The beloved animated classic, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, is getting the 4K Blu-ray treatment in celebration of its 30th anniversary, and a newly released trailer shows off the noir DC tale in all its glory. Coming courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment, the remastered Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is due to be released in September, with the movie featuring the late, great Kevin Conroy as Batman alongside Mark Hamill as The Joker. Check out the trailer for the 4K release of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm below.
First released back in 1993 and directed by the minds behind the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm finds the troubled yet heroic Batman (Kevin Conroy) pitted against a mysterious figure who is rubbing out Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals, and who many believe is the caped crusader himself. Meanwhile, Batman’s alter ego, millionaire Bruce Wayne, is about to get married to the lovely Andrea Beaumont (Dana Delany), who helps him recover from his need to avenge his parents’ murder – meaning that his crime-fighting days may be numbered. If that were not already enough, Batman’s investigation slowly leads him back to his archenemy, The Joker (Mark Hamill).
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm features an all-star cast alongside Conroy and Hamill, including Dana Delany (Desperate Housewives), Stacy Keach (Nebraska, Prison Break), Abe Vigoda (Barney Miller, The Godfather), Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (Wait Until Dark), Hart Bochner (Die Hard), Bob Hastings (The Poseidon Adventure), Robert Costanzo (Forget Paris, City Slickers), Dick Miller (Gremlins, The Terminator), and John P. Ryan (The Right Stuff). Additional voices include Pat Musick, Marilu Henner, Neil Ross, Ed Gilbert, Jeff Bennett, Jane Downs, Vernee Watson, Charles Howerton, Thom Pinto and Peter Renaday.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Is Considered to Be the Definitive Batman Movie
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is not only considered to be one of the greatest animated movies of all time, but many also proclaim it to be the definite Batman movie due to its noirish setting, gloomy, tragic story, and its depiction of both Batman and the Joker.
“The 4K HDR/SDR remaster of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was sourced from the 1993 Original Cut Camera Negative and was scanned at 4K resolution,” Warner Bros. said of the remaster in a press release. “Digital restoration was applied to the 4K scans to remove dirt, scratches and additional anomalies, but special care was given to not touch the film grain or the animation cel dirt that was part of the original artwork. This is the first time since its theatrical release that it is presented in its 1.85 aspect ratio. The original 2.0 mix and the 5.1 tracks were remastered to remove or improve defects such as pops, ticks, dropouts and distortion.”
The 4K release will also include a featurette, Kevin Conroy: I Am The Knight, which examines and celebrates the legacy of actor Kevin Conroy, who played Batman for 30 years across movies, television, video games, and more.
The 4K Blu-Ray remaster of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is scheduled to be released on September 12, 2023.
