Batman: The Killing Joke is an upcoming American animated superhero film directed by Sam Liu and Bruce Timm with Timm also acting as a producer on the film. It is an adaptation of the 1988 graphic novel of the same name, and will be the twenty-sixth film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series. The film was originally made to be released straight-to-video, but instead will receive a "one-night only" release in theaters on July 25, 2016. It will also be released digitally on July 26, 2016, and via DVD and Blu-ray on August 2, 2016. PLOT: As Batman hunts for the escaped Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime attacks the Gordon family to prove a diabolical point mirroring his own fall into madness.