Porkchops DC Comics News Thread

[Wang Chung]

When Warner Bros hired Will Beall to write the script and tentatively scheduled the movie for release in 2015, we thought the Justice League movie was really going to happen, but that's not a certainty anymore.

According to Variety (via Joblo), whether or not Justice League gets made will depends on how Zack Snyder's Man of Steel performs at the box office.

Here's the relevant part from Variety:

Stakes are high for 'Man of Steel.' Other than Nolan's Batpics, Warners has not been able to effectively exploit the DC library. Its 2011 'Green Lantern' underperformed, and a 'Justice League' film wouldn't likely be in theaters before 2015, as Warner's top brass has indicated that they are awaiting the results of 'Man of Steel,' which opens June 14, before moving further ahead.

So, it sounds like if Man of Steel bombed, we may not see another superhero movie from Warner Bros for awhile since Justice League is supposed to kick off the Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern, and The Flash stand-alone movies. The studio will still reboot Batman though, so there is that.

The last Superman movie, 2006's Superman Returns, cost $270 million to make but took in about $391 million at the global box office, which didn't impressed the studio brass at all.

Man of Steel's budget is estimated to be around $225 million, and like Superman Returns, it needs to make over $500 million to live up to expectations and save the Justice League movie.

Okay, Superman, it's all up to you now. No pressure.

So if Supes flops then no Justice League movie. So with a budget like $225 million this movie needs to kick some serious ass. Lets all hope Man of Steel does well because I for one would love to see a Justice League film regardless of how bad Superman does solo.

 

[Castiel]

Re: 'Man of Steel' Will Determine the 'Justice League' Movie's Fate

Luckily I have a feeling Man of Steele is going to do just fine. Even then it's going to be a hectic road to the JL movie...

 

[Petty]

Re: 'Man of Steel' Will Determine the 'Justice League' Movie's Fate

I think Man Of Steel will do better numbers for sure than Green Lantern. I for sure did not give two fucks about Green Lantern's movie.

 

[Wang Chung]

Since there has been so much DC comics news pouring out I thought I would copy old LD (Delta Kilo) and create my own one for this.

Ever since Marvel stuck their landing with the $1.5 billion grossing Phase One-capper The Avengers, a number of other studios have been making moves to try and mimic the studio’s “Cinematic Universe” model. One of the most notable reactions to The Avengers came by way of the announcement that Warner Bros. was going to finally try to mount their Justice League movie for a 2015 release. When a major update on Justice League first broke last summer, we learned that WB had enlisted scribe Will Beall (Gangster Squad) to tackle the screenplay.

The studio has yet to nab a director since then, and a few weeks ago we learned that WB was waiting to see how Man of Steel does this summer before giving Justice League a greenlight. Now it appears that WB is having an even harder time with JL than we previously thought, as a new report claims that Beall’s script is being entirely tossed out. Hit the jump for more.

justice-league-movieOver at Badass Digest, Devin is hearing from multiple sources that Beall’s script has been scrapped. Apparently each of his sources claim that the script is “terrible,” with some even saying that the quality of the screenplay is the reason why WB has been unable to land a good director (this isn’t hard to believe seeing as how Beall’s script for Gangster Sqaud was quite disappointing). We previously heard that Beall’s story involves the villain Darkseid and “a heavy cosmic threat,” with Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Green Lantern set as the film’s primary heroes, but if his script is indeed being thrown out, that could mean a wholly new story and/or different characters.

I’ve been unconvinced that Justice League could make the 2015 release date for a while now, and if Badass Digest’s report does indeed turn out to be true, it seems unlikely that the film could hit theaters in just two years. A new script will have to be written, a director will have to be found (who will have his own input on the screenplay), a prolonged casting process will need to take place, and then there’s the lengthy production and post-production schedule to take into account.

Though this recent development is certainly disconcerting, it’s been clear for a some time that Warner Bros. isn’t entirely sure how to approach Justice League. Marvel threw the gauntlet down hard with The Avengers, so the DC superhero team-up film is feeling the pressure. Maybe this development isn’t such a bad thing, though. I’d rather have a high-quality Justice League movie in 2016 or 2017 rather than a rushed, subpar Justice League movie in 2015. We should hear more regarding the film soon as we approach the June 14th release of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel.

Does not sound good but I hope that they can get this working since they could really use a boost other than Batman.

 

[Postman Dave]

They need to stop rushing things and pace themselves. Avengers didn't happen over night, and a rushed film could make DC a laughing stock.

