Back in November, we posted a College Humor animated short called The Dark Knight Meets Superman, and Batman was forced to face his toughest adversary yet: real super powers. And every good superhero film spawns a sequel… In Part 2, Superman goes on vacation leaving Batman to protect Metropolis with the Justice League. Watch the short after the jump.
Posted on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
Update: Apparently Dark Horizon’s scooper was inaccurate. George Miller is still officially attached to a Justice League movie (which doesn’t necessarily mean that Warner Bros is going to make one any time soon) and did not appear on a Sydney morning show earlier this week.
While making an appearance on a Sydney morning show, director George Miller has confirmed that he is no longer involved with Warner Bros’ Justice League movie in any capacity. If you remember, Warners had been trying to retool the concept with Miller still at the helm. Well, not anymore. According to Dark Horizons, the Aussie filmmaker said that the studio wants “bigger stars in their superhero movies now.”
Yeah, and I’m sure the online backlash to their Justice League 90210 concept had nothing to do with this big realization? Or maybe it was the success of Marvel’s recent films? Either way, I’m kinda glad that Miller is no longer involved. He’s a great director but I never saw him as the right guy to tackle superhero material.
Discuss: Who should direct a big screen Justice League movie?
Posted on Friday, October 31st, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
The Los Angeles Times has posted the final part of their interview with Christopher Nolan, who took the time to speak out about the crossover potentials of the Nolanverse and the DC Comics universe:
“I don’t think our Batman, our Gotham, lends itself to that kind of cross-fertilization. It goes back to one of the first things we wrangled with when we first started putting the story together: Is this a world in which comic books already exist? Is this a world in which superheroes already exist? If you think of “Batman Begins” and you think of the philosophy of this character trying to reinvent himself as a symbol, we took the position — we didn’t address it directly in the film, but we did take the position philosophically — that superheroes simply don’t exist. If they did, if Bruce knew of Superman or even of comic books, then that’s a completely different decision that he’s making when he puts on a costume in an attempt to become a symbol. It’s a paradox and a conundrum, but what we did is go back to the very original concept and idea of the character. In his first appearances, he invents himself as a totally original creation.” … “It’s a different universe. It’s a different way of looking at it. Now, it’s been done successfully, very successfully, in the comics so I don’t dispute it as an approach. It just isn’t the approach we took. We had to make a decision for Batman Begins.”
So don’t expect Superman to team up with Nolan’s Batman any time soon, or at all. Nolan also answers a question about the potential studio pressures to make another sequel:
“They’re being extremely gracious. I have a very good relationship with the studio. They know that I really needed to go on holiday and take some time to figure what I want to do next. They’ve been very respectful of that, which is terrific and one of the reasons I enjoy working with Warner Bros.”
I think Warner Bros is playing it smart, which is very unusual for a Hollywood studio. But I’m willing to bet that Warner Bros’ graciousness will disappear as time moves on.
Posted on Wednesday, August 13th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
Last we head, a big screen adaptation of Justice League might not be as dead as we first believed. /Film reader Alex Litel stumbled across the website for Dr. D Studios, a Australian-based “digital media company” formed by Omnilab Media Group and filmmaker George Miller. The website not only lists Happy Feet 2 as being “In Production” and Babe 3, Fury Road and Justice League of America being in “Pre-Production”. The company is actually at the Siggraph conference this week “actively hiring” for “several large scale film projects with a growing team of top talent from Australia and beyond.” The following quote also appears in a press release for the company’s Siggraph booth:
“We are currently working on Happy Feet 2, with several other film projects to follow and we are actively hiring,” states a press release.
Also, hidden in a press release from May is the following: “Omnilab Media has also created a new digital film company with Kennedy Miller Mitchell to use groundbreaking digital storytelling, animation and visual effects. This will include HAPPY FEET 2, BABE 3 & MAD MAX 4 and a range of other blue-chip properties in development.” That’s right, Mad Max 4! Alex also discovered the resume of Ken Steel, who is currently working as a lead animator for Miller’s company:
“Responsibilities include, working as part of a small creative team designed to aid George Miller in defining a creative direction for current and future productions such as Justice League of America, Happy Feet 2, Babe 3, and Mad Max 4.”
