DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation have officially announced Joker: Laugh Riot, a new anime exploring the Batman universe from the perspective of its most iconic villain. The announcement came during a panel at Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 25.

Director Yasuhiro Aoki (known for ChaO and an episode of Batman: Gotham Knight) will helm the project at Sola Entertainment, the studio behind The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. The anime will release worldwide, bringing the Clown Prince of Crime to animation in a story that follows him on a violent crusade to hunt down Batman's killer.

This marks another addition to DC's expanding anime pipeline. The same announcement also revealed two additional animated series in development: Absolute Batman and Krypto, signaling DC's commitment to exploring its characters through anime.

The Joker character has already made waves in anime recently. Wit Studio's Suicide Squad ISEKAI brought the villain into a fantasy setting when it debuted on Max and Hulu in June 2024, later airing in Japan on Tokyo MX and BS11. Additionally, Batman himself has continued appearing in new animated projects, including the CG film Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, which streamed on HBO Max and various platforms in 2025.

Beyond anime, DC is also expanding the Joker's presence in manga. Kodansha announced a new manga titled Machibura JOKER (Joker Walking Around Town) launching July 2, with art by Masa Ichikawa. DC is handling character and creative supervision on the manga with support from international publishing rights agency Fortuna.

These projects reflect a broader strategy from DC and Warner Bros. to reach global audiences through diverse animated formats. With anime becoming an increasingly important medium for Western intellectual properties, Joker: Laugh Riot positions the character for a fresh interpretation while tapping into the medium's passionate fanbase. More details about release windows and additional cast information are expected to emerge as production progresses.