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Tim Curry Was the Original Joker in “Batman: The Animated Series”
Tim Curry was on top of the world in the early ’90s, kicking off the decade with a starring role in the mini-series adaptation of Stephen King’s IT. Curry of course stole the show, and terrified a generation of children, as the killer clown Pennywise, just one of his many iconic roles over the years.
But did you know that shortly after bringing Pennywise to life, Tim Curry was cast to play another villainous clown on the small screen? Curry was originally cast to play The Joker in “Batman: The Animated Series,” which premiered in 1992!
Mark Hamill eventually took over the role, but it was Curry who initially provided the voice for the animated version of The Joker. Unfortunately, audio from those early recordings has to date never been leaked, but we do now know why Curry was replaced. And contrary to rumors over the years, it wasn’t because his voice was too scary for children.
At Fan Expo Canada over the weekend, Curry spilled the beans…
“I did play Joker for a while. But I had bronchitis and they fired me… and hired Mark Hamill. That’s life.”
What would “Batman: The Animated Series” have been like with Curry as the Joker? Well, someone on YouTube edited Pennywise audio into the animated series, which at least gives you somewhat of an idea of what such an alternate reality might’ve sounded like.
Unless/until those recordings surface, it’s really all we’ve got to go on.
We have the Jason Universe to thank for the recent return of Jason Voorhees, with the short film Sweet Revenge and Jason’s arrival in Dead by Daylight helping to bring the hockey mask-wearing horror icon back into our lives. What else is planned, you ask?
In a chat with Variety this week, Jason Universe’s Robbie Barsamian teases that everything we’ve seen up to this point is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Jason’s return.
“We’ve been busy behind the scenes laying the foundation that everyone is finally starting to see come to life, but this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Barsamian teases.
“We have a thrilling lineup of new projects that we can’t wait to share more details on soon.”
Barsamian also notes during the chat with Variety, “We want to give fans fresh takes on what they love most about Jason and continue to expand his world in authentic ways that resonate with horror fans today.” One of those expansions will take the form of the upcoming Peacock and A24 series “Crystal Lake,” which stars Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees.
“The Crystal Lake TV series will take fans back in time to tell the story of how Pamela Voorhees came to be the mother of all slashers,” Barsamian tells Variety this week.
“Crystal Lake” premieres October 15 on Peacock.
Callum Vinson (“Chucky”) is playing young Jason in “Crystal Lake,” which will tell the origin story of the masked slasher who has stalked the grounds of Crystal Lake for decades.
Last year, the Jason Universe team had teased that a new movie and a new video game are top priorities for the near future. But at this time we have no updates on either front.
Stay tuned for more from the Jason Universe.
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