Is DCE accomplishing anything?

[Octoberist]

That's why having talks with Greg Berlanti for The Flash film is totally counter-productive.

 

[dnno1]

Ratings don't mean much until the movie released b/c it fluctuates

No, but these are from fans and you can use the data to get an idea how interested they are about the film. It counters what a lot of folks here are saying about the film.

Furthermore I am beginning to think that a straw-man was set up here to make the film look bad. Someone starts a rumor from a dubious source that a second trailer will be released this week and when it doesn't happen they beat up on the producers saying that there is an urgency to put out a trailer and that if it doesn't happen then they are sunk. Whose in charge here now, a hand full of fans who are on the fence about the film or the producers? They never said when they would release a second trailer nor do they need to right now. There has been a lot of marketing thus fare (something every week) and to them there may not be a need to put one out as of yet just to compete with Captain America. This is really not a competition to them, but an attempt at making sure they put something out that will maximize the return on their investment. If you haven't noticed "Green Lantern" is being produced solely by the WB and DCE. Normally to reduce risk, they get another outfit like Lionsgate or Villiage Roadshow Pictures to co-finance a film so that if it looses money they reduce their liability. They don't do that with many other films unless they are certain it will make money ("Harry Potter" is an example of that). I think they know what they are doing and there is no need to panic right now.

 

[Octoberist]

You should call yourself, 'Lord Stats' instead of Dnno1. Or "Data-Head'. I like 'Data-Head'.

 

[Lencho01]

I don't know about that. I looked over at Facebook and the average rating for the film was a 4.2 out of 5 (with 94 people voting). I know it's not very scientific, but it's probably just as good as people over here saying that it got mixed reviews or that it sucked.

I think looking at a Facebook page (that fans of the character are the majority of those who visit it) for data would be biased.

 

[Hush]

Captain America had a good trailer but it was boring to me. I just hope that the next GL trailer is being worked on feverently so that it just blows the fan base out of the water.

 

[dnno1]

I think looking at a Facebook page (that fans of the character are the majority of those who visit it) for data would be biased.

Probably true, but it is just as accurate as listening to the naysayers at this forum.

 

[Lencho01]

Probably true, but it is just as accurate as listening to the naysayers at this forum.

That's true.

 

[Willi Berg]

Probably true, but it is just as accurate as listening to the naysayers at this forum.

It's not just this forum though, it's also about comments from more general places like YouTube or gossip blogs- people who don't necessarily follow comic book movies.

 

[dnno1]

It's not just this forum though, it's also about comments from more general places like YouTube or gossip blogs- people who don't necessarily follow comic book movies.

Those could be the same trolls under a different alias. Truth be it known, only people with a definite interest or agenda are going to migrate to sites like this or vote at polls on the Internet. You really can't rely on that, and, once again for all intents and purposes, the Face book count is probably just as accurate as the opinions on this thread (or anywhere else for that matter). It's a good thing that the producers of these types of films have access to better data through market research.

 

[Willi Berg]

Those could be the same trolls under a different alias. Truth be it known, only people with a definite interest or agenda are going to migrate to sites like this or vote at polls on the Internet. You really can't rely on that, and, once again for all intents and purposes, the Face book count is probably just as accurate as the opinions on this thread (or anywhere else for that matter). It's a good thing that the producers of these types of films have access to better data through market research.

Yet you're relying on a Facebook page? You talk about 94 votes on a FB page when there are hundreds of comments and thousands of views on YouTube and yet you want to support the data that that proves that GL only got a positive reaction? And any negative is the same small group of trolls? I've read a lot of comments on this trailer and no, it's not serious market research but I am willing to believe that yes, the GL trailer got a mixed reaction.

A lot of comments are naive ones like "Why isn't Green Lantern black?" or "What's this about? Isn't Seth Rogen in this?" Or the standard "Ryan Reynolds is hot". But then a regular comments are "The CGI looks fake" or "This looks bad", "Blake's acting is bad" or "Why is he like Tony Stark?". These are clearly not comic nerds with an agenda just regular people.

