Charles Roven on Justice League and solo films

[FlawlessVictory]

Charles Roven Talks "Dark Knight"

By Garth Franklin
Thursday, January 24th 2008 8:17am

Out doing press for the upcoming heist thriller "The Bank Job", producer Charles 'Chuck' Roven spoke with IESB.Net about how the strike has affected his upcoming projects - specifically "The Dark Knight" and the upcoming Flash movie.

In regards to "The Flash" stand-alone movie he says that it "is one project where we've got a really great director and a really great writer with a great take on the material...I'm hoping that with the directors settling that a path has been created for a solution."

What about a third "Batman"? Roven says Nolan keeps his mind focused on the present and so isn't considering sequel talk right now - "He [Chris Nolan] didn't even read the [Dark Knight] script until he was in post-production on The Prestige. So while I'm sure there's definitely interest in being involved in a third one somehow, he's not thinking about it."

Roven isn't keen on mixing his franchises in the way that Marvel does though - "we have Batman and he's working. I hope that we'll have the Flash and he'll be working. At the moment, I like them being in their own universes. It's hard for me to think about something in the future. I know that if we're fortunate enough for their to be another installment of Chris Nolan's Batman, I don't know if I would want to bring another DC character into that."

As for the Justice League project and the potential crossover confusion? "The Batman character in that one has nothing to do with our Dark Knight. Had that happened, he would have been played by a different individual. We did talk about how we would handle it if Justice League would have been made prior to Flash being made. We talked about how we would deal with that. We hadn't come to any resolution because we hadn't written the script yet but I'm saying that it came up. At the moment, at least in my little world - well, not so little but you know what I mean - I get to be myopic and get to focus only on The Flash and The Dark Knight. I don't have to worry about Justice League at the moment."

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news08/080124j.php

 

[FlawlessVictory]

This proves that the Flash solo movie was not to be an offshoot of JLA. So it looks like the Hollywood Reporter was right on that one. And we also know the GL solo movie (if we ever get one) will not be an offshoot as well as that movie will feature Hal Jordan.

 

[Maze]

IESB: Christoper Nolan has spoken up about how he felt the Justice League film might interfere with Batman as a film franchise. Is it somewhat of a relief to hear that they’ve now cancelled the project?

Roven: I don’t know that they’ve cancelled it. They’ve postponed it. What I’ve gotten is that it may go or may not go sometime in the summer. I’m not sure what they’re doing.

http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4184&Itemid=99

 

[Webhead2006]

nice interview with the roven guy. But who really knows what would have been done with flash and gl films if jla was/still happening the films might have been apart of jla universe or it might have been totally different ones like sr/bb-tdk. Only time would have told.

 

[FlawlessVictory]

nice interview with the roven guy. But who really knows what would have been done with flash and gl films if jla was/still happening the films might have been apart of jla universe or it might have been totally different ones like sr/bb-tdk. Only time would have told.

What are you talking about? Roven just said that his Flash movie will exist in a different universe from JLA, whether JLA was on track or not. He obviously knows.

 

[The Guard]

This interview really proves nothing about a Flash movie's connection to the JLA project.

We did talk about how we would handle it if Justice League would have been made prior to Flash being made. We talked about how we would deal with that. We hadn't come to any resolution because we hadn't written the script yet but I'm saying that it came up.

All that "proves" is that they hadn't come to any "resolution" about it.

 

[FlawlessVictory]

This interview really proves nothing about a Flash movie's connection to the JLA project.

We did talk about how we would handle it if Justice League would have been made prior to Flash being made. We talked about how we would deal with that. We hadn't come to any resolution because we hadn't written the script yet but I'm saying that it came up.

All that "proves" is that they hadn't come to any "resolution" about it.

Looks like you conveniently skipped over this part.

Roven isn't keen on mixing his franchises in the way that Marvel does though - "we have Batman and he's working. I hope that we'll have the Flash and he'll be working. At the moment, I like them being in their own universes. It's hard for me to think about something in the future. I know that if we're fortunate enough for their to be another installment of Chris Nolan's Batman, I don't know if I would want to bring another DC character into that."

 

[Webhead2006]

I was meaning in the past few months we heard conflicting reports on if flash solo would have been apart of jla or not some said it was some said it wasnt. but who really knows. Untill the wga strike ends and either jla can be fixed or they continue work on the solo gl/flash films we wont have any official word on it one way or another.

 

[The Guard]

Looks like you conveniently skipped over this part.

Didn't skip it at all. That doesn't prove anything about what WAS going to happen, which is what I was addressing. "This proves the Flash movie WAS NOT TO BE an offshoot of JLA".

