| Merry Little Batman | |
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 Official release poster | |
| Directed by | Mike Roth |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by |
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| Based on | |
| Produced by | Rebecca Palatnik |
| Starring |
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| Edited by | Andy Young |
| Music by | Patrick Stump[1] |
Production companies | |
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Release date |
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Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country |
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| Language | English |
Merry Little Batman is a 2023 American animatedsuperhero film directed byMike Roth, and written byMorgan Evans and Jase Ricci, from a story by Evans and Roth, based onDC Comics featuring the charactersBatman and his sonDamian Wayne. It is the firstAmazon MGM Studios animated production that was not produced, distributed through, or owned byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film stars the voices of Yonas Kibreab,Luke Wilson,James Cromwell, andDavid Hornsby. In the film, Damian must foil theJoker's plot to ruinChristmas inGotham City while his father is away on a mission.
The film was released on December 8, 2023, onAmazon Prime Video, receiving positive reviews, with praise for the animation, plot-line, and voice performances (including for Kibreab as Damian). A television series based on the film, titledBat-Fam, premiered on November 10, 2025.
After Damian Wayne is left alone in Wayne Manor on Christmas Eve, he transforms himself into "Little Batman" to safeguard his home and the rest of Gotham City from villains during the holiday season.[3]
Additionally, lateBatman comic book artistCarmine Infantino appears in a cameo via archive audio.[8]
While working on a movie project forWarner Bros. Animation as part of an overall deal,Mike Roth (formerly a supervising producer and director onRegular Show) was approached by Warner Bros. Animation vice-president Sammy Perlmutter to work on aBatman film set during Christmas inspired by the works ofRonald Searle. Having been a longtime fan of both Batman and Searle, Roth accepted directing the film, whileTeen Titans Go! (2013–present) writer Morgan Evans was hired to work on the script.[8]
In September 2021, it was reported that a Christmas animated film based on Batman and starringDamian Wayne, titledMerry Little Batman, was in development atWarner Bros. Animation forHBO Max andCartoon Network. Roth was set to direct the film with Evans writing, while Sam Register and Roth would executive produce.[9]
By August 2022, HBO Max had officially relinquished distribution rights for the film, alongside other six projects includingBatman: Caped Crusader. The film would continue development as the studio searched for a new distributor;[10] Warner allowed the film to continue production due to positive reception within the studio to the project, which had an animatic developed by then.[2] In April 2023, it was reported thatAmazon Prime Video – who previously acquired the rights forCaped Crusader – would distribute the film.[11] By November 2023, Jase Ricci was hired as co-writer; Ricci previously wrote the script forBatman: The Doom That Came to Gotham (2023).[6]
Originally, the film was set to center on Batman as a kid, but the writers decided to center on Damian instead,[2] due to the film's Christmas setting.[6] While the idea of featuring an older Damian who struggles between good and evil, as in the comics, was considered, the writers ultimately decided to portray him in a younger age because they felt the idea of a young Damian who wanted to be like his father "was such a fun starting point" that gave the filmmakers "the heart and comedy" they wanted for the film;[6] the writer nevertheless incorporated elements of his internal struggles in the final film.[12] Early drafts had Damian chasing after a toy that had been stolen from him, but Ricci suggested instead having the stolen item be a safety utility belt, as he felt going after the belt symbolized the character's desire to follow on Batman's footsteps.[12] The writers also incorporated the "Bat-Dad"AI to serve as both a guide for Damian and to represent his desire to win his father's respect.[2] Roth and Ricci drew inspiration from their own experience as fathers for Batman and Damian's relationships,[12] with Batman having some "daddisms" the writers have in real life.[2] The filmmakers citedHome Alone as an inspiration of the film, with early versions of the film being much more similar to that film.[2]
The filmmakers wanted to "strategically [place]" tropes from Batman media in order to reflect Damian's growth, such as him trying and failing to use theBatmobile.[2] Roth noted the scene at the zoo was meant to show Damian his father's perspective on crimefighting, while his letting go of the belt in the climax is meant to have Damian learn of the sacrifices that superheroes make for the common good.[2] Regarding the film's humor, Roth said he wanted to avoid the comedy from getting "too zany" as to give it genuine stakes and so that the audience could believe Damian to be at genuine risk of dying, as well as to make the film approachable to all ages.[2]
