated toward the comics more than anything. The series wasnt dark enough. It didnt have the edge I wanted in my Batman. Ultimately, the TV show gave me a sense of what I didnt want Batman to be, even back then.

QUESTION: For The Real World fans out there do you have any inclination to do another reality show?

JUDD WINICK: I would say NEVER. Laughs. Doing reality was like elective surgery. I got the nose job, it worked out just fine. I dont need a touch up, and I dont need another one. When they started to do the follow-ups, we just kept saying No until they stopped asking us. We have jobs and responsibilities and really dont need the money or the humiliation. And most importantly, we had a fairly extraordinary and terrible experience during the show and still came out positively. We are very lucky in that way, and I would not assume to tempt fate and do anything like it again.

QUESTION: Do you feel Batman: Under the Red Hood fits into Batmans current live-action film tone?

JUDD WINICK: Id say Christopher Nolans The Dark Knight was sort of the catalyst. After seeing that film, it got my juices going thinking that we could do something like that with a Red Hood arc. At the time, I didnt even know what Warner Premiere was working on. It all started with a quick email to Gregory (Noveck) asking if they were looking for any more Batman features. Comics and film present very specific camps for the characters and the stories. Animation should be its own genre that straddles between the two that can give comic fans the product their hoping to see, and provide a new vision for the fans who only know these characters in the most mainstream way.

QUESTION: Do you like presenting your stories in animated form?

JUDD WINICK: I really do. Im a cartoonist. I dont draw for money, and mostly what I do is the writing. But thats how I view myself more than anything else as a cartoonist. I grew up on animation, and I always loved knowing that the cartoons on the page could actually come to life. I worshipped at the alter of Chuck Jones, and realized at a very young age that one guy did all the things I love best. I love it as a medium and I love how its evolved. Animation features have exploded there is more high-end animation being produced now than ever before, and I think thats great.

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Judd Winick has adapted his own comic book series into the screenplay for Batman: Under the Red Hood, the next DC Universe animated original movie. The film will be distributed July 27, 2010 by Warner Home Video.

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Batman holds a lifeless Robin in one of the emotionally charged opening scenes of Batman: Under the Red Hood, the next DC Universe animated original movie. The film will be distributed July 27, 2010 by Warner Home Video.

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The Joker pushes the boundaries of violence and cruelty in Batman: Under the Red Hood, the next DC Universe animated original movie. The film will be distributed July 27, 2010 by Warner Home Video.

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Part vigilante and part crime lord, Red Hood stays one step ahead of his foes in Batman: Under the Red Hood, the next DC Universe animated original movie. The film will be distributed July 27, 2010 by Warner Home Video.

Arguably the top animation voiceover director in the business today, Romano has been instrumental in orchestrating the vocal tones behind the characters non-live appearances for more than two decades. From Kevin Conroy and Rino Romano to Jeremy Sisto and William Baldwin, Romano knows precisely what voice will best fit the tones of a particular story or series.

Enter Batman: Under the Red Hood and all of its deep, emotional undertones. Romano has outdone herself once again, balancing the veteran acting chops of Bruce Greenwood as Batman with the youthful, pained intonations of Jensen Ackles as Red Hood, and tossing in Neil Patrick Harris as Nightwing for humorous resonance.

All in a days work for Romano, who recruits the best in the business winners of Oscars, Emmys and Tonys alike to provide the voices behind some of the worlds best known super heroes for the DC Universe Animated Original Movies.

Romanos voiceover casting/direction resume spans more than a quarter century, covering the genre gamut from action (Batman: The Animated Series) to humor (Animaniacs) and contemporary (The Boondocks) to timeless (Smurfs). The eight-time Emmy Award winner (along with more than 30 nominations) is a star in her own right, earning the respect of her peers and the adoration of legions of animation fans. One need only witness the reaction to her introduction at a Con to understand that voiceover work is no longer an anonymous profession.

Batman: Under the Red Hood is the next entry in the popular ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies from Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. The full-length film will be distributed by Warner Home Video on July 27, 2010 as a Special Edition version on Blu-Ray and 2-disc DVD, as well as being available on single disc DVD, On Demand and for Download.

Romano took a few minutes to offer her perspective on the voices of Batman: Under the Red Hood. Heres what she had to say:

QUESTION: Lets take the cast one member at a time. What made Bruce Greenwood right for the role of Batman in this particular film?

ANDREA ROMANO: One of the coolest finds of this past year for me was Bruce. Ive seen so much of his work over the years, and he can do so many things so convincingly. I knew Id have to offer him a big role. Something with meat. And I knew he would really sink his teeth into the material and make it his own. I dont need to tell you what a wonderful actor he is but for this film, he gives a terrific, sensitive performance. This is the most tortured weve ever seen of Batman and, without overplaying it, Bruce really showed us a lot of the guilt and issues Batman has in his luggage. Its an exhaustive, emotional piece, and he carried it perfectly.

