By Lisa Richwine
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Spotify’s podcast fiction series about Batman alter-ego Bruce Wayne will debut around the world in May with local adaptations in nine countries including India, Brazil and Japan, the company said on Tuesday.
The podcast follows “The Batman” movie, which was released in cinemas in March and has sold nearly $712 million worth of tickets worldwide.
“Batman Unburied” is the first podcast developed through a multi-year deal between Spotify Technology SA and AT&T Inc’s Warner Bros to bring DC Comics superheroes to narrative podcasts. Swedish company Spotify, the world’s largest music streaming service, has been ramping up its podcast business and now offers more than 3.2 million podcast titles.
Described as a psychological thriller, “Batman Unburied” is an original story that starts with Wayne working as a forensic pathologist examining the victims of a serial killer.
The English-language production will premiere globally on May 3, as will localised versions in Brazil, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan and Mexico.
The adaptations will be offered in the local language and will feature directors and voice actors from the area, the company said. Scripts also will be tailored to reflect local culture.
Winston Duke, who played M’Baku in Marvel’s “Black Panther” movie, will voice the role of Wayne in the English-language series.
In other markets, Wayne will be voiced by Rocco Pitanga (Brazil), Dali Benssalah (France), Murathan Muslu (Germany), Amit Sadh (India), Ario Bayu (Indonesia), Claudio Santamaria (Italy), Ryohei Otani (Japan), and Alfonso Herrera (Mexico).
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
