WB Is Still Carelessly Running Their DC Projects Into The Ground

[DarthDorranceBane]

Saw this from the Man of Steel boards.

http://www.cinematallica.com/holy-in...to-the-ground/

The Joker is apparently not the only agent of chaos residing at the home of the Brothers Warner. It seems the studio brass are just as psychotic. Everyone knows about the Batman vs. Superman movie that was announced at Comic-Con a few weeks ago. Zack Snyder & Co. rolled out with their surprise and ever since the ‘net has been buzzing with rumors and speculation. But what is ACTUALLY going on with the project? And how did it come to pass that the Man of Steel sequel turned into a team-up film, instead of another stand-alone Superman adventure? The answer to the latter query is simple: It’s what the studio heads want.
The information coming in from our studio sources is that this decision blindsided not only the fans, but Zack Snyder and David Goyer as well. In the lead up to Comic-Con, they were merely under the impression that they would be teasing fans with their plans for an actual Man of Steel 2 and their goals for the franchise in the long run. A Superman & Batman: World’s Finest or Superman & Batman: Public Enemies (both are titles currently under consideration) film was absolutely NOT on their minds. At least not until a mandate came down from the brass right before Comic-Con. Word is that Snyder & Goyer are none too pleased about this torpedoing of their original trilogy plans (with a team-up film happening afterward), but will remain on board and just roll with it. Neither wants to give up the good home they have for themselves at WB over this, so they’re just going to hope for the best.
How about all of this talk of Frank Miller’s involvement and an actor shortlist for Batman? Well, the first item on that list is pure hokum. Not only have Frank Miller and the other creators of the classic The Dark Knight Returns comic NOT been contacted yet about using that material or even consulting on the film, but there is no script in place for this project at this time. Not even an outline has been turned in, though I’m sure the duo are feverishly trying to work one out. Production will likely need to be in full swing in about six months or so in order for this proposed film to make its Summer 2015 release, so I’m sure they’ll be working their butts off over the next few months.
What of that shortlist though? Well, one DOES exist, but not in the form that you might think. You see, WB still plans on landing Christian Bale and are doing everything in their power to make it happen. Offer after offer has been turned down thus far, with the latest reportedly setting somewhere around $50 million. Bale has yet to cave and word it that it is highly unlikely that he will change his mind…no matter how high the offer goes. So where does that leave them? Joseph Gordon-Levitt? While I know some think that WB would never be willing to give us a Bruce Wayne-less Batman movie, they aren’t as against it as some fans are. An offer was actually on the table for JGL a few months back.
You recall those Batman Beyond movie rumors that surfaced before Comic-Con? Well, WB was (and possibly still is?) hoping that Levitt would agree to topline a run of films in the cape & cowl under that title as the Caped Crusader. Why haven’t we heard more about this? Because JGL is leery of following in Bale’s footsteps and not too keen on signing a huge franchise contract obligating him to possibly as many as six films. I’m told that he has currently moved on and (rumor has it) is now being wooed by Marvel to take on one of their own superheroes. It seems Joseph would rather entertain the idea of his own superhero franchise, as opposed to someone else’s sloppy seconds, and who would blame him? Certainly not us.
So who IS on the shortlist? Brolin? Gosling? Hammer? Possibly. The name we are hearing that has caught Snyder’s eye off of said mystery studio list is a whopper though…and not in the way that fanboys might think or hope. Who is Zack’s pick if Warner Brothers cannot convince Bale to return? Orlando Bloom. I could carry on about how wrongheaded I think this decision is, but I really don’t see the point. It is blatantly obvious at this stage that Warner Bros. still has no clue how to handle their DC properties and would rather just steamroll over the few that they’d managed to at least get mostly right over the past decade in a misguided effort to beat Marvel at a game that was already over 15 months ago. And before you attack us with claims that WB would never cast Bloom or someone similar as the new Batman, I would kindly like to remind you of the cast of the Justice League movie that was weeks away from going into production only six years ago…
- D.J. Cotrona as “Superman”
- Armie Hammer as “Batman”
- Adam Brody as “The Flash”
- Megan Gale as “Wonder Woman”
- Santiago Cabrera as “Aquaman”
- Common as “Green Lantern”
- Hugh Keays-Byrne as “Martian Manhunter”
- Teresa Palmer as “Talia Al Ghul”
- Jay Baruchel as “Maxwell Lord”
Hammer and Byrne (The Toe Cutter!) aside, that’s one head-scratchingly odd cast. The fact that ANYONE thought it was a good idea to cast Flint from G.I. Joe: Retaliation as Brandon Routh’s successor is disturbing. And having Baruchel play the villain that requires the combined might of these heroes to defeat? Really?!? As much as I love George Miller, there’s no way that Justice League: Mortal would have been anything other than a colossal trainwreck. The current iteration of a Justice League film is reportedly on track for a Summer 2017 release and I’m said to say that a decade on, things aren’t looking any better. At this point, don’t be surprised if WB continues their bull in a china shop routine and cheaply brings their television heroes (Stephen Amell’s Green Arrow and whoever CW ends up casting as Flash & Wonder Woman)* to join Henry Cavill (and Bloom?) along for the cinematic ride in four years.
I have been told that Christian Bale’s main reason for refusing to come back is that he feels that this project is beneath him. And you know what? He’s right.