I don't like that the GL trailer got a lot of bad reaction, even from a lot of geeks, but you can see they're reacting to the way the trailer was cut and unfinished effects. That's why I hope the second trailer gets a more positive reaction, the way Captain America has, without the same ideas people seem to have gotten from the first GL trailer.

 

[baerrtt]

WB are, as someone has said, going to be relying on alot more than just superhero adaptations to replace Harry Potter so there's probably a limit to how much DCE can push. They tried getting a WW movie done and instead we're getting a tv series that on paper seems to be angering or bewildering people who come across the ideas presented.

If GL bombs then all you'll get are execs at that studio saying that not one of their characters outside Batman/Superman is worth making a movie out of.

 

[jmc]

She here's a question, is the DCE nothing more than studio spin to appease DC fans into believing things are being done? I've often felt that the creation of DCE has always been somewhat of a smoke screen coz I don't believe they have any real power in deciding what happens to which character in medium other than comics.

 

[solidsnake86]

Movie's take along time to put together, starting with finding a creative team, these things don't happen over night. I think the main reason for forming DCE was for lining up cross platform merchandising. Having things in sync like they are doing with green lantern, having the movie, video game, animated series, animated movie.

Its been what, a year since they formed, and already people are whining. When you look at it they've accomplised so much, most just like to ignore those facts. Wonder woman is getting a tv show, doesnt matter if nobody likes it, its happening.

Green Lantern is coming out, has a video game, animated movie, animated series and a lot of merchandise

Flash has a script, superman is going into production and batman 3 is starting to film soon.

What more do you want exactly, this thread is really ill informed. By the end of next year marvel will have had 6 films on their characters, and dc will have had 5, so I would say dc is doing just fine.

 

[HighFivingMF]

You know, I'm surprised that with Harry Potter ending WB didn't throw the Shazam movie back into production. No way in Hell it would be as big as Harry Potter but could get some of a similar fanbase latched on, since it's about a young child being introduced to a world of magic and extraordinary happenings, and it would have a great villain in Black Adam. The one problem I could see is the kid being aged out of Billy Batson after like 2 movies.

 

[Willi Berg]

merchandising. Having things in sync like they are doing with green lantern, having the movie, video game, animated series, animated movie.

That's right, everything is more in sync now, they're more aligned and there has been a noticeable difference in how each thing is related to the other. We saw Geoff Johns make creative changes in the GL script to have it more tied in with the comic books. The WW TV show is happening because Warners got the rights back and did what they wanted with them.

If anything DCE has made it all more commercialised and each division more dependent on the other. If everything is a go after GL, then you'll see the same treatment with the Flash- all the animated shows, merchandise and videogames etc. that we're getting with GL.

 

[solidsnake86]

^exactly, its really evident on GL. I'm sure we'll see it with batman and superman next year, I would say thats a huge accomplishment because a lot of work goes into that but some people just don't realize that. Its easy to write DC off as doing nothing but when you look at the totality of the situation they have made a lot of progress.

 

[REDophile]

Everyone I mention the GL movie to confuses it with Green Hornet. They all think "is that the one with Seth Rogen? Oh the Green Hornet? Didn't that come out earlier this year?" No one even said anything about the trailer, whether it sucked or not. They just thought it was talking about the Green Hornet. Even before either movie was in production if I mentioned GL, I got the same answer.

Captain America just had the trailer come out, but I think a lot less rides on that. For one thing more of the mainstream audience knows who Cap is. A trailer makes more of a difference with GL.

DC is just fine in everything else but live action film beyond Batman and Superman. TV, animated stuff, merchandise, video games etc. DC has no problem. But until they move beyond Batman and Superman and come up with a strategic release calendar for films based on other superheroes beyond GL, they are well behind Marvel in live action film.

 

[Willi Berg]

But until they move beyond Batman and Superman and come up with a strategic release calendar for films based on other superheroes beyond GL, they are well behind Marvel in live action film.