From all of the information gathered from a few google searches, it appears that Happy Feet 2 is a definite, and Miller is exploring sequels from some of his other franchises. One must wonder how far along in development Mad Max 4 or Babe 3 might be. And Justice League… I don’t want to wonder.
Posted on Monday, August 4th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
Production Weekly’s current issue has updated Warner Bros’ adaptation of DC Comic’s The Green Lantern as being in active development:
STATUS – Development
PRODUCER: Donald De Line – Andrew Haas WRITER: Greg Berlanti – Marc Guggenheim – Michael J Green
DC COMICS 1700 Broadway New York, NY 10019
WARNER BROS. PICTURES 4000 Warner Blvd. Burbank, CA 91522-0001
Each sector of space is protected by a Green Lantern, possessing a power ring that uses a powerful green energy to do anything within the limits of the user’s imagination and will power. When the Green Lantern assigned to this sector of space finds himself dying on planet Earth, he tells the ring to find a suitable successor. The chosen replacement, hot-shot test pilot Hal Jordan, finds himself with a new job he never expected.
No director is mentioned in the above update, although Greg Berlanti (Everwood, Eli Stone) was attached to the project last year.
Common
I also noticed that rapper-turned-actor Common told Entertainment Weekly at Comic Con that if he had to dress up for the convention, he would be dressed as The Green Lantern. Common, of course, was originally signed on to play Lantern in the now defunct Justice League movie. Could this just be an inside joke to fans in the know or could Common still be in line to play the character in a stand alone big screen film? The plot synopsis from production weekly lists Hal Jordan and not John Stewart as the wearer of the ring, which if accurate, would probably mean Common won’t be starring in this film.
Justice League
Also, about that Justice League movie… Unfortunately, I’m hearing it might be back on. Seems like after the success of Marvel Entertainment’s Iron Man, DC is hot to get some projects on the fast track. I haven’t been able to confirm this with a second source, but it looks like the project might not be as dead as everyone first believed. And if so, is George Miller still in line to helm the project or did Warner Bros reach out to another SUPER director? I just wish this project would die the death it deserves. Either that or get a director to completely overhaul everything, because right now it smells like bad goods.
Here is a round up of stories that just didn’t make the /Film front page, or what we like to call…. Page 2!
Cinematical has a photo of the I Love You Philip Morris billboard at Cannes.
Adam Brody talks to IGN about his preparation for the now defunct Justice League movie.
National Lampoon’s Homo Erectus looks horrible. Check out the red band movie trailer on Trailer Addict, if you dare!
IconFactory has released their Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Icon Set.
Uwe Boll told RT what his five favorite films are – and, considering he’s the man who cast Tara Reid as a brilliant archaeologist and made such clunkers as BloodRayne and Dungeon Siege, his picks are kind of surprising. (Apocalypse Now, Dances With Wolves, Clockwork Orange, Citizen Kane, and The Searchers.)
io9 has a first look at Killdroid: A Mechanical Love Affair.
Defamer counts down the Top Five Most Cringeworthy Facial Hair Moments in Cinematic History.
The new poster for The Strangers is kinda creepy. [bloody-disgusting]
AICN has the first test screening review of Kevin Smith’s Zack and Miri Make a Porno. The reviewer says “it’s similar to “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” – it’s a raunchy sex comedy that also wants to have a sweet romance at its center” and claims the hillarious dialogue is “some of the strongest stuff I’ve heard from Smith in years”, but says “the heart of the movie doesn’t really fly”. Sounds to me like something that might be fixed in editing. It’s also revealed that Justin Long makes a cameo.
