DC gets an overhaul

[The Guard]

Publicly, this is about Disney acquiring Marvel, sure. Warners had to announce it now so it looks like they aren't falling behind. But as the article states, I guarantee you that WB has had this in the pipeline for a while. It's silly to think otherwise. Corporations just don't work that quickly, people.

We learned what, a year and a half to two ago that they were making plans for something similar? This is the result of that. There have been signs of WB dusting off their DC properties ever since, and there's been momentum building. This was calculated, and yes, the acquisition of Marvel probably forced their hands a bit in terms of PR.

Less quantity more quality as a result of this? Eh, I doubt it.

I agree with TheVileOne that this is an "I'll believe some of this when I see it" situation, but $200 million films don't just...happen, and I maintain that it's a bit ridiculous to ride WB for that, given their nature as a studio. Except for INCEPTION. There's good reason to be cautiously optimistic here, though.

I mean, Whedon is only one of the few directors who "gets" the character.

What are you basing this on?

 

[Webhead2006]

yea now with that details it could probably be when we hear what morrison/wolfman are working on, maybe officially announce flash. Then for alot of us maybe whats going on with superman.

 

[LostSon88]

Sooooooooo does this mean there's a Superman movie in development?!

No? Well then this is just a whole bunch of nothing.

:gets up and walks out the room:

 

[The Batman]

Dr. Evil wasnt saying that they were...

Dont worry...Vile is whining just to whine. First, he bashes WB/DC for disorganization, and then calls their attempt at being organized "ripping off of marvel"...

 

[GL's Light]

Sooooooooo does this mean there's a Superman movie in development?!

It wouldn't surprise me if there's an announcement within the next six months or so that James McTeigue has been signed to direct a new Superman film.

 

[Octoberist]

well, the article did state that future and current projects will be publicly discuessed during DC 75th Anniversary, come 2010...

DC Comics will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2010 (NEW FUN COMICS #1, the first DC comic, began publishing in 1935), at which time more explicit details regarding DC Entertainment's corporate and management structure, film and content release slate, creative roster and business objectives will be unveiled at a multi-faceted anniversary celebration and press conference in the first quarter of the year.

 

[TheVileOne]

Dont worry...Vile is whining just to whine. First, he bashes WB/DC for disorganization, and then calls their attempt at being organized "ripping off of marvel"...

I don't say it just to say it. They've had plenty of years to get organized and failed at every turn.

And yes this is copying Marvel because all they are doing is going off of the model Marvel has already set up.

 

[Dr. Evil]

that's the main reason why WB bought Nolan's script and gave him 200 million to film Inception: To have an agreement of some kind to have him stay.

Exactly. And if he asks for 200 million for Batman 3, they will give it to him and they will leave him alone to shoot Batman 3 late 2010/early 2011.

I have no doubt that Batman 3 will be Nolan's next project after Inception. It's just a matter of when it shoots. I think late 2010/early 2011 is a fairly reasonable timeline to start shooting.

 

[Webhead2006]

true even though it has been stated robinov ben wanting to do this for years, but since it didnt happen then, it will always be compared to the marvel studios plan, and then coming out with the news after the disney/marvel merger wasnt the best timing. But hopefully so at that 75th anniversry meeting they will get things settled on long dorminment projects, and ones that been in semi dorminment status like flash/superman/shazam.

 

[Dr. Evil]

With the exception of Batman 3, none of the future projects that are still in development at DC Comics will get $200 million as a budget. In fact, I doubt that many of the future DC projects will get a $150 million budget.

Warners knows that Nolan The Batman Films have made over a billion dollars worldwide, so they'll give Nolan $200 million for Batman 3. They will not give anyone else that luxury.

 

[Webhead2006]

well it will probably count who is in the film, and who is producer/director.

 

[Dr. Evil]

well it will probably count who is in the film, and who is producer/director.

True, but I doubt that any future DC films will get the same budget as Batman 3. Nolan deserves a $200 million budget for Batman 3 because of the massive successes of the other two films.

I don't see Superman getting that big of a budget.

 

[TheVileOne]

Uh, they gave Superman that big of a budget. $204 million according to Bryan Singer.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Uh, they gave Superman that big of a budget. $204 million according to Bryan Singer.

I don't think any future Superman movies will get that big of a budget.

Except for Nolan, nobody doing a DC property should do a $200 million movie. Nolan has two: Inception and it's very likely that Batman 3 will exceed $200 million.

What reason would The WB have against giving Nolan $200 million for Batman 3 if he requested $200 million? None. He'll get $200 million for the third Batman movie.

 

[Webhead2006]

well we will just have to see how any future films go, now if its guys like hex/deadman/lobo/losers no need to go over 80million i say, but if its guys like flash/gl/ww etc..... It should be between 130-200million.

 

[Dr. Evil]

well we will just have to see how any future films go, now if its guys like hex/deadman/lobo/losers no need to go over 80million i say, but if its guys like flash/gl/ww etc..... It should be between 130-200million.

I think that Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern and Superman get at least $150 million. I don't think they get to 200 million, but we'll see.

But Batman 3 will get $200 million if Nolan requests it and in all likelyhood he will.

 

[TheVileOne]

$200 million . . . why not $250-300 million .

