Behind Spotify’s DC Comics Bet – The Hollywood Reporter

Billy Magnussen as The Joker, Christina Ricci as Harley Quinn on Spotify’s Harley Quinn & The Joker: Sound Mind

Provided by Spotify/Alicia Afshar

As James Gunn and Peter Safran reimagine the DC Universe with Warner Bros. Discovery, film and television aren’t the only mediums where iconic characters like Batman, Harley Quinn and The Joker will be given new life.

Thanks to a massive multi-year first-look deal with Spotify, DC has been attracting new and returning fans to its wealth of IP. Creating superheroes with high wattage and heavy use of effects.

The partnership really took off last year when Spotify and DC released an original story about Batman. dark Knight Scribe David S. Goyer. Winston Duke as Bruce Wayne unburied batman As a psychological thriller that follows Bruce tracking down a serial killer and confronting his own demons along the way, it took on a decidedly darker tone.The series was so successful that at one point it slipped Joe Rogan Experience Reached Spotify’s Top Podcasts Chart and End of Year Rap List of America’s Most Anticipated Podcasts

This year, Spotify is back with the latest DC installment. homecoming Author Eli Horowitz. Christina Ricci as Harley Quinn, Billy Magnussen as The Joker, and (surprise!) Justin Hartley as his own version of Batman in a different world. unburied batman. audio show, Harley Quinn and the Joker: Sound Mind, It serves as a prequel of sorts, as it tracks the beginning of Dr. Harleen Quinzel’s journey from Arkham Asylum’s star psychiatrist to the villain known as Harley Quinn.But unlike other depictions of Harley’s origin story in which the Joker is responsible for her transformation, Spotify and Horowitz’s harley quinn Bring the balance of power back to Harley. In this version, Harlene is driven by her desire to help her ailing father, Gotham due to her growing disillusionment with the inner workings of her City and the powers harnessed by the wealthy Wayne family. I am affected.

The series also comes as Spotify re-evaluates its overall podcast strategy as the market matures. For the original programming that the DC Podcast falls into, the audio giant is aiming for big reach while having a “unique” story that cuts through the noise.

Julie McNamara, who oversees Spotify’s original programming and exclusive partnerships, said: Hollywood Reporter. “But we really have to be intentional about what kind of things can break the clutter. This is clearly a mature market for audio and we You have to be smart.”

Of course, it doesn’t matter if you have a podcast featuring famous characters like Harley Quinn, Joker, Rich or Magnussen. Immediately after its release on January 31st, harley quinn and joker Beating out mainstay Joe Rogan to claim the top spot on Spotify’s podcast charts, the series ends with ample runway, making a second season the natural next step.

for Harley Quinn and Joker, Spotify has collaborated with Warner Bros. again. Blue Ribbon content for series production. Peter Girardi, Head of Blue Ribbon Content and Warner Bros. Animation, said: THR Horowitz brought the first concept for the audio series into the studio.

“I’ve been working on projects that make Harley stronger, more confident, and as she builds a relationship with Harley, she’s on her way. [Poison Ivy] Or whoever it is, she’ll be the Harley we know and love,” says Girardi. I knew I had it, and I thought that was great. I had never seen or heard of it.”

When it came to casting the lead for the series, the team quickly approached Christina Ricci. yellow jacket, Girardi recalls, referring to Rich’s role on Showtime’s hit series. “Such a wild but calculating, wild but vicious [role] — there’s real Harley energy there. ”

Rich says she was a little “intimidated” by playing Harley Quinn at first, but appreciated the more feminist approach to the character, and her outside perspective as someone who isn’t a big fan of comics. “Harley is a real woman, an intelligent woman, an educated woman. I really liked that.” Rich says.

Recording for the series took place over several weeks at a studio in Burbank, where Rich occasionally joined Magnussen and Hartley in supporting cast members such as Amy Sedaris, Fred Melamed, Elias Cortees, and Stephen Root. .

Magnussen has said he took inspiration from Mark Hamill and Heath Ledger for his own interpretation. To nail the iconic Joker laugh, Magnussen remembers experimenting with different versions of the villain’s maniacal laugh either sitting at home or in the car. “I probably looked maniacal,” he says.

Hartley, whose role is primarily Bruce Wayne rather than Batman, says the faster production timeline helped him flex “another muscle” as an actor. With no worries, he and his co-stars felt they could really play with their characters. So a lot of the things you would normally do in a physical way need to be compensated for in other ways,” Hartley says. “Just because an actor can’t be seen doesn’t mean he isn’t acting like a complete clown. He’s gesticulating and doing all sorts of weird things to make sure he’s in the right place.” I am turning my heart.”

Spotify, which hosts a Stream On event on Wednesday, has yet to announce its next project with DC.But all 3 stars harley quinn and joker teach THR They want to go back to the recording booth. And for DC, getting new fans is always a win.

“What always inspires me and still amazes me is the variety of interpretations these characters can handle,” Girardi says. “If we can bring people to these characters in a way that they’ve never experienced before, that’s great.”