Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice had a very good first weekend (arguably because so many opening weekend tickets were already ordered before the reviews started rolling in). That was before the second weekend drop of 69 percent, and now Warner Bros appears to be working on damage control and strategies for the future (presuming “make better movies” is not as easy a remedy as it might sound). The not-yet-confirmed news that dominated the cycle this week was the notion that Warner Bros might be looking to produce fewer movies. This is described as being not just a reaction to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but also the disappointing results for other recent releases, like Jupiter Ascending (26 percent on RT), Pan (26 percent), and In the Heart of the Sea (42 percent). If the rumors are true, Warner Bros may instead focus more on three main production paths: their continuing LEGO franchise, their DC Comics movies, and the Harry Potter spinoffs like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (and the already planned sequels). We’re calling this not just a potentially “Rotten Idea,” but really, sort of a shame. Warner Bros has had some critical and box office flops, sure (what studio hasn’t?), but they are also a studio that has recently given us movies like Argo, Godzilla, Interstellar, American Sniper, Creed, and Mad Max: Fury Road. And all of those films might have possibly fallen outside those three pathways to production and release. And it might be that we’re already seeing news that supports this rumor/theory. For example, the news broke this week that Warner Bros has put their adaptation of the manga Death Note into turnaround, and the film from director Adam Wingard (You’re Next) has been picked up by Netflix, the new masters of picking up other studio’s castoffs and dusting them off.