What kind of "strategic release calendar" are you actually expecting? I think the problem is that you're expecting it to be done the same way as Marvel. It won't. The approach to these lesser known DC heroes is more introducing them *one at a time* with a huge mechandise/tie in machine behind each new release. That's exactly what we're getting, and what we're saying here. First it's GL, then it's Flash, then they possibly try with Aquaman or even lesser knowns like Lobo or Captain Marvel. I don't know how many times it can be said that they're waiting for GL, and seeing what the trend for superhero movies will be like after 2012, but if you're expecting a rush of DC superhero movies the way Marvel churned out its Avengers team, then you'll just be disappointed. Because DC is not taking that teamup approach.

 

[akfj]

What kind of "strategic release calendar" are you actually expecting? I think the problem is that you're expecting it to be done the same way as Marvel. It won't. The approach to these lesser known DC heroes is more introducing them *one at a time* with a huge mechandise/tie in machine behind each new release. That's exactly what we're getting, and what we're saying here. First it's GL, then it's Flash, then they possibly try with Aquaman or even lesser knowns like Lobo or Captain Marvel. I don't know how many times it can be said that they're waiting for GL, and seeing what the trend for superhero movies will be like after 2012, but if you're expecting a rush of DC superhero movies the way Marvel churned out its Avengers team, then you'll just be disappointed. Because DC is not taking that teamup approach.

Right, Marvel's movies have basically been prequels for The Avengers. They have had no choice but to introduce these characters in their own movies because there's no way they would have been able to give each character the necessary time to have their back-stories examined in The Avengers.

 

[mhenshaw]

She here's a question, is the DCE nothing more than studio spin to appease DC fans into believing things are being done? I've often felt that the creation of DCE has always been somewhat of a smoke screen coz I don't believe they have any real power in deciding what happens to which character in medium other than comics.

Quite possible. The longstanding problem with WB was that every division has had a veto over the use of the characters by every other division--a recipe for gridlock. If WB hasn't changed that by giving DCE the final say over when and where the characters can appear, then DCE will be a pretty feckless department. And I'd be stunned if the they gave DCE--"the comics division" that kind of power to push back against, say, the movie division.

 

[Willi Berg]

Quite possible. The longstanding problem with WB was that every division has had a veto over the use of the characters by every other division--a recipe for gridlock. If WB hasn't changed that by giving DCE the final say over when and where the characters can appear, then DCE will be a pretty feckless department. And I'd be stunned if the they gave DCE--"the comics division" that kind of power to push back against, say, the movie division.

Robinov wanted the ability to control every division. The comic book division still has to answer to what Robinov and WB want. It gave WB singular control of any adaptation to do with DC Comics.

Here are some highlights of the DCE announcement:

This change has been in the works quietly for two years ever since Robinov moved into the top slot. "It was Jeff's idea to have DC Comics reporting to him, and DC will be his direct responsibility with Diane Nelson," an insider confided to me. I've also learned that Robinov for months has quietly gone to producers like Chuck Roven and Joel Silver and Akiva Goldman and "called back" all their high profile DC titles in development like The Flash and Wonder Woman. Not only was that shocking to the producers, but even more so when they found out this was part of Robinov's strategy to severely limit the number of gross participants on the projects. Because the producers were told that they may get the titles back to develop, but with far less rich deals. "Jeff always wanted some kind of oversight of DC, and now he wants Warner's to hold onto ownership," my insider explains. (My understanding is that Joel Silver, who is buddies with Robinov, was allowed to continue bringing low profile The Losers to the big screen under his Dark Castle banner. But Silver's 10 years of developing Wonder Woman is history now.)