* – Whatever your personal views on Arrow and its pending spin-offs, can we not agree that it is said that CW is seemingly do a far better job at creating a shared universe for DC characters on television than their parent company is in theaters?

 

[smallville fan]

I really doubt that they were even planning a standalone Superman movie next after Man of Steel in 2015. We knew ages ago DC wanted to release something big in 2015. Earlier it was speculated it was JL, now it's the next best thing since we aren't there yet.

 

[Boy Scout]

This thread is redundant.

 

[ares834]

Wow, what an original thread you created here.

 

[Arach Knight]

1) Superman/Batman has been in the works since 2002. All of the furor over Warner Bros. "surprise" announcement should stun no one. After Warner Bros. unsuccessfully developed Superman Lives/Reborn/Death and Return, they moved on to producing a Superman/Batman film. McG was attached to direct at one point, as was Bret Ratner. The project was put on hold and Warner Bros. wound up making Superman Returns.

2) The Man of Steel is itself a response to a court order that Warner Bros. produce a Superman film to make up for lost revenue opportunities on unproduced works in accordance with their legal obligations to the Siegel heirs. So it is funny that no one complains about The Man of Steel, which was literally a business effort, not a creative one, yet some how are some how flipping out over a Superman/Batman film that has been in production hell for over a decade.

 

[smallville fan]

1) Superman/Batman has been in the works since 2002. All of the furor over Warner Bros. "surprise" announcement should stun no one. After Warner Bros. unsuccessfully developed Superman Lives/Reborn/Death and Return, they moved on to producing a Superman/Batman film. McG was attached to direct at one point, as was Bret Ratner. The project was put on hold and Warner Bros. wound up making Superman Returns.

2) The Man of Steel is itself a response to a court order that Warner Bros. produce a Superman film to make up for lost revenue opportunities on unproduced works in accordance with their legal obligations to the Siegel heirs. So it is funny that no one complains about The Man of Steel, which was literally a business effort, not a creative one, yet some how are some how flipping out over a Superman/Batman film that has been in production hell for over a decade.

Regarding 1), yeah I thought as much heck they were even planning for Christian Bale's Batman to meet Brandon Routh's Superman at one point if I'm not mistaken. They're only doing it now because of the competition among other reasons.

Regarding 2), WTF?! MOS was forced to be made just so the Siegel & Shuster heirs get their money back for the Superman character? Was MOS the result of that Siegel & Shuster court saga? Could you provide some evidence/proof? That's really interesting.

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

Christian Bale has not been offered $50 million. A book came out saying he could make potentially $50 million.

 

[Arach Knight]

Regarding 2), WTF?! MOS was forced to be made just so the Siegel & Shuster heirs get their money back for the Superman character? Was MOS the result of that Siegel & Shuster court saga? Could you provide some evidence/proof? That's really interesting.

"Yet, in what could be viewed as a silver lining for the Siegels and Shusters, the judge ruled that if production on a new "Superman" film does not begin by 2011, the families will be eligible to sue Warner Bros. for damages, as they will own the entire Superman copyright in 2013.

'[The] entire accounting action pales in comparison to the fact that in 2013, the Siegels, along with the estate of Joe Shuster, will own the entire original copyright to Superman, and neither DC Comics nor Warner Bros. will be able to exploit any new Superman works without a license from the Siegels and Shusters,' said Marc Toberoff, who represents the Siegels in the case.


'The Court pointedly ruled that if Warner Bros. does not start production on another Superman film by 2011, the Siegels will be able to sue to recover their damages,' he added.

The logical step for Warner Bros. and DC Comics, then, is to get started on the "Superman" reboot they announced last year, but as Warner Bros. chariman Alan Horn testified, there are no current developments on a sequel -- no director, no script, nothing. Horn said that the very earliest another 'Superman' film could be released was 2012.

