DC Studios Announces First Anime Series Joker: Laugh Riot

Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios unveiled a major expansion of their animated slate on Thursday, announcing three new series including the studio's first-ever anime project. The announcements were made during a joint presentation at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France.

The centerpiece of the new wave is "Joker: Laugh Riot," an adult anime series that will serve as DC Studios' inaugural foray into the medium. The series will be directed by Yasuhiro Aoki, an award-winning director known for his work on "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim." The story follows the Joker as he launches a violent crusade through Gotham City's underworld to find Batman's killer after the Dark Knight is murdered. The official logline states that as his quest pushes him closer to becoming a vigilante, the Joker is forced to confront the existential truth that without Batman, he does not know who he is. The project is a collaboration between Warner Bros. Animation, DC Studios, and Japan's Sola Entertainment, with longtime DC animation veteran Jim Krieg serving as executive producer.

Alongside the anime, the studios confirmed a series adaptation of the...