Secret Animated JLA Movie Has LSH Characters

Out Tuesday, January 21, is a “secret” release of a new animated DC movie. According to World’s Finest, JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time is a Target-exclusive DVD-only cartoon feature, running not even an hour (roughly 52 minutes). As they explain,

Dubbed a “stealth release,” wherein a home entertainment product is given no promotion and limited availability due to its perceived audience reach, JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time is an all-new original movie featuring the Justice League facing off against the classic Legion of Doom.

The plot reportedly also involves the classic Legion of Super-Heroes foe the Time Trapper, with the Legion of Doom going back in time to try and get rid of Superman (Peter Jessop), Wonder Woman (Grey DeLisle), and Batman (Diedrich Bader) before they became superheroes. Other heroes appearing include Aquaman (Liam O’Brien), Flash (Jason Spisak), Cyborg (no credit given), Karate Kid (Dante Basco), and Dawnstar (Laura Bailey). It’s based off of a classic 1970s Super Friends episode, in case it sounds familiar.

In this interview with director Giancarlo Volpe, he reveals that the usual original DC animated movies were considered too gritty in tone, so Target wanted a kid-friendly toy-tie-in.

If the movie is successful, it may expand to other retail outlets, at which point Warner Bros. Home Entertainment would presumably let customers know it exists. I’m going to be watching the Sunday ad flyers to see what kind of promotion the Target store gives this release. Readers will remember that Target had a wide Justice League-related ad campaign this past summer.