Justice League Status Updates Thread

[metaphysician]

Originally Posted by AvengeME

I think people overestimate the selling power of these characters. Try doing a Pirates movie without Johnny Depp and see what happens. The first iteration of the character in live action takes years to replace. Wait at least 9-12 years before replacing the actor in a reboot or a sequel or whatever.

I've been saying this for years. Aside from Superman and Batman, the big DC heroes have almost no useful exposure. If you want to sell them to the audience, you need to *sell* them, not just assume "hey, everyone knows them already!" That kind of thinking is what killed John Carter, and I'm willing to bet it could kill Wonder Woman, too, if she were just thrown in as if everyone already loved her.

[The Guard]

[quote]Compelling if the desire is there to do it.

No, compelling period. How badly WB wants to make the film has nothing to do with whether the concept is compelling.

WB don't have the same desire for superhero films that Marvel do, and they never will because the guys running the show there aren't fans who happen to be studio execs, they're just studio execs who have got more than dudes in capes to worry about.

I guarantee you that there are plenty of execs at WB who are both fans and want a JLA movie.

[quote]The success for WB in superheroes has come down to pure dumb luck with whom the director is, their mindset is always business first, they don't give a damn about ensuring the product is good as evident from GL, all they care about is the coin.[/quote

None of this is true. GREEN LANTERN alone doesn't prove anything. Hiring Nolan was not "dumb luck".

If we're honest with ourselves they lucked out with Nolan, simple as that.

And Marvel lucked out with Whedon. What's your point?

That is why there is no benefit to a single universe for DC characters because there is never going to be the same desire for them from those up top, if that's the case then just let characters roam freely on their own without placing restrictions on them, let the director who's passionate about the project do his thing and make the films as unique as possible.

This just isn't remotely true.

Issue i have with a connected universe on film is that the films tends to be handcuffed from reaching their full potential. I understand Marvel's want to ensure they didn't screw up, at the same time it came at the cost of the films reaching their full potential.

The Marvel films didn't reach their full potential because they weren't written to reach their full potential, not because they were handcuffed by being part of a larger universe.

And as has already been pointed out, Marvel's formula is not the only way to make a superhero movie.

I don't see why there is any kind of reason a Batman movie couldn't look and feel completely different from a Superman movie, while simultaneously co-existing in the same universe. Just like the comics. To me, it should be as jarring for us as it is for those characters to interact. Batman should be awestruck by Superman, but concerned with what it would mean if this guy turned bad. It's not just about making the characters work together on screen, it's making their worlds work together on screen. The difference between Gotham and Metropolis should be night and day.

Exactly. I think the problem comes down to a lack of imagination on fans part...to imagine general audiences being capable of imagination.

ExAgain, there's nothing inherent about the shared universe concept that inhibits stories, characters, atmospheres or anything else about the film. Just because that's how Marvel did it, that doesn't mean that's how a JL film would have to come about. There's certainly a cautionary tale in there... but I think Iron Man, and The Incredible Hulk were both totally self-contained films that fed into The Avengers and were both excellent works. And stylistically they were pretty different.

[Blackman]

Originally Posted by metaphysician

I've been saying this for years. Aside from Superman and Batman, the big DC heroes have almost no useful exposure. If you want to sell them to the audience, you need to *sell* them, not just assume "hey, everyone knows them already!" That kind of thinking is what killed John Carter, and I'm willing to bet it could kill Wonder Woman, too, if she were just thrown in as if everyone already loved her.

Chris Hemsworth didnt have star power before Thor. Hell, Avatar didnt have much star power. John Carter didnt do well because people didn't think it looked that good. Even using a superhero example, GL had a good amount of star power and it still didn't do well.

Just because you have a star doesn't mean youre gonna flop and it doesn't mean youre gonna succeed

[Thundercrack85]

Originally Posted by AvengeME

I think people overestimate the selling power of these characters. Try doing a Pirates movie without Johnny Depp and see what happens. The first iteration of the character in live action takes years to replace. Wait at least 9-12 years before replacing the actor in a reboot or a sequel or whatever.

That's a terrible comparison. Pirates of the Caribbean was based on a theme park ride at Disneyland (considering that, it's done amazingly well). There was no Jack Sparrow before Johnny Depp. Batman is an iconic character who has been part of popular culture for more than half a century, and has been played by multiple actors. Even less popular heroes like Iron Man, at least sold well.

Let's see how Spider-man does with a new actor.

[spider-neil]

Originally Posted by Thundercrack85

That's a terrible comparison. Pirates of the Caribbean was based on a theme park ride at Disneyland (considering that, it's done amazingly well). There was no Jack Sparrow before Johnny Depp. Batman is an iconic character who has been part of popular culture for more than half a century, and has been played by multiple actors. Even less popular heroes like Iron Man, at least sold well.

Let's see how Spider-man does with a new actor.

I think the whole of hollywood will be watching to see how ASM performs. i.e. rebooting a popular franchise after just 5 years.

[Raiden]

Originally Posted by spider-neil

I think the whole of hollywood will be watching to see how ASM performs. i.e. rebooting a popular franchise after just 5 years.

