DC cinematic universe general stuff

ThePott

Apparently some things he's said in the past include thinking that Snyder fans are bots and his dream project was Justice League.

Sounds like the guy for the job in my book.

CastorTroy

He won't be close to Feige as long as his bosses are telling him what to do rather than giving him time to sit and come up with some sort of plan.

Agent Coulson

DC haven't found there Kevin Feige

Dan Lin Won’t Lead DC Comics Film & TV Unit

Dan Lin is not going to take the DC job, after all. Back to the drawing board for David Zaslav and Warner Bros Discovery.

This first hit on CNBC.com, which put a spin that Lin rejected the offer. Others in the studio sphere say different. Bottom line, Lin is staying at his Rideback company. Warner Bros Discovery’s film studio has been going through a lot of shaking up, most recently with the exit of Courtenay Valenti. They will try to find a big name to turn DC into something more than it is, something more akin to superhero rival Marvel. When Deadline first broke word that Lin was the choice the studio zeroed in on — he was once a tenured exec at the studio, and oversaw its Lego film franchise — we said there would be a lot of hurdles to overcome.

Lin’s Rideback has a deal at Universal, for instance, and Warner Bros would have had to fold Rideback within the studio or work something else out. That seems to be where these discussions hit the rocks. They couldn’t find a way to make this work. At the time Deadline revealed his courtship, studio sources maintained that no offer had been made. So DC remains under the thumb of Mike De Luca, who probably would be the dream choice to run this business, if he and Pam Abdy weren’t tasked with running the whole studio. Where that leaves Walter Hamada also remains to be seen. DC has a lot of stuff to figure out, including whether the public at large believes or cares the studio’s spin on The Flash, that star Ezra Miller is getting “help” and turning this into a mental health issue. Given the long list of troubling spats Miller has gotten into, we’ll have to see how this crisis PR maneuvering impacts the movie when it premieres next year. But let’s not be surprised if Miller does one or two TV appearances or a lengthy sympathetic profile as part of this image rehab campaign. The studio is in a tough place; they’ve got a $200 million film that apparently is a winner, and a star who at this moment, could never be the center of a PR campaign. So what other choice was there but this? Stay tuned.

https://deadline.com/2022/09/dan-lin-no-to-lead-dc-comics-film-tv-unit-1235109224/

pixelburp

Whoops. Can't say I'd blame Lin; the state its in, with the priorities shown by WB, being head of DC's cinematic wing is a poisoned chalice.

Agent Coulson

Have anything to do with WB right now like having the Sword of Damocles hanging over you as Discovery continues to gut it.

Anyone with a right sense would stay well away from it till Discovery is finished gutting.

ThePott

Being the 'Kevin Feige' of DC is an absolute kobayashi maru, it's a thankless job that will probably make you the target of harassment online, not sure why anyone would want the job, especially when it seems like every time they get a new head at DC it tends to be on the chopping block shortly after.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119581847#Comment_119581847

As Coulson points out, anyone stepping into the shoes of DC Major Domo would immediately hit the wall of WB:Discovery's manic cost-cutting exercise. Nothing's safe at the moment (I'm still worried for the Dune sequel and TV series), so nothing's certain. Kevin Feige has a huge war-chest to play with, and can't imagine Marvel has often said "No" outright. As long as the MCU still makes billions I daresay he has free reign - no chance a DC equivalent could claim that freedom IMO.

FunLover18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119585010#Comment_119585010

The Dune sequel has already started filming if that's any comfort to you, I seriously doubt they would pull a Batgirl. I've still yet to see the ofirst but it did pretty well, no?

Brief_Lives

i keep returning to this thread, hoping for good news... I want DC to be a success... and to be honest, the world needs an alternative to the MCU.

did anyone watch the 4 hour version of Justice League... i thought it was brilliant.