Hey look at Spider-man 3, $258 million or so right?

Plain and simple, you can't make these movies for less than $150 million anymore. Transformers was $150 million and that was apparently UNDER BUDGET for that movie with Bay and the producers taking some pay cuts to keep it that way plus all the super imposed shots of robot parts not really doing anything except rolling around.

 

[nathaniel]

I think that Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern and Superman get at least $150 million. I don't think they get to 200 million, but we'll see.

But Batman 3 will get $200 million if Nolan requests it and in all likelyhood he will.

Nolan will get whatever he asks but it was the success of BB that sowed the seeds for it. I dont think WW,Flash or lantern will get that kind of money right out of the bat.

The problem is the aforementioned movies instantly leap in budget thanks to the multitued of special effects which will have to be used and good stuntwork and CGI costs a fortune.

 

[Dr. Evil]

If Nolan wants 250-300 million for Batman 3, he'll get it. Whatever the budget for Batman 3 he wants, he'll get it. There is no reason for Nolan not get to what he wants from the WB. The WB gave him $200 million for Inception.

They'll give Nolan whatever he wants for Batman 3. No reason to think otherwise. The success of the other two Batman films are the reason he will get what he wants.

 

[TheVileOne]

Sure there is. Watchmen.

 

[matrix_ghost]

With the exception of Batman 3, none of the future projects that are still in development at DC Comics will get $200 million as a budget. In fact, I doubt that many of the future DC projects will get a $150 million budget.

Warners knows that Nolan The Batman Films have made over a billion dollars worldwide, so they'll give Nolan $200 million for Batman 3. They will not give anyone else that luxury.

Well exact numbers aren't out (yet) but by all indications given by the guys at HitFix , green Lantern will most likely have a 200 (plus) million budget. So yeah





As for the enws that DC has formed it's own company , on one hand i'm happy about this and other other hand i don't see what's the big deal. Yeah i know that it's great the a separate division of WB is developing their own comic movies . HOwever when the movies are finished , WB still has to juggle the release dates. Marvel had a agreement with mutiple studios to distribute their pics and this will probabaly continue for a long time or so , even with the disney take over. Sony would be dumb to hand over SPider-man to Disney , not after all the billions the franchise has brought them. Fox is rebooting Fantastic Four and will continue to make X-Men movies just to keep the rights. So if you break it down , there will be at 3 studios ( Disney , Sony & Fox) that will continue to churn out Marvel flicks.

WB will be the only one distributing their own comic book movies.
So what is WB going to do. Release 2-3 comic book movies each year just becase DC is pumping them out

 

[Octoberist]

I can see WB and DC lending out their properties, but at the sametime, 1-2 DC movies a year vs. 3-4 Marvel movies a year might be a good strategy.

 

[matrix_ghost]

I can see WB and DC lending out their properties, but at the sametime, 1-2 DC movies a year vs. 3-4 Marvel movies a year might be a good strategy.

Unless your talking about international distribution rights like watchmen had with ( i think) paramount , i don't see WB lending out their own developed properties.

I can see WB and DC lending out their properties, but at the sametime, 1-2 DC movies a year vs. 3-4 Marvel movies a year might be a good strategy.

Realistically i can see that. But even if they're going that route , that would just leave them with very few properties being made into movies.. WHo knows what WB/DC 's business strategy now is ( remember the 3 year gap between movies of the same franchise and a one year gap between different comic book movies meaning that it would've been 2005 Batmand begins ,, 2006 superman returns , 2007 wonder woman , 2008 the dark knight) but we're looking at a 2-3 year development time per movie ...at least.

Going by that time , WB/DC won't be able to make the other new comic book properties because the priorities will be given to the ones already development. Either that or we'l just see trilogies before the studio decides to reboot the franchise.

 

[Anita18]

Nolan will get whatever he asks but it was the success of BB that sowed the seeds for it. I dont think WW,Flash or lantern will get that kind of money right out of the bat.

The problem is the aforementioned movies instantly leap in budget thanks to the multitued of special effects which will have to be used and good stuntwork and CGI costs a fortune.

Right, but WB had to take a chance on Nolan first, with BB (his first action movie, let alone $100+ million budget) and its $150 million budget. Then again they got lucky.

This move doesn't seem to be a creative restructuring - if I'm reading correctly, DC Comics will still be its own separate entity doing its own stuff. DC Entertainment will simply be the bridge between the comics proper and the stuff that WB has control over. Since Diane Nelson has been in charge of the Harry Potter brand from the very beginning (acting as the go-between for WB and JK Rowling, at that), and made it very successful, I think she's well-qualified for the job.

 

[GL's Light]

On the issue of budgets: $150-200 million is the going rate for an effects-heavy tentpole film and Warners is a studio that usually doesn't stint on spending. DC films that get the go-ahead and that need budgets in this range to be brought to life will get them, including at the upper range.

On the volume of DC films: people need to keep their expectations within realistic parameters. Warners is very unlikely to start releasing three or four films a year featuring costumed DC superheros. What we can hope for is that they increase their output to three or four DC films per year, with one or two of those films being superhero films and that there's at least one DC superhero film every year. I expect they won't release more than one DC superhero film in any given movie-going season, but I could see them utilizing the spring, summer and holiday seasons for one release each.