That's how things stand how in his personal preference now, but it doesn't prove what is going to happen anyway.

 

[Webhead2006]

Yea we dont know really if jla and flash/gl films were happening right now if they would have all be connected or not(as i mentioned some reports said the flash director wanted it to be spinoff and others said it wasnt, and same thing with the gl film too). But since the strike is still going and if/once it does end, we dont know what the plans might be for jla/flash/gl films now. I do hope we either get a jla film or if not that then i would love to see a flash or gl solo film.

 

[KBX]

Hey a Flash movie is in development!! so whats new the last 5 years?

A Flash movie probably won't be a spinoff of any sorts, just it won't start if a JLA franchise is going on....

 

[FaT_tONle]

I guess DC just doesn't believe in the Marvel approach... I don't know if there is a definitive right approach... but wasn't the whole point of a JLA to open it up to new characters/spinoffs? I just don't get any of it...

 

[Webhead2006]

yea wb/dc does not know how to go about their other properties.

 

[jmc]

I guess DC just doesn't believe in the Marvel approach... I don't know if there is a definitive right approach... but wasn't the whole point of a JLA to open it up to new characters/spinoffs? I just don't get any of it...

No, the point was to try and make crap loads of cash. Spin-offs were never gonna happen, JL sequels however were more likely.

 

[Visionary]

I hope to hell The Flash movie doesn't happen before JLA.

 

[Webhead2006]

Well who knows right now reguarding gl/flash and jla they cant do anything more with them untill WGA strike ends which could be soon since they are in talks again with the AMPTP.

 

[jmc]

I hope to hell The Flash movie doesn't happen before JLA.

Why?

 

[Black Zodak]

I hope they use Ryan Reynolds as the Flash (Wally West). He really would be perfect for the role. Also, with any luck, if they use him they can cast his real-life girlfriend Scarlett Johansson to play Linda Park.

 

[I Am The Knight]

Reynolds is too old for Wally nowadays. He would have been perfect circa 2000-2002.

 

[Webhead2006]

Yea even though he would have been probably a good/great wally he is to old for the character now.

 

[Orin]

Wheter it would have been a spin-off or not, i think Justice League could have pave the way for a successful Flash Solo-Movie by making the audience familiar with the character itself. Personally, i'd prefer several universes for the League and all solo-movies, cause storywise you just have more possibilities that way.

However, i don't really believe this movie will eventually get made. There were just so many DC-movie projects that they had planed over the years and in the end sadly only a trickle were realized. So why should it be different this time? Let's face it, the chance is just really really small. But since i'm not that excited for a stand alone Flash adventure, i wouldn't be all disappointed. It's just a shame that DC can't kick off the ground with their movies, while marvel floods the market till the point where general audience will be sick to death of superheromovies. And i really think a good Justice League flick would've been the best way to finally commence a change, but all the hoping seems to have been futile...

 

[FaT_tONle]

They should at least try and keep Flash and Lantern solos in the same universe as the JLA universe... maybe reference a Hal Jordan somewhere here and there... or even a cameo... its not that hard to do...

 

[jmc]

The problem with keeping the characters in the same universe is that in the solo film you limit what the character can and can't do because it's already been established in JL. A solo film writer then has to work around the JL laws, he might come up with a really great idea for the character, but there's no guarantee he could use it as it may contradict with what the JL film established. A solo film with different continuity is open, you don't have restrictions in front of you, this is why JL being separate continuity to solo films is a good thing.

 

[protocida]

I Think they should make a ''New Frontier'' Live-Action.

It would be a particular universe for sure, hehehe...

 

[Orin]

The problem with keeping the characters in the same universe is that in the solo film you limit what the character can and can't do because it's already been in established JL. A solo film writer then has to work around the JL laws, he might come up with a really great idea for the character, but there's no guarantee he could use it as it may contradict with what the JL film established. A solo film with different continuity is open, you don't have restrictions in front of you, this is why JL being separate continuity to solo films is a good thing.

Absolutely right. In a team-up movie, you'd try to interpret all the single characters in a way that they complement one another and make a balanced overall picture for the team itself. Same thing goes for the actors. But just because that interpretation of the particular character (and the due to that chosen actor) fits for the team-up flick dosn't necessarily mean it would be right for a solo-movie as well. And that's why it would make much more sense to let the director of the team-up flick and the director of the solo-film individually decide which actor and which version of their character is required for the circumstances of the different kind of movies they make, without having to be bonded to each other. But that seems to be something a lot of people just don't get...