The White Wolf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119581847#Comment_119581847

I think the problem previously is that there was no actual de facto Feige type head. Walter Hamada had a position of 'influence' but there were others involved, such as Toby Emmerich and Ann Sarnoff. There was another guy (can't recall his name) in charge of HBO Max for a time who was the one that got the Snyder Cut greenlit but he was eventually fired as well. You had at least 3 people calling their own shots on DC Film (add Greg Berlanti as well on top of that with HBO Max) and stepping on each other creatively. I'm sure Feige delegates, but even he would have baulked at coming into such a farcical set up.

What Zaslav is seemingly trying to do here (taking him at face value) is cut out that type of mess and just have 1 person in charge of TV and Film. In theory it sounds like what they always needed but having said that, anyone with a brain wouldn't trust them given some of their actions.

Re Dune sequel, it fits in with Zaslav's idea for investing money back on the big screen, but what that says about the HBO Max series is anyone's guess.

Agent Coulson

I wonder would Discovery sell the DC side of things if one of the other major streamers came looking.

Apple or Amazon would have a couple of billion spare to buy and to build there own superhero side

ThePott

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119585730#Comment_119585730

Well that's where it gets awkward alright. Cause a Kevin Feige-type is a very dubious title.

I remember when the hiring of Geoff Johns and Jim Lee were meant to be the Kevin Feige's for DC.

Honestly, if anything it proves how lucky Disney got with Feige at Marvel, I don't think any studio or franchise has managed to find someone as a good a caretaker for their property as he is.

GeneHunt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119585661#Comment_119585661

Yeah, me too, I'm returning to this thread and even other places too, hoping for good news.

I did watch the 4 hour version of Justice League, in fact I recently watched the 3 hour Ultimate Edition of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which I would recommend over the original theatrical edition, it has a lot more storyline around the desert attack.

I have to say the following DCEU movies were brilliant:

Man of Steel (2013)

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (UE) (2016)

Wonder Woman (2017)

Zack Snyder's Justice League (2017)

Wonder Woman '84, Suicide Squid and Aquaman weren't great, Aquaman, I felt confused with parts of the storyline as I think it clashed with Aquaman's storyline in Justice Leagues!

Shazam! was great too and I hope the next Shazam movie is equally as good.

Black Adam looks great too

Personally, I do hope WBD gets there finger out soon, as the main cast of JL are not getting any younger, and we have missed out on 5 years of possibilities (since 2017)! I think WBD should start making Justice League 2 & 3 back to back now, and release them further down the line (over the next ten years), fingers crossed the actors will still want to do them, but first lets get a Man of Steel 2 movie made next, and maybe a Batman movie with Ben Affleck too, I believe there's a Wonder Woman "3" in production expected for release in 2024. so here's my wishlist of future movies after 2023!

The Flash (2023)

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

Wonder Woman 3 (2024)

Man of Steel 2 (2025)

Batman: Venom (2026)

Shazam 3 (2027)

Justice League 2 (2028)

The Rise of Darkseid (2029)

Justice League 3 (2030)

#RestoreTheSnyderVerse

Fysh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119585878#Comment_119585878

Funny you mention Jim Lee and Geoff Johns - having seen the effect they had on the comics side of DC I wasn't expecting any kind of improvement from them. Johns has a reasonable notion of what a broad-appeal superhero comic event looks like, but both of them are part of a bigger problem in DC's comics side which seems to have infected the film side too - namely a potent fixation with continuity at the expense of narrative clarity.

As with Marvel, DC's continuity is riddled with some absolute nonsense (go look up the infamous "Green Lantern falls in love with an underage alien" storyline if you don't believe me) and the most important job of the Feige-type is to figure out how to sift the viable, broad-appeal stories from the "if you remember the events of issue #47 of Got-No-Legs-Boy and the Galactic Probers, you're in for a real treat!" stories. That doesn't work if you rush it, nor if you give a visuals-only director like Snyder control over the larger narrative.

ThePott

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119614091#Comment_119614091

I largely agree. I didn't expect any difference under Lee or Johns, just remember that being public perception. I think a lot of people assumed it would be a cleaner more accessible continuity to the film side based purely on their involvement with the New 52.

