Batman: The Long Halloween Part 1 in Australia: Film Guide

Batman: The Long Halloween Part 1 is a 2021 animated film directed by Chris Palmer and written by Tim Sheridan, with an Australian DVD date of July 14, 2021. It begins a crime mystery that continues in Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two. The two films adapt a story from Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's comic, with the first film covering roughly the first half. For an Australian reader, the local DVD dates and classifications provide useful context for choosing the correct titles and editions.

The first film follows Batman as he works with Police Captain James Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent. Their pact targets Carmine Falcone, while murders on holidays lead them to suspect a serial killer called Holiday. That setup gives the film a particular investigation to follow within the wider franchise. The Batman movies hub covers the broader film context if the question extends beyond this adaptation, while this guide focuses on the two films and their comic source.

The numbered title identifies the opening film of a pair, so the story continues in Part Two. Both films were released in 2021 and feature Jensen Ackles as Batman. The Australian DVD dates place Part One before Part Two, although those historical dates do not establish current availability. Start with Part One if you want to follow the investigation from its opening, then check the separate classification for Part Two before continuing.

The Holiday Killer mystery begins with a Halloween murder and a pact between Batman, Police Captain James Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent. Their shared target is Carmine Falcone, placing the investigation within a struggle against organized crime. DC's synopsis then identifies murders at Thanksgiving and Christmas, leading the investigators to suspect a serial killer called Holiday. The dates give viewers a pattern to follow as the investigation develops beyond the opening holiday.

Batman, Gordon and Dent each have a distinct place in the pact at the center of the story. Gordon is a police captain, Dent is the district attorney and Batman works alongside them against Falcone. Holiday is the name given to the suspected serial killer connecting the murders. Keeping those roles in mind makes the opening easier to follow: Falcone is the target of the agreement, while Holiday is the suspected killer in the developing murder investigation.

The holiday dates are part of the premise, but a pattern alone does not reveal the killer's identity. The story continues in Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two, so a viewer following the full adaptation can carry the question into the second film. The first film's Australian M classification and the second film's MA 15+ classification are also separate pieces of information to check before watching. If you want to avoid later developments, follow the initial pact and the dates of the murders without reading the spoiler in the Part Two section.

Jensen Ackles voices Batman in both 2021 Long Halloween films, while Naya Rivera voices Catwoman and Josh Duhamel voices Harvey Dent. Billy Burke voices James Gordon, and Troy Baker voices the Joker. Those names connect the performers to the characters in this adaptation, which is useful when comparing credits across the wider Batman franchise. Ackles remains the voice of Batman when the story moves from Part One into Part Two.

Titus Welliver voices Carmine Falcone, the target of the pact between Batman, Gordon and Dent. DC also identifies Julie Nathanson as Gilda Dent. The cast credits give viewers a way to recognize the ensemble without assuming that every character has the same role in the investigation. Dent is the district attorney in the opening pact, Gordon is a police captain, and Falcone is the figure their agreement targets. Catwoman is also known as Selina Kyle.

The voice credits and the story premise answer different questions about the films. Knowing that Baker voices the Joker identifies a performer and character, while the opening synopsis identifies Holiday as the suspected serial killer. DC discusses villains across the two films together, so that combined context should not be used to assign every appearance to Part One. To prepare for the first film, begin with Ackles, Burke and Duhamel as the voices of the three people in the pact, then use the wider cast credits as a guide to the ensemble.

Part One adapts roughly the first half of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's The Long Halloween comic, according to DC. The original comic ran across 13 issues from 1996 to 1997, and the animated adaptation continues in Part Two. DC's description gives a broad indication of where the first film sits within the source story, but it does not set an exact issue boundary. Readers comparing the versions can use the two film structure as a guide to the adaptation rather than as a count of issues per film.

