JL Casting Call Update

[Antonello Blueberry]

I dunno but Megan Gale seemed to not get the message that this movie is canceled...

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23115637-5012974,00.html

Maybe because the movie is not yet canceled.
And she still has a three picture deal signed by WB.

 

[Slugster]

Maybe I miss stated that about Nolan because, I didn’t mean realism.
I said (HIS VERSION) because I liked his version of Batman not that his version of Superman is like his version of Batman.
I thought he tried to stay true to Batman. A lot more than lets say Joel Schumacher. (OVER THE EDGE CAMPY!)
The same reason I didn't like Brian Singer's version of Superman
He wasn't true to the Superman that we know.
Schumacher's version of Batman had great characters and villain actors and could have been really great movies but he loaded them down with stupid crazy stuff and bad one-liners.
Oh and watch who you call fan boy B!

 

[The War Machine]

Superman is easy to translate to live action if they don't try to put him in the real world like Batman.

I prefer the realism apporach but thats where the difficulty lies in translating an unrealistic character to the real world.

It's not impossible though.

I'd rather they save the straight up comic book fantasy stuff for characters like Captain Marvel.

 

[Crook]

The way I see it, I see no reason to even try and bring these characters to a "real" world. When you have superheroes, that's damn near illogical. Plus at a certain point you may even dilute these characters from their original incarnation, in favor of realism.

Just treat the source material seriously and the setting should have no effect on the quality of the story.

 

[The War Machine]

Well the advantage of Singer's approach (a very real world approach to the character) makes it easy to put Superman and Batman Begins in the same world. I think that was the plan.

If they go the Spider-man route with the character (or Fantastic 4 like what JL sounded like) it would be impossible to do any type of crossover/ensemble film in the future.

I read some early press that WB hired Bryan to portray Superman in the same dark, real-world way as Nolan was doing for Batman.

I'd say they should keep the solo franchaises real-world, and go fantasy with JLA seperately. That way audiences can get the best of both worlds.

 

[Orin]

I think the problem with keeping Superman in the real-world is, that you can't have any real physical threats for the lager than live character that he is. Sure, it works for Batman, but telling good Superman storys is just a whole other challenge. Also, i don't really see the problem in basing Superman into a more scifi kinda of world. I mean, they do it in the comics too and that's the source material after all. And it's not like that would mean you'd have to go in a stupid popocornmovie directon with the character. It's very well possible to do a actionpacked movie with a lot of scifi elements and still combine it with deep storytelling.

As far as the whole Batman Begins world/Superman Returns connection goes ... i don't really see that. To me, it didn't look like that Superman Returns could be based in the same reality as Batman Begins. In fact, i don't think it would make sense for any other DC-Superhero to exist in the BB world. And that's why i have to agree with you, they should just keep all the solo-movies as well as the JLA in separate universes, so that they can model them after the individual needs of every hero...

 

[Bhoward]

Great post Orin, but I disagree about the BB/Superman connection. Superman is the ying to Batman's yang. Superman is the inspiring "light" to the world, where as Batman is the cynical "dark". I think it would rock Batman's realistic world to have Superman show up. But they need each other to equal each other out. Batman's cynic to Superman's boy scout, "all people are inately good" view point. I think its a mistake to not embrace the "comic book" in all of these movies. Keep them all in the same universe, as they have been throughout history. As human and realistic as Batman may be, he could still never exist in our real world anymore than an alien or Amazonian princess. Batman would be caught and in jail within a week. I say keep Batman's fictional world in the same universe as Superman's fictional world.

 

[Orin]

Well, there would still be the JLA world where certain versions of The Caped Crusader and The Man of Steel could appear side by side/interact, but there is something to what you're saying. Of course, you can change one version of a character slightly in order to fit with others, just like they did with Batman in the DCAU when he appeared in the World's Finest Episode of Superman or later the Justice League series. But to me, that where alomst completely different versions of the character, that could've been from different universes as well.

 

[Dotten]

No superheromovie is realistic, nor is Nolans Batman. Not at all. He is just better at giving us the illusion of realism. But it's not hard to pick Batman Begins apart like any other movie and say "nah, not realistic" if one really wants to. But then one is missing the point with these kind of movies.

As for Superman, it makes a lot more sense for him to dress up with cape and all because he's a freakin alien. They got different dress-codes where he comes from. As for a human dressing up like a bat, that's realisticly speaking just plain stupid and absurd. In that suit even grandma will beat you, cause there is no agility.

But for a comic-book movie it's fantastic to dress the way Batman does. But please, don't talk realism. Realism has nothing to do with these kinds of movies and if one thinks otherwise then the illusion got to you.

 

[Matt.S99]

I hate how some people think comic movies should be more realistic. It stupid ,they are comic book movies, they are supposed ot be fictional and unrealistic

 

[jmc]

I've never understood where the realistic tag for Batman Begins came from, what it is is a grounded fantasy, enough elements to make it seem logical and plausible, but is no way possible.

 

[The War Machine]

They both used alot of 'versimilitude' in the way they were done.

The way Nolan used it is self explanitory; Bryan (for his film) continued the way that Donner used it as well.

Donner's 1978 film is more real-world than fantasy/comic-based when you disregard the 70s elements.

It was a real take on the character admist a 1978 environment. I still say thats the way to go for a film adaption.

Abrams' and Burton's attempts, which were very fantasy-based, were definitely the wrong approaches to the character.

 

[Dotten]

Burtons aproach was not the wrong way. I saw Batman returns recently for the first time in 10-12 years and I was stunned on how good it actually was. First time I did not like it. The absurdity of it all, especially penguins in a sewer, just goes along with the films premise. It's more demanding for the audience, you need to be able to see creativety of this kind.