Lucasfilm has announced that “Star Wars Weekends” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will give a sneak peek at Star Wars: The Clone Wars , coming to theaters on August 15th. [ComingSoon]
FirstShowing takes a look at the 10 Best and Worst Rappers Turned Movie Actors.
Before you watch the documentary on the new special edition of Raiders of the Lost Ark, beware that a certain character’s identity, which may or may not be a spoiler from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, is revealed on screen. [filmchat]
The Movie Blog lists Five Ways Iron Man was better than Batman Begins.
Bloody-Disgusting has the first photo from Platinum Dunes remake of Friday the 13th.
Lance Henriksen (Near Dark, Pumpkinhead) has completed a cameo for Jennifer’s Body. [Shock]
Cinematical has the teaser poster for City of Ember. Meanwhile Fox Walden has launched the official teaser website at CityofEmber.com.
CinemaBlend has details on the 25th anniversary dvd release of WarGames.
Rotten Tomatoes Names Harrison Ford‘s Ten Best Film Characters.
ABC News lists Five Science Fiction Movies That Get the Science Right.
Diablo Cody will be the next guest programer at Hollywood’s New Beverly Cinema: “To me, the movie night I keep hyping, because I’m so excited about it, is Little Shop of Horrors, the ’86 version, and Labyrinth. And I’m going to do Nightmare on Elm Street 3 with Fright Night. Midnight Madness with Wet Hot American Summer. I’m gonna try and get both Reitman’s in and do an Ivan and Jason double-bill.” [shock]
Zap2It has script reivews of Fox’s two new shows – JJ Abrams’ Fringe and Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse.
Rejects has this fan art showing what the movie version of War Machine might look like in the Iron Man sequel.
Arcade Fire will be scoring Richard Kelly’s The Box. [playlist]
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa will be released into IMAX® theatres worldwide on November 7, 2008. [CS]
Audrina Patridge, one of the stars of MTV’s The Hills, will make her feature debut opposite Chris Carmack and Laura Vandervoort in the Charles Winkler-directed Into the Blue 2. [THR]
Jessica Alba does her best impersonation of the iconic Charlie Chaplin in the June 2008 issue of Allure. [justjared]
The CW has given a 13-episode midseason renewal to Reaper. [variety]
Andras Hamori’s H20 Motion Pictures has greenlit The Gate — 20 Years Later, a sequel to the 1987 horror film that terrified me as a child. [bloody-disgusting]
eBoy‘s latest poster takes on Los Angeles.
The Mythbusters will take on Indiana Jones.
Rotten Tomatoes takes a look at New Line’s 40 years of independence (before getting gobbled up by WB), 25 movies to celebrate their legacy.
Posted on Thursday, April 24th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
If it was up to Superman Returns title star Brandon Routh, Warner Bros would have kept the Justice League movie in a jar for a few more years. Routh, who admits that he was never approached by the studio to be part of the now defunct JLA feature film tells Collider that the timing was off.
“I think we’ve been doing a great job representing Superman and Batman and there is definitely a time and place for the Justice League movie. I kinda think that now isn’t that time.”
As for the question everyone is asking, when will Superman fly again?
“I trust that we’ll be shooting Man of Steel early next year.”
Brandon Routh’s new movie Lie to Me will premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival on April 26th.
Posted on Friday, April 18th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
Joel Silver has confirmed to CHUD at the Speed Racer Junket that Warner Bros big screen adaptation of Justice League has been “tabled”. Before you get too excited, this doesn’t mean the film is officially canceled, but I’m pretty sure that:
A. It won’t be happening anytime soon.
B. If and when it does happen it will have a new cast, and maybe possibly a new script and director.
I don’t think fans were opposed to seeing the Justice League of America up on the big screen. I think everyone was turned off by the direction it was heading as evidenced by the leaked storyline and signed but never announced cast members.
Discuss: So now that George Miller’s Justice League as been tabled, who would you like to direct and star in a future revival of the comic book adaptation?