Writer Tim Sheridan told SYFY WIRE that he approached the adaptation as a live action screenplay rather than a panel for panel reproduction. Supervising producer Butch Lukic said the production adapted elements of Sale's Gotham backgrounds. Those accounts describe different parts of the work: Sheridan discussed the screenplay, while Lukic discussed the visual connection to the comic. Together, they give readers a way to consider both storytelling and setting when moving between the versions.

The complete comic provides the source story across its 13 issues, while the screen adaptation presents the material as two films. That distinction is useful if you want to compare a particular scene with the comic, because DC's broad description does not promise a fixed sequence of transferred pages. Start with Part One for the beginning of the animated mystery, continue with Part Two for the screen story, and read Loeb and Sale's comic for the original presentation.

DC names the Joker, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Solomon Grundy and Calendar Man among the villains appearing across the two Long Halloween films. This is a combined roster for the adaptation, so it does not establish that every named character appears in Part One. Troy Baker voices the Joker, according to DC's cast discussion. For a first viewing, the combined list is useful as background to the ensemble, while the Part One synopsis supplies the specific opening premise.

Carmine Falcone is the target of the pact between Batman, James Gordon and Harvey Dent in Part One. Holiday is the name given to the suspected serial killer as murders occur on holidays. Those descriptions identify different roles within the investigation, and the wider villain roster does not establish a suspect's guilt. Titus Welliver voices Falcone, while Gordon and Dent are voiced by Billy Burke and Josh Duhamel. The cast credits help connect names to performances without resolving the mystery.

DC's discussion of the two films gives a broader view of the characters associated with the adaptation than the opening synopsis alone. It does not specify an entry point or explain each named villain's involvement in the first film. That distinction matters when using a cast article to prepare for Part One, because the second film continues the same story. Follow the pact and holiday murders as the starting point, then let the films establish how the other named characters fit into the case.

Australian Classification rated Part One M for animated violence on May 4, 2021, and Part Two MA 15+ for strong animated violence on June 24, 2021. The BBFC lists an 83-minute 2021 home entertainment version of Batman: The Long Halloween Part 1. These details answer separate viewing questions: the Australian records provide local classification advice for each film, while the BBFC figure identifies the length of a particular home entertainment version.

Australian Classification lists a duration of 181 minutes for its original Part One sale and hire submission. That figure should not be presented as the feature runtime, and the supplied records do not explain why it differs from the BBFC listing. The records do not establish that the longer figure represents bonus material, a combined edition or an administrative mistake. Use the 83 minute figure with its BBFC version context, and check the details attached to the edition you intend to watch.

The two Australian classifications should be checked individually when planning to watch the complete adaptation. Part One's M classification carries the advice animated violence, while Part Two's MA 15+ classification carries the advice strong animated violence. The continuation therefore has different local advice even though it follows the same story. Keep the duration of a listed version separate from the classification of a submission, and consult the Australian record for each title when deciding which film to watch.

After Part One, continue with Part Two for the animated story or read Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's original The Long Halloween comic. DC describes Part One as adapting roughly the first half of the comic, which was published across 13 issues from 1996 to 1997. The second film continues the mystery introduced in the first. The comic offers the original presentation of the story, making it the direct starting point for a comparison with the screen adaptation.

Loeb and Sale followed The Long Halloween with Batman: Dark Victory, a series launched in 1999 and collected as issues 0 to 13. That gives readers a further comic to explore after the original, while Part Two remains the continuation of the animated adaptation. The distinction helps keep a reading choice separate from a viewing choice: begin with The Long Halloween for the source of these films, then consider Dark Victory if you want to continue with Loeb and Sale's subsequent series.

DC records the United States digital release of Part Two as July 27, 2021, followed by Blu-ray on August 10, 2021. The National Library of Australia separately records its Australian DVD date as August 11, 2021. Those historical dates do not establish a current Australian streaming provider. For wider franchise context, visit the Batman movies page, and check the exact title and edition when arranging a viewing of Part Two.