For the film's version of the Joker, the writers drew inspiration fromBob Fosse's performance as Snake inThe Little Prince, describing him as "[the] perfect foe to a little kid because he is basically like a big, peevish child himself — coaxing, cunning, and apt to rapid and irrational tantrums".[6] Evans said the film's version of the Joker "feels that what was great about the past wasn't so much committing crimes but doing it with his villain friends", which he described as "a metaphor for how nobody should be alone on the holidays".[12]Poison Ivy,Mr. Freeze, andBane were incorporated into the story due to Evans having been a fan ofBatman & Robin (1997) growing up.[12] The writers decided to excludeCatwoman early during development in order to focus on Damian's lineage; a cat named after the character's civilian identity was instead written into the film as a nod to the character.[12]
In October 2023, Yonas Kibreab was reported to be voicing Damian Wayne, withLuke Wilson,James Cromwell, andDavid Hornsby cast in undisclosed roles;[4] Wilson and Cromwell were confirmed to be voicingBruce Wayne / Batman andAlfred Pennyworth, respectively, the following month.[5] That same month, Hornsby was confirmed to be voicing theJoker, while Dolph Adomian,Brian George, Therese McLaughlin,Chris Sullivan,Michael Fielding,Cynthia McWilliams,Natalie Palamides, andReid Scott were revealed to be appearing in the film asMr. Freeze,The Penguin,Poison Ivy,Bane, Terry,Vicki Vale, Francine, and Commissioner Gordon, respectively.[6]
On December 5, 2023, Roth revealed that the lateCarmine Infantino, who was an artist onBatman comics during the 60s and 70s, would be appearing in the film as a cameo through archive audio.[8] A nephew of Infantino's and longtime friend of Roth's gave him access to some interviews featuring Infantino, from which Roth selected an audio that he felt worked for a scene in the film.[8]
Animation services were provided by Gigglebug inHelsinki and Doghead Animation inFlorence.[8] Guillaume Fesquet served as art director for the film; he worked alongside Daby Zainab Faidhi to develop the film's visual style, with Faidhi using her experience in architecture to help develop the backgrounds for the project.[8]
In order for the art style to be reminiscent of Searle's work while still standing on its own, the artists wanted the film's style to be "illustrative and 'sketch'-like" to reflect Damian's mindset.[13] For Damian's design, character designer Ben Tong wanted to preserve the character's "edge and desire to fight crime" while also changing his design to reflect his portrayal in the film; he also drew inspiration fromBill Watterson'sCalvin and Hobbes.[13] Tong wanted Batman's design to reflect both his charismatic personality and his more comedic depiction in the film.[13] At Roth's behest, Tong had Alfred's design to be "very playful" and reflecting his old age, in contrast to most depictions of the character.[13] For the Joker's design, Tong drew inspiration from the works ofChristophe Blain. He also wanted his design to be more animalistic and with more exaggerated expressions in order to depict him as "over-dramatic".[13]
Patrick Stump composed the score for the film;[14] he previously performed the song "Who's the (Bat)man" forThe Lego Batman Movie (2017).[15]
In addition to Stump's score, the film features several Christmas songs, including "All I Really Want for Christmas" byLil Jon feat.Kool-Aid Man, "Father Christmas" byThe Kinks, and "¿Dónde Esta Santa Claus?" by Augie Rios.[12] Roth wanted "All I Want for Christmas" to play during a sequence in which Damian "[begins] to get all he really wants for Christmas" because he felt the song reflected his point-of-view during the scene.[2]
Merry Little Batman was released on December 8, 2023, onAmazon Prime Video byAmazon MGM Studios.[4][16] The film was previously set for release onHBO Max andCartoon Network.[9][10]Merry Little Batman is the 3rdDC Entertainment film not to be produced byWarner Bros., afterRed 2 in 2013.
On February 2, 2023,James Gunn confirmed that animated productions are being released and labeled asDC Elseworlds.[17]
The film was released on digital on November 15, 2024.[18]
Thereview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 96%, based on 28 reviews, with an approval rating of 7.6/10.[19]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annie Awards | February 17, 2024 | Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in a Feature Production | Nikolas Ilić | Nominated | [20] |
| Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in a Feature Production | David Hornsby | Nominated | |||
| Children's and Family Emmy Awards | March 15, 2025 | Outstanding Animated Special | Merry Little Batman | Nominated | [21] |
| Outstanding Editing for an Animated Program | Andy Young | Nominated | |||
| Individual Achievement in Animation - Background Design | Philip Vose | Won | [22] | ||
| Individual Achievement in Animation - Character Animation | Elena Najar | Won | |||
| Individual Achievement in Animation - Production Design | Guillaume Fesquet | Won |
In April 2023, it was reported that a television series based on the film, titledBat-Fam (formerlyBat-Family), was in development forAmazon Prime Video. The series will center onBatman,Alfred Pennyworth, Damian Wayne / Little Batman and "a few newcomers to Wayne Manor, as they navigate the fun and frustrations of life as a super family".[23] Mike Roth will return as showrunner.[12] The series debuted atAnnecy on June 13, 2025,[24] and premiered on November 10, 2025.[25][26]