Marvel have done a great job at managing to make their films (especially the biggest ones) accessible even to the more casual followers of the MCU, possibly even to fault and frustration of hardcore fans. They took their time to build their universe even when the earliest films weren't smash hits but moderate successes. They walked before they could run.

DC want their Avengers style hit but they didn't want to put in the same level of work or planning and it's bit them in the arse ever since. Their lack of clear direction, narrative or creative voice has pulled them in every direction, except for one that guarantees consistent success. Seriously, it seems like every DC film is a toss up to whether it will succeed or be a decent film. Sure we can blame some recent uncertainty on corporate mergers but from the start they showed lack of any real vision and when they did have a slate, they had no idea how to carry it out and no intent on sticking to it once thing didn't go their way. It was a rush job and greed to try get to a Justice League film and by refusing to acknowledge the failures on the way to that, they were left with a half-formed universe (that ended up getting an ardent fanbase, while alienating mainstream audiences) that rarely works as a flowing narrative shared universe and as such is doomed to have ups and downs commercially and critically until they show some consistency, which unfortunately still seems miles away.

GeneHunt

Lots after happening in the last few weeks for DC and Warner Bros. Discovery, so it finally looks like Henry Cavil is returning to do a new superman movie, Man of Steel II

Also I'm looking front to Black Adam...

dublinman1990

It has been reported in the media that James Gunn is working on a mystery DC movie. He will start putting out more details of it after he finishes directing Season 2 of Peacemaker.

https://gizmodo.com/james-gunn-dc-suicide-squad-peacemaker-2-guardians-3-1849672770

GeneHunt

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/dc-movies-james-gunn-pithces-dwayne-johnson-1235243030/

It's also been reported in the media that Matt Reeves is working on a sequel to his The Batman and there's a Batman spinoff TV series with Colin Farrell, going to centre around the Penguin character.

The above article is interesting of the possible new movies to come.

Walter Hamada will be leaving Warner Bros. this Friday and apparently good riddance to him. It's reported he stopped Henry Cavil's Superman doing any movies or even a cameo for a good few years, Ray Fisher (Cyborg) had said he wouldn't do anyway with DC / Warner Bros. while Hamada was there. If you believe the rumours, the reason The Flash is delayed and The Batgirl movie was cancelled was because Hamada had planned on killing off Ben Affleck's batman character at the end of The Flash movie with batgirl replacing him, this then opens the story for The Batgirl movie. With Ben Affleck back now they had to reshoot his batman's scenes in The Flash.

Agent Coulson

James Gunn given the keys to the DC kingdom.

Peter Safran the guy who bulit the The Conjuring Universe has the keys as well cheap horror movies that have made billions at the box office.

James Gunn And Peter Safran Named Co-Chairmen And CEOs Of DC Studios

Industry veterans James Gunn and Peter Safran have been appointed to the new roles of Co-Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers of DC Studios, overseeing the overall creative direction of the DC Universe across film, TV, and animation under a single banner. Gunn and Safran will report to David Zaslav, President and Chief Executive Officer, Warner Bros. Discovery, and will work closely with Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, Co-Chairpersons and CEOs of Warner Bros. Film Group. The appointments will be effective on November 1. 

In their new roles, Gunn and Safran will spearhead the development and execution of a long-term plan for the many properties licensed from DC Comics, focused on continuing the tradition of high-quality storytelling for the DC Universe across audio-visual media, while building a sustainable growth business out of the iconic franchise. In addition to their executive responsibilities, Gunn and Safran will develop, direct, and produce projects. In their new roles, they will also work collaboratively with Channing Dungey, Chairman, Warner Bros. Television Group; Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO and HBO Max Content; Kathleen Finch, Chairman and Chief Content Officer, US Networks Group; Pam Lifford, President, Warner Bros. Discovery Consumer Products; and David Haddad, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

https://deadline.com/2022/10/dc-films-james-gunn-peter-safran-warner-bros-discovery-1235154682/

CastorTroy

Guess that's Gunn done with Marvel.