QUESTION: How did Jensen Ackles perform in his maiden voyage in animation?

ANDREA ROMANO: When you get a first-timer in the booth, there are often risks involved, particularly in understanding the techniques involved in working with the microphone. Jensen picked it up so quickly and was so effective in this very difficult role. Red Hood is written as such an embittered, angry, verging-on-insane character, and it can so easily be overplayed. But Jensen found just the right level of energy and flair. I loved his acting. His quality was dead-on, and he really offers a perfect balance with Bruce (Greenwood).

As a director, you live the emotions with the actor. Theres one scene where Jensen has to let his emotions completely bubble to the surface. I had to work really hard to see my script through the tears that I was crying with him as he let his emotions come through.

QUESTION: Who better than Neil Patrick Harris to break up all the emotional drama of this film?

ANDREA ROMANO: Who doesnt love Neil Patrick Harris? Hes charming, talented, friendly, and remembers everyone he works with. He can sing and dance, not that I need that talent for Red Hood (she laughs). And in this instance, he did the unthinkable he came to record for us on his way to the airport as he was going to New York to host the Tony Awards. Nightwing really does give a comic balance to this intense story, and Neil brought that spunky, funny instinct to the character with his usual effortless performance. Hes completely believable whether hes doing drama or comedy, and he really added to this film. If I could, I would use Neil on every single project I do.

QUESTION: Jason Isaacs is such a nice guy. Whyd you have to make him play a villain again?

ANDREA ROMANO: Jason Isaacs is a delight. And youre right (she laughs) nice guys sometimes make the best villains. Ive worked with Jason several times, and hes absolutely fantastic. For Ras, I needed something slightly exotic. Hes a great, unusual character, but we had to fight against him getting too cartoony and I knew Jason had the chops. Hes also a wonderfully intelligent actor during the recording session, he had so many ideas, and would so respectfully suggest them to Bruce (Timm) and I and I honestly dont know that there was one we didnt use. He helped edit the copy, he added beats where we didnt even see them, and really nuanced the performance.

QUESTION: The Joker has had some very memorable live-action and animated performances from some notable performers. How did John DiMaggio fit into that legacy?

ANDREA ROMANO: If I werent in love with my husband, it would be John. Hes such a versatile, talented voiceover actor. The Joker is such an intense character, and I knew I needed somebody with great range and John was delighted to come in and play, and he gave it some beautiful new twists. Because he has such a deep gravely voice, and hes good at comedy, and hes a good actor, I knew John already had covered most of the points of the Joker. But I didnt want a light, thin reedy voice, I wanted a voice with some mass to it. Thats John.

QUESTION: Youve placed Vincent and Alex Martella as the Young and Younger Robin voices. Had you ever cast brothers in the same film?

ANDREA ROMANO: This is the first time Ive ever cast brothers in the same film. I was familiar with Vincents work and had been looking for something for him, and this was a great, interesting opportunity because I needed to cast the younger version of this character at two different ages. Vincent has a younger brother named Alex, who has only just begun in the industry, but because siblings tend to have very similar qualities to their voices, it was kind of a no-brainer to cast his younger brother as his younger self. And they were terrific Vincent was pure dynamite in his performance, and I actually think Alex learned from watching his older brother record before him.

What really surprised me was in their attention to detail. They had to set up this characters life for another actor that they werent even going to act in the same room with, and I thought the transitions were seamless.

QUESTION: What set this cast apart from the first seven DC Universe films?

ANDREA ROMANO: Each one of these actors had something to bring to the party above and beyond what was required of them. They had questions, they had input, they had ideas and, because the piece is so adult, complex, intense and dark, they knew they werent coming in to play The Smurfs. In order to make sure they were in the right head space and had the right tone, they asked a lot of questions. And thats always a good sign. When the actors are that involved with their characters and the story, that challenges Bruce (Timm) and I to truly think through everything even more thoroughly, and then it becomes a much more collaborative effort. Im not above telling an actor how to read a line. But Id prefer that the actor comes up with the idea himself and Im able to just tweak things here and there. We all need a challenge, something that keeps us on our toes, and recording this film was one of those experiences. A very, very positive experience.

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Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek) provides the voice of Batman, under the dialogue direction of Andrea Romano for Batman: Under the Red Hood, the next DC Universe animated original movie. The film will be
distributed July 27, 2010 by Warner Home Video. (Photo courtesy of Gary Miereanu)

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Bruce Greenwood provides the voice of Batman in Batman: Under the Red Hood, the next DC Universe animated original movie. The film will be distributed July 27, 2010 by Warner Home Video.

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Wade Williams (Prison Break) provides the voice of Black Mask in Batman: Under the Red Hood, the next DC Universe animated original movie. The film will be distributed July 27, 2010 by Warner Home Video.

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Jensen Ackles (Supernatural) provides the voice of Red Hood in Batman: Under the Red Hood, the next DC Universe animated original movie. The film will be distributed July 27, 2010 by Warner Home Video.

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