 

[Wang Chung]

It appears that we may have to wait a bit longer to see The Rock take on a comic book character. Early last year, rumors surfaced that Dwayne Johnson was circling the starring role in Warner Bros. adaptation of the DC Comic Lobo. It seemed like pitch perfect casting, as the rather intimidating Lobo is an anti-hero character that was created initially as an indictment of the hero prototype of the Punisher and Wolverine, and who became known for his violent tendencies.

Johnson himself confirmed the rumors last summer, saying it “could be fun” to play the character for director Brad Peyton (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island), but now it appears that nothing ever solidified, as the actor has revealed that the project “went away.” Hit the jump for more.

dwayne-johnson-loboSpeaking with MTV News (via The Playlist), Johnson confirmed that director Brett Ratner’s Hercules is the next film that he’ll be shooting, but when asked about Lobo he revealed that he’s no longer involved with the film:

“It was [something that I was going to do] for a minute, but then it kind of just went away, as things happen in Hollywood. For a minute, I was interested in it, but then it went away.”

I assume the project is still in development (the thing has been percolating for a number of years now), but it appears that if it does move forward to production, it won’t be with Johnson. It’s kind of a bummer, but I’d be shocked if we don’t see Johnson in a comic book adaptation sooner or later. For now, we’ve got plenty of Johnson goodness to look forward to as he’ll be seen in the action thriller Snitch later this month, the sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation next month, Michael Bay’s dark comedy Pain and Gain in April, and the insane-looking Fast & Furious 6 in May. That’s a whole lotta Dwayne Johnson, which should make for a whole lotta fun times at the movies. Watch the video interview with Johnson below.

Well that sucks. I wouldn't mind seeing Dwayne do some comic movies but the roles he has been taking have been working out for him and Fast 6 is on the horizon.

 

[Postman Dave]

Rocky's gonna be making a fuckton of money these next 6 months.

Not familiar with Lobo tbh.

 

[Wang Chung]

Rocky's gonna be making a fuckton of money these next 6 months.

Not familiar with Lobo tbh.

And that doesn't even count his paydays for WM and EC

 

[Wang Chung]

However, Cage himself has been talking about the abortive Superman Lives (which was to have been directed by Tim Burton from a script by Kevin Smith) and insists it would have been awesome.

“I do think that I had the win-win situation,” explains Cage, “because that character is such a bullseye that you have to hit. He's one of the most precious icons of our country.

“The fact that Tim and I were pretty far down the road designing [Superman Lives], and I know that with Tim and where I was going to go, we would have done something really special.”

It would have been interesting to say the least. We'll find out what Zack Snyder has come up with for the character when Man Of Steel arrives in UK cinemas on 14 June 2013.

Not really news but if it had Jay and Silent Bob in it, I would have seen it.

 

[Krisis]

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and DC Entertainment announced today that a new documentary is in the works on DC supervillains such as Joker, Bane, Lex Luthor, Deathstroke and Darkseid.

The project, titled Necessary Evil: Villains of DC Comics, will be narrated by legendary screen baddie Christopher Lee (Lord of the Rings, the Star Wars prequels, and Hammer horror classics), and will feature interviews with many comic book icons who have played a role in making these supervillains so infamous.


Production begins March 30, to coincide with WonderCon at the Anaheim Convention Center March 29-31.



“DC Comics is known for many things, but chief among them is the compelling, diverse and legendary society of super-villains who populate its universe. From the monstrous Solomon Grundy to the brutal Black Adam to the charismatic Sinestro, there is no single greater collection of villainy in all of fiction. These villains are hugely popular comic book characters in their own right and, quite honestly, many are often times more popular than some of our iconic super heroes," said DCE’s Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns.

Definitely interested in this.

 

[Wang Chung]

Definitely interested in this.

As cool as this sounds I thought they were going to go the route of making stand alone films about those characters. I also wouldn't mind them doing a movie about Joker and telling it through his perspective or even Lex Luthor.

 

[Krisis]

Well a documentary doesn't mean that they won't do standalones... In fact it might be to garnish interest to get those films off the ground.

 

[Wang Chung]

Well a documentary doesn't mean that they won't do standalones... In fact it might be to garnish interest to get those films off the ground.

that much is true. I would think a stand alone about how the Joker became the Joker and his take on his battle with Batman would be kind of Interesting.

 

[Krisis]

But does anyone know how the joker actually became the joker lol

 

[Wang Chung]

But does anyone know how the joker actually became the joker lol

that is the point. In some of the comics and in the movie with Michael Keaton he was covered in some sort of ooze that caused the discoloration and his face to have a smile and his craziness, but in Nolans Batman his father seemed like a sadistic fuck who tortured him which made him unstable. So who knows