Brief_Lives

Great news... Might see somegood fun over at DC now..

Saying that, I thought Snyder versión of justice league was brilliant...

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119793349#Comment_119793349

Was about to say same.

The question will be: how much creative controll will Gunn have or exert? Cos anyone with a passing knowledge of the man knows even reigned in with the MCU, he has a particular tonal style that dates back to his days at Troma.

The Suicide Squad was that style totally unencumbered - and a flop too, ostensibly - so Warner's can't claim they didn't know what they were getting. But if they're not gonna tap into that winking grotesquery at all, then that'll be to everyone's loss.

CastorTroy

Good luck to them sorting out the mess of multiple versions of characters like Joker and I'm sure there'll be absolutely no studio interference. And, of course, The Flash.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119794017#Comment_119794017

I wouldn't say The Suicide Squad was really a flop, or at least not in a way that was Gunn's fault. They were on the backfoot from the start given the previous Suicide Squad film. But TSS was pretty well received, and Gunn has only increased his standing with DC with Peacemaker. I can see him being in charge of most of the creative side of things, with the other guy more in charge of the business/production end of things.

But this is definitely a good move. At the very least, hopefully it'll help put The Rock back in his box as he seems to be acting as though he and his producers are in charge of executive-level decisions, and that Black Adam is a leading DC character going forward. And Gunn has never been afraid to lean into the weird side of superheroes and embrace them, where David S. Goyer made comments previously about how anyone who even heard of the Martian Manhunter has probably never got laid, and thinking She-Hulk was only created as a character so Hulk could have someone to f*ck (not knowing they are cousins).

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119794150#Comment_119794150

Oh I just meant flop in that it was a box-office failure: it was very well received - by myself included - but just in terms of dollars & cents, it didn't even make its publicised budget back. So factoring in that famously vague 2x or 3x multiplier for real-world totals, that's a huge loss. Gunn is obviously a well liked, and well respected auteur in both WB and Marvel such that this financial failure wasn't put directly at his feet - that he could make the Peacemaker TV show was clue enough to that.

It's a shame he's (probably) gone now from the MCU after Guardians 3, cos he was pretty much the last remaining director with anything resembling creative vision or clout. Sam Raimi being perhaps the exception on the first point - though it's anyone's guess what his next move will be. I suspect it won't be a second gig at the MCU.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119794185#Comment_119794185

I kinda assumed Gunn would be done with the MCU after Guardians 3 anyway. Even if he hadn't jumped to DC, it raised his profile enough that he would have been able to go off and do his own stuff anyway, and Guardians 3 sounds like it was always meant to be the end of the story he wanted to tell.

But I think MCU appears to be more willing to take on more creative directors lately anyway. Taika Waititi, Ryan Coogler, Raimi, Chloe Zhao... They may not all have worked (Zhao did a great job, but it was just a poor film from the off, and Waititi had a great visual and storytelling style in Ragnarok but went completely the wrong way with Love & Thunder), but I think the MCU is gradually becoming more varied and distinct.

GeneHunt

With these appointments, I think the future of DC movies look like there are in better hands than they were 6 months ago, It also looks like the door is wide open for Zack Synder to come back now to do more work with Warner Bros. as both director and or producer. Henry Cavil has teased of much more from him in the future as Superman.

There seems to be more and more rumours this week that Amber Heard has been removed from Aquaman 2: The Lost Kingdom.

https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/movies/2022/10/25/63581d6146163f2d5b8b45bf.html

CastorTroy

Not films but I see the Green Lantern series is being reworked

https://tvline.com/2022/10/26/green-lantern-series-redeveloped-john-stewart/

Brief_Lives

not having read the attached article, i presume it is because there is not enough gay/trans/minority/chinese actors?

Whatever they do, I hope the writing is good...

I was impressed with Titans... some great actors, story lines were quite good...

COmpared to Superman and Lois, where a square planet tried to merge with a round planet...

Mal-Adjusted

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119796912#Comment_119796912

Funnily enough, having read the article, it kind of sounds like the opposite.