But the ultimate Superheromovie for me is Superman The Movie. Almost perfect. Second plase is a tie between Batman, Batman Begins and a third movie I will not mention because the bias on these boards towards it

But there is not just one way to make a good Superheromovie. Thats just narrow-minded. I like what Burton did, I like what Donner/Raimi did (very the same take for those two), I like what Nolan did and I like what Del Toro did. All different takes, but still all good movies (although Hellboy was a bit over the top in the final scenes).

 

[The War Machine]

Burtons aproach was not the wrong way. I saw Batman returns recently for the first time in 10-12 years and I was stunned on how good it actually was.

Burton's was fantasy based, and yet he still showed the characters of Batman better than Nolan.

I think you guys missed the point. I was referring to Burton and Abrams' takes on Superman in their respective failed Superman movie projects. They went for a weird fantasy-based approach for Superman, the opposite way of Donner and Bryan.

I thought Batman 1989 was great however.

 

[Visionary]

Real-world, realism, in comic book films? I've seen no comic book movie to date with neither...and I won't in the future.

JLA doesn't need Bale, Routh, Nolan or Singer. Personally, I'd prefer WB keep Bats, Supes and JLA completely seperate franchises.

 

[Showtime]

Maybe because the movie is not yet canceled.
And she still has a three picture deal signed by WB.

You're right the movie is not yet canceled, but the three picture deal with WB doesn't necessarily mean JLA, although I bet it is.

 

[Orin]

No superheromovie is realistic, nor is Nolans Batman. Not at all.

Absolutely true. But there are still laws within the fictional world that Nolan had created for Batman Begins. And i think an Alien from the Planet Krypton, an Amazon Warrior Princess from the Island Paradise Themyscira, the King of the Underwaterworld Atlantis, a Memeber of an intergalactic police force called Green Lantern Corps and a Shapeshifter from Mars wouldn't be realistic within that context.

 

[Dotten]

Absolutely true. But there are still laws within the fictional world that Nolan had created for Batman Begins. And i think an Alien from the Planet Krypton, an Amazon Warrior Princess from the Island Paradise Themyscira, the King of the Underwaterworld Atlantis, a Memeber of an intergalactic police force called Green Lantern Corps and a Shapeshifter from Mars wouldn't be realistic within that context.

I agree with you. Introducing these heroes in the Nolan-universe would probably ruin the illusion of realism that Nolan created. Although, if Superman came flying into Burtons Batman-flicks in early 90's then it would work much better.

Not saying it would be impossible to do the Nolan Batman in a JL-ensemble, just that it would be much much harder. Singer did well in his creative take on the X-Men. Something along those lines needs to be done with Justice League. Just a bit better

 

[Orin]

Not saying it would be impossible to do the Nolan Batman in a JL-ensemble

I say it would. As you've said, these heroes appering in the Nolans Batman universe would just destroy the "illusion of realism" that makes it what it is. And in my opinion, Nolans Batman (Christian Bale) appering in a Justice League flick alongside these characters would do the exept same thing. One of the many reasons i'm totally against a team-up flick that's related to the solo-movies. I mean, the Batman Begins world is properbly the best way to tell Batman solo-storys and the universe that you'd have to create for lets say a The Flash solo-movie would property be (in a completely different way) unfitting for The Green Lantern or Justice League. Nevertheless, there are great qualities to these characters that only come off when they interact with each other (the League) and that can't be brought in into the solo-flicks, so it'd be waste to not use them too...

 

[Dotten]

Nothing is impossible with the creative geniouses in the movie-industry. Never underestimate the great minds of our best directors. They can achieve miracles on film. But close to impossible, yes.

Like I said in a different thread (I think); Do the crazy thing and have Michael Keaton back for a JL-film. Batman will eventually get old so why not just do that twist and show us the old version of Batman coping with the new heroes that's in town. An absurd idea, but I'll sure take Keaton over Baking Soda. We have 6 or 7 Batman flicks about him in his prime-time, so it would be fun to see an old Batman.

(hell, if they don't do it then wait 20 years and bring in an old Bale). How I would love to se a grumpy old Batman telling Superman a thing or two about how the world works

(and before you all go "thats just crazy and stupid", think about it for two minutes before posting.)

 

[Orin]

Yeah, i was always a big fan of Keaton as Batman (still prefer him over Bale). And you could promote his Batman Comeback in a really HUGE way. It would be just like when Connery came back as Bond, while Moore was still playing the role. It's just so crazy that it could be the best way to get two Batmans on big screen at the same time working. But sadly it's most likely never going to happen...

 

[Orin]

Well, i wouldn't make him THAT old. Sure, he would've to be a little bit older than the rest of the League, but not necessarily Keatons real age. I mean, he could easily play like ten years or so younger...

 

[jmc]

Maybe because the movie is not yet canceled.
And she still has a three picture deal signed by WB.

Three picture deal? Did I miss something?

 

[super-t]

am i the only one who thinks that SR look and tone of the movie was more Batman and the look and tone of BB was more Superman....jus look at the cities and tone of the movies....they should be swithced to me, but i think supes could fit in wit BB cause gotham in BB was how i pictured metropolis...futuristic in a since..and metropolis in SR was how i pictured Gotham kinna dark...but supes flyin through gotham in BB would work perfectly to me...it would give everyon in gotham a shock if u will

 

[Slugster]

Wasn't just calling you a fanboy, also everyone agreeing with you for realistic Superman.

I never said realism. I said Version.