Given that the ruling came down yesterday, it's a pretty good bet that the coming days and weeks will be filled with Warner Bros. and DC Comics executives teaming up to fast-track a "Superman" sequel so as to avoid yet another lawsuit over the film's rights in the future"

http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/07/09/warner-bros-dc-comics-win-superman-lawsuit-must-produce-movie-sequel-by-2011/?iframe=true&width=95%&height=95%

------

DC had already been working on nurturing a proper Superman franchise, and had already been planning the direction for the franchise after Superman Returns. They were taking pitches and figuring out whether they wanted to chance a sequel or make a reboot. Once the court pressure was on however, DC could no longer waste time with a protracted planning period and instead put things into motion to get an actual film off the ground.

So while a Superman film was in the works for some time, Man of Steel itself was the culmination of a response to a legal threat. We may have gotten a very different film if Warner Bros. was not forced to start production in 2011 (which the production for Man of Steel began in August of 2011).

In fact, the initial plan was to work on some sort of Batman/Superman film (as evinced by the easter egg in 2007's I Am Legend), but that got scrapped while the WB had to figure out how to handle the poor performance of Superman Returns. There is additional information available on Wikipedia about the entire court controversy as well as the history of the Superman productions, both unproduced and produced.

 

[ЯɘvlveR]

everyone knows that they either don't care or they don't care. It sucks, but that's just the way it is. On one hand, they gave one guy the freedom to do whatever he wanted (in nolan) on the other, they're hand cuffing a guy because of either the critical response or desperation of wanting to make as much money as the avengers.

Mos was a good way to start the universe and it should have had a chance to expand on the story with a sequel. If they're that eager to get a justice league off the ground, they should invest in the other characters so when the time comes to team them up it doesn't look like cluster****.

You'd think that would be as obvious to them as it is to us, but apparently it's not. Batman, should have been given a break. In fact, he should have been the last reveal before a jl film or in a jl film since he's the cash cow. They should have built him up. The time from tdkr till then would have been enough time to make the people for get about tdkt. They should have had a plan (it's obvious they don't, even today) in anticipation of man of steel's commercial success.


A mos sequel followed by the flash and a wonder woman vs aquaman film (a way to introduce both of the characters) all planned for 2015 (i'm sure the hobbit will have ended by then) would have kicked it off into high gear, perhaps with the gl corps figuring into jl film, with batman remaining a myth through out all of the films revealed in jl would have been a good plan.

It's all for naught though. All we can do is hope that svsb isn't a pos.

:ba

 

[smallville fan]

So while a Superman film was in the works for some time, Man of Steel itself was the culmination of a response to a legal threat. We may have gotten a very different film if Warner Bros. was not forced to start production in 2011 (which the production for Man of Steel began in August of 2011).

or maybe no Superman movie at all, since these guys seem to be good at procrastinating.

Is this like the Marvel/Fox/Sony situation where Fox & Sony have to make certain movies per year in order to retain the rights to characters and WB are now reminded this is now possible and could lose the Superman character and be sued if this isn't met? I guess they are now forced to release a Superman movie or movies with Superman every few years(for example a Superman/Batman movie in 2015) now yes?

I guess it further proves that the Superman/Batman movie is in fact a plan A and probably was in the pipeline yes?

 

[Arach Knight]

or maybe no Superman movie at all, since these guys seem to be good at procrastinating.

Is this like the Marvel/Fox/Sony situation where Fox & Sony have to make certain movies per year in order to retain the rights to characters and WB are now reminded this is now possible and could lose the Superman character and be sued if this isn't met? I guess they are now forced to release a Superman movie or movies with Superman every few years(for example a Superman/Batman movie in 2015) now yes?

I guess it further proves that the Superman/Batman movie is in fact a plan A and probably was in the pipeline yes?

1) Warner Bros. recently won a landmark decision at the start of this year in which it was determined that the Siegel family has no claim to regaining the rights to Superman, as it has been decided that a deal in which the Siegel heirs agreed to back in 2001 is still binding.

http://m.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/warner-bros-wins-blockbuster-victory-410871

Back in 2008/2009, it was determined that the Siegels could sue for lost revenue and the copyright on Superman's origin. Warner Bros. would lose all rights sooner if no film was produced by 2011. However, that ruling was reversed in January of this year by appeals court. DC may now proceed at a pace hey find comfortable.

2) Superman/Batman has been in development-hell since 2002 when McG, then Brett Ratner were attached to direct. Warner Bros. had attempted to produce several Superman solo films (including one written by Kevin Smith, directed by Tim Burton and starring Nicholas Cage) which culminated in Superman Returns which the studio had hoped to use as a launching point for a unified DCU filmverse. Unfortunately, Superman Returns bombed and lacked the necessary success to propel a shared universe, so DC shelved the project. It was resurrected in 2007 when Warner Bros. teased it in I Am Legend. So yes, this film has been in the pipeline for eleven years.