DC ComicsYou won't find The Riddler in Christopher Nolan's next Batman flick. But that doesn't mean you can't see the Caped Crusader tangling with that particular twisted foe somewhere else.
After introducing the idea earlier this year, Warner Bros. and DC Comics announced today that Batman Live, featuring Batman, Robin and a slew of arch-nemeses, will start touring the U.K. next year, followed by a U.S. tour in summer 2012.
But don't go dusting off your opening-night gowns and tuxedos just yet.
Producers have made it clear that this is not a musical, unlike what U2 and Julie Taymor have been trying to do with Spider-Man for ages.
Instead, this will be more along the lines of the special effects-laden action shows you see at theme parks like Universal Studios—but with a much bigger budget.
"With the touring Batman Live show, we're bringing Batman's adventures to live audiences for the very first time," said Geoff Johns, chief creative officer of DC Entertainment. "The idea that we're doing it with a production team this talented and with this much passion is thrilling."
The show opens in Manchester on July 20, 2011, followed by stops in Newcastle, Glasgow, Sheffield, Birmingham, London, Liverpool, Nottingham, Dublin and Belfast.
Tickets go on sale Nov. 12.