Problems have plagued the DC Comics-Warner Bros relationship. For instance, the the film division didn't nail down the legal rights to Watchmen adequately, with mogul after mogul shaking their heads in disbelief how Warner Bros could even have started filming the graphic novel with 20th Century Fox still laying claim to the pic. Cutting Fox in at the last minute with Paramount already an overseas played wrought havoc with Warner Bros' economics on the movie. But the biggest failure has been to leave the most valuable DC Comics characters in movie development limbo by chaotically starting and stopping work on scripts for the high profile live action pics. Of Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Justice League, only Batman has an ongoing live action franchise. And now that director Chris Nolan is working on back-to-back pics, who knows when the threequel will get a start date. Most recently, it appears that Warner Bros and DC Comics are getting their act together. Jonah Hex has wrapped, and Green Lantern starts shooting in the spring. That's the same time period that Human Target debuts on Fox.

“It’s no secret that DC has myriad rich and untapped possibilities from its deep library of iconic and lesser-known characters,” said Horn. “While we’ve had great success in films and television, the formation of DC Entertainment will help us to bring more DC properties across additional platforms to fans around the world, while maintaining brand integrity and authenticity.

“Based on the great success we’ve had working with DC Comics to create some of the most popular and successful super hero films of all time, I’ve long believed that there was much more we could do across all of Warner Bros.’ businesses with this great body of characters and stories,” said Robinov. “The prioritization of DC and the creation of DC Entertainment is a great opportunity that reaches far beyond the film group. There are endless creative possibilities to build upon the many significant successes already achieved by my colleagues Kevin Tsujihara and the Home Entertainment Group in the videogame, home video and direct-to-platform arenas and Bruce Rosenblum and the Television Group in live-action, animated and digital series. Collectively, we have the ability to grow a body of properties highlighting the iconic characters and the diversity of the creative output of DC Comics.”

http://www.deadline.com/2009/09/exclusive-warner-bros-jeff-robinov-restructures-dc-comics-diane-nelson-put-in-charge-of-dc-business-existing-dc-titles-pulled-from-producers/

http://www.deadline.com/2009/09/toldja-warner-bros-creates-dc-entertainment/

 

[HighFivingMF]

Jeff Robinov is already thinking about DC Comics movies for 2013 and beyond, and he’s got “Justice League” and a reinvented Batman on his mind.
The president of the Warner Bros. motion picture group, who recently sat down for an extensive interview with The Times, discussed his long-term strategy for DC beyond movies already in the works, such as June’s “Green Lantern” and next year’s “The Dark Knight Rises” and Superman movie.


The first priority for the man with the ultimate say on what films get made at Warner Bros.: Finally getting the Justice League, DC’s team featuring all its top characters, on the big screen in 2013. The picture had been very close to production in late 2007 and early 2008, but was killed by the Writers Guild of America strike, tax credit issues in Australia, and concerns by some at Warner about presenting a competing (and conflicting) version of Batman while director Christopher Nolan’s films were breaking box office records.
But Robinov said a new Justice League script is in the works. Also being written for Warner are scripts featuring the Flash and Wonder Woman, who could be spun off into their own movies after Justice League. Though Wonder Woman is also in the works as a television pilot for NBC produced by Warner, Robinov dismissed that as a sticking point. “Wonder Woman could be a film as well, the same way that ‘Superman Returns’ came out while ‘Smallville’ was on,” he said, referring to the 2006 film that put Brandon Routh in the cape and the television show starring Tom Welling that is now in its 10th and final season.
Robinov knows that the most bankable part of his superhero empire has been Nolan and his Gotham City films – the studio has yet to deliver a 21st century superhero blockbuster hit without Nolan in the director’s seat. Batman will continue to be a centerpiece property beyond next year’s “The Dark Knight Rises” and Nolan’s departure from the franchise. “We have the third Batman, but then we’ll have to reinvent Batman…Chris Nolan and [producing partner and wife] Emma Thomas will be producing it, so it will be a conversation with them about what the next phase is.”

http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2011...-up-film-and-reinventing-batman/?dlvrit=63378

 

[Willi Berg]

http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2011...-up-film-and-reinventing-batman/?dlvrit=63378

Wow, thanks for the link. I am very pleasantly surprised.