I have a feeling that Batman will be rebooted within 4 years so I'm sure WB is also looking at ASM's performance closely.

[jmc]

Originally Posted by The Guard

No, compelling period. How badly WB wants to make the film has nothing to do with whether the concept is compelling.



I guarantee you that there are plenty of execs at WB who are both fans and want a JLA movie.

None of this is true. GREEN LANTERN alone doesn't prove anything. Hiring Nolan was not "dumb luck".



And Marvel lucked out with Whedon. What's your point?



This just isn't remotely true.



The Marvel films didn't reach their full potential because they weren't written to reach their full potential, not because they were handcuffed by being part of a larger universe.

And as has already been pointed out, Marvel's formula is not the only way to make a superhero movie.

You're really giving the people at WB way too much credit. Whatever.

[spider-neil]

Originally Posted by Raiden

I have a feeling that Batman will be rebooted within 4 years so I'm sure WB is also looking at ASM's performance closely.

hulk rebooted early and wasn't that big a hit but hulk differs from spidey in that the first hulk wasn't that big a hit either and I would bet money even though hulk has gone down a storm a new movie would be equally underwhelming.

[metaphysician]

Originally Posted by Blackman

Chris Hemsworth didnt have star power before Thor. Hell, Avatar didnt have much star power. John Carter didnt do well because people didn't think it looked that good. Even using a superhero example, GL had a good amount of star power and it still didn't do well.

Just because you have a star doesn't mean youre gonna flop and it doesn't mean youre gonna succeed

You misunderstand what I mean. I'm not speaking of actors, but of characters being ones people know and/or care about. Your right that Thor didn't have such prior to his movie. . . which is why the successful build of Thor is an achievement for the Marvel Studios marketing people. But don't mistake it for not needing said effort.

( and Avatar totally had star power: James Cameron. Directors can be stars, too. )

[Lone]

EDIT: Wrong thread.

[Crockett]

WB has got Will Beall, the writer for Gangster Squad and a few episodes of Castle to pen a screenplay for a Justice League movie.

http://www.showblitz.com/2012/06/war...ce-league.html

[The Sage]

Originally Posted by Raiden

I have a feeling that Batman will be rebooted within 4 years so I'm sure WB is also looking at ASM's performance closely.

Why? Warner Bros are the ones that started the superhero reboot craze with Batman Begins.

[Blackman]

Originally Posted by Crockett

WB has got Will Beall, the writer for Gangster Squad and a few episodes of Castle to pen a screenplay for a Justice League movie.

http://www.showblitz.com/2012/06/war...ce-league.html

i hope nothing comes of it until they get their solo films down first

[Chewy]

Is the news that WB hired a Justice League writer a year ago, before the GL fiasco, really news?

[Daniel Thompson]

^ Seems like they are more serious this time to get a JL film done. But they need to put more of their superheroes out like Flash, WW, Aquaman and do a better GL film. The next Batman can take place in the JL universe butthey will have to wait until after the Snyder Superman films to have Superman in the JL universe.

[batman44]

Hopefully (and I think) WB are really serious. I don't really care if solo films come first or not as long as they come and are quality.

[terry78]

It was gonna drive them nuts if they couldn't do it now.

[RoughNTumble]

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118055082

the bottom of variety's article where it says the writers of green lantern are working on both flash and wonder woman is worrying

hopefully they don't let those guys near any more superheroes.

[TheComicbookKid]

I love how Aquaman gets the last sentence mentioning his script in the past tense.

LOL!





Ugh, Goldberg's resume is pretty terrible.

[Whiskey Tango]

Green Lantern had way bigger problems than the writers.

[The Sage]

Originally Posted by RoughNTumble

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118055082

the bottom of variety's article where it says the writers of green lantern are working on both flash and wonder woman is worrying

hopefully they don't let those guys near any more superheroes.

Or they at least figured out where they went wrong. To me, it sounded like there were too many cooks in the kitchen in the writing department, as well as other areas.

[Blackman]

please let this just fizzle

[mclay18]

Originally Posted by Daniel Thompson

^ Seems like they are more serious this time to get a JL film done. But they need to put more of their superheroes out like Flash, WW, Aquaman and do a better GL film.

I'm sick of people saying WB/DC should go the Marvel route. Folks, it ain't going to happen. There can be a good JL movie without a pre-established universe... it can be done.

But that's a big 'if.'

[Blackman]

Not even for the sake of a JL film, but they can't even get their solo films right. Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, Green Arrow, and many more have been sitting on the shelves for years and instead of just getting their footing and easing into it their creating JL just to keep up with The Avengers

[craigdbfan]

Horrible idea.

This isn't going to work out well at all. This is like a big school project that spans for an entire year. Kid (A) studies his ass off for this giant project and puts in a ton of effort into getting an A and then it pays off with his final assignment stunning his teachers.

While kid (B) slacks off and procrastinates for months and the day before turns in a steaming pile.

To WB credit it has produced some great (classic) standalone movies (Batman 89/Returns, Superman, Batman Begins, TDK) but something like the Justice League would require a much more cohesive and dedicated effort that they seemingly don't even want to do. If you're not willing to go the full mile then don't even bother.