"Batman: The Killing Joke," while an iconic graphic novel, is restricted in telling its story due to the number of pages that could be printed at the time. However, the animated film adaptation will expand on its story in order to fill up its intended running time, and according to Hitflix, the studios will fill in the gaps in the story by focusing more on Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl (Tara Strong).

According to the report, the film will feature a 15-minute prologue that will focus on the adventures of Batgirl. This will show the audience a few sequences of Batgirl actively protecting Gotham City as she patrols and takes down criminals, up to the point where she then becomes a victim of the Joker (Mark Hamill).

In the original graphic novel, Barbara Gordon does get a lot of the spotlight but the character is never seen wearing her costume and fighting crime. Most of her key scenes are during the sequence when the Joker shoots her and when she is in the hospital.

The new animated film will instead add more to her backstory and her relationships with the key players of the film, particularly the Joker and her father, Commissioner James Gordon (Ray Wise). 

Adding in the new scenes will help new audiences establish that Barbara is not just the commissioner's daughter but also one of Batman's (Kevin Conroy) closest allies and will add weight to her character and make her story all the more tragic, particularly when she is paralyzed by the Joker and goes through the process to become the Oracle.

"Batman: The Killing Joke" stars Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, reprising their icon roles as Batman and the Joker, respectively, in this animated adaptation of the classic Alan Moore tale. The R-rated animated film will be released this year, although the studios have yet to announce a definitive release date.