“Ripper” puts Batman in Whitechapel, 1888

Batman vs Jack the Ripper. Have I got your attention?

Ripper is the latest in a string of fan films causing major buzz up and down the internet. Like another recent gem Predator: Dark Ages (which we told you about last April), Ripper is a genre mash-up featuring modern characters set in a past historical era.

Official Synopsis: London, 1888 and the Ripper murders are gripping the country. The people of Whitechapel are afraid to walk the streets at night and the police are no closer to cracking the case. Chief Inspector Abberline leads the investigation and with pressure from above to catch the killer, his own demons start to get the better of him… What Abberline doesn’t know is that there is someone out there who wants to help. Someone in the shadows…. watching…. waiting to strike.

Tagline: “There’s worse things out there than Jack the Ripper.”

Writer/director James Campbell is helming this unlikely smack-down between Saucy Jack and The Bat, a fan-film based on the graphic novel by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola: Gotham by Gaslight (1989). While principal photography wrapped in June, Ripper still needs one key ingredient before it can be unleashed upon the masses: The perfect Jack the Ripper. And you can help.

Campbell explains: “2 weeks prior to shooting, we lost our “Jack the Ripper”, this was due to the actor being cast in a big feature film. Rather than rush out and cast just anyone, we decided to still go ahead with the shoot, knowing that we would have to come back at a later date. We are now very close to casting our new Jack the Ripper, and have been pretty blown away by the actors that are interested.”

Once the perfect Jack has been cast, Campbell faces the daunting task of reassembling the entire cast and crew for a single day of shooting.

Campbell: “What we are trying to make here is something very different. Something that hasn’t been seen before in film… placing Batman in a Victorian setting and adding those Italian horror visuals and a synth heavy score will be very unique indeed. But what we need now is for people to get involved and help us make this cool project a reality…”

Their initial crowdsourcing campaign netted over 6K pounds; this time, Campbell is seeking an additional 5K pounds to cover, among other things: The increased salary for a big name actor playing Jack the Ripper, additional shooting and post-production costs, as well as PR and a vinyl pressing. Fans of Batman, Jack the Ripper, Italian horror, comics, and unique visual curios are invited to learn more at their Indiegogo Page: HERE.

With the ultimate goal of premiering at a major American comic book convention this fall, Ripper’s current crowdsourcing campaign runs until August 30^th.

For those wondering about the legality of fan-made films, Campbell explains: “This is a 100% NON-PROFIT fan-made short film. We are making no revenue from the project. Any donations we receive on Indiegogo will directly fund the film. They will never go in anyone’s pocket. Regarding our rights to make the film, Warner Bros. (owner of DC Comics/Entertainment) issued this statement regarding fan films/creations in 2004 that has been their policy ever since, a statement we strictly adhere to: ‘Warner Bros. definitely appreciates the enthusiasm and respect of its fans. We will continue to monitor the use of Warner Bros. properties as used in fan films. However, we will only consider taking action against such films that are either commercial in nature, are commercially exploited or otherwise engage in or depict inappropriate activity’.”

Stay up-to-date on Ripper news by liking their Facebook page: HERE.

We Kill the Dead

Fans of comics and Jack the Ripper would also be well advised to check out the Kickstarter page for the graphic trilogy We Kill the Dead (produced by the Blood-Shed’s own John Lepper) which pits the scourge of Whitechapel against a modern, elite team of militaristic supernatural exterminators. In addition to Saucy Jack, We Kill the Dead will feature over 16 slashers from actual horror movies (including one yet-to-be-announced A-Lister).

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Are you intrigued by Ripper’s premise of pitting Jack the Ripper against Batman? Sound off in the Comments section!

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