What do you think will be the next DC/WB movie franchise?

[jmc]

My gut tells me things were in bad shape before the beginning of 2011.

 

[Octoberist]

I had a gut feeling that the movie was going off the rails too. I couldn't prove it, but it was just through pure intuition.

Also, the drama of the moving the film production from Australia to New Orleans was a strong hint. New Orleans is somewhat limiting to the final film; it's a beautiful city but it's not the big city that Coast City was. They needed to film in San Diego or San Fran for that. Also, the sets looked cheap and minimal due to the lack of sound stages they have there.

 

[jmc]

What's the most disappointing is that of all the superheroes that came out last year GL had to be the one that was great, not just good, great.

 

[Octoberist]

Exactly. I know that there are a very few number of people who liked Green Lantern and would defend it, but my retort to them is that movie needed to be awesome not serviceable. Serviceable has made it's exit post-Iron Man/Dark Knight.

 

[jmc]

It wasn't even serviceable to me, I've watched it once and feel no need to sit through it again. I've said this before Marvel may have made some above average movies over the last few years, but at the very least they are competently made and watchable, GL isn't even watchable. I probably wasn't the only DC fan out there shaking his head the entire time the movie was playing. You just wonder if 6 months more post-production would have made the difference.

 

[Octoberist]

I think I was giving Green Lantern mercy by saying it's serviceable. But I'm with you. I think the most sloppily and awkwardly made comic book film since Ghost Rider.

I felt embarrassed because movies are the gateway to the source material. And the film failed at making a good first impression.

 

[jmc]

And the problem is the GL brand on film is now tainted. $200-300 spent for nothing, it would of been better to have had no GL than the one they released.

 

[Octoberist]

It is to a certain degree; in DC, it's still a breadwinner isn't it? But outside of that, yeah, it's tainted. It's to the point where I don't want to see a sequel. A reboot? I don't know - we will see how I feel about it in a few years.

 

[jmc]

Film wise it's just hard for me to see WB giving the character another shot, sequel or reboot. WB have always been gun shy about this sort of thing. I think as long as Batman and Superman films (assuming MOS is a hit) keep bringing in coin there isn't any need for WB to risk more superheroes, they're more than just a superhero studio after all.

 

[Octoberist]

Well, I'm a firm believer that you can make a Flash movie for maybe $100-130 million if you're willing to get somebody creative to do it. Like an Edgar Wright, Brad Bird or even a Nicholas Winding Refn.

 

[Tobias]

Well, I'm a firm believer that you can make a Flash movie for maybe $100-130 million if you're willing to get somebody creative to do it. Like an Edgar Wright, Brad Bird or even a Nicholas Winding Refn.

ITA. Flash could be made for 130 million or so and probably bring in 400 - 450 million at the BO. Those numbers will make it a huge success along the lines of Cap and Thor.

WW too though that budget might have to be a bit more than Flash.

GL simply costs more to do correctly. Like Ironman or Batman. The potential payoff is huge though as GL done right is likely to do way north of 500 million.

It's a shame the first try did not turn out but someday GL will be done right IMO and join Batman as WB's most successful super-hero film franchise.

 

[chiefchirpa]

WB is doing Mandrake, an ancient forgotten pulp character where it should be relevant DC comics based characters...

Who's running WB anyway, an 80 year old relic?

 

[Airwings]

chiefchirpa: Don't say anything bad about Mandrake. In this era of superhero films, we need him too.
The strange thing in the equation is that Warner Brother are doing the film, when they already have dozens of characters by their own. That shows how much interests they really have for The Flash & co.

 

[Omega Red]

It was $200 million dollars wasted on what they thought would be a sure thing. Looking back retrospectively the promotion became desperate towards the end, the fact they released 10 mins of footage at the comic convention should have been a big giveaway.

I couldn't of said it better myself

 

[The Guard]

Mandrake is a great character, and its success would make an eventual ZATANNA film more likely. I'm all for it.

 

[Tobias]

Disney took a huge loss on John Carter and it actually caused the price of Disney shares to drop earlier this week.

Unlike WB, Disney has been upfront about Carter's failure. It may be a first for a studio to acknowledge a film's failure while it was still in theatres.

Compare this to GL and SR which WB initially refused to admit had both severly underperformed.

This won't stop WB from making big-budget DC films but Carter's failure reinforces WB's strategy to put DC films out at a very slow pace. The downside potential is just too huge.

It's frustrating for fans but makes complete economic sense if you are WB.

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/19/200-million-write-down-for-john-carter-disney-says/

 

[dnno1]

I don't think DC should or would copy Marvel's plan. It's just a logistical nightmare. For starters they haven't got the right people managing their comic properties. They've got Nolan, but he doesn't want to do any cross overs or anything. And as GL proved, they haven't got a clue what they are doing in terms of superheroes outside of Batman, maybe Superman.

Difference is, Marvel Studios is all about superhero movies. They are all on the same wavelength. They know what makes their characters work. They are unified in their vision. WB/DC? Not so much.

They should just focus on making really great solo movies. Then move on from there.

Right now, because of the timing, DC Entertainment will have to wait and see how successful "Avengers " turns out to be before they decide on pursuing that type of film. If it turns out to be just as much of a hit as TDK or TDKR appear to be, then it would be worth the logistics to follow the same formula (I don't think you are going to go wrong with a picture that has both Superman and Batman in it).

With that being said, I think that the next WB/DC movie franchise will be Aquaman. The reason why is if you do a copyright search over at copyright.gov on that character you will see that there was a film rights option purchase agreement made back in 2008 among DC, Warner Brothers Entertainment, and Warner Brothers Pictures. If film options expire after 5 years, then they should be making a film within the next two years. The only other character that has a similar situation is Green Arrow. There was an option purchase agreement for that character made back in 2009.

 

[gugumugats]

Right now, because of the timing, DC Entertainment will have to wait and see how successful "Avengers " turns out to be before they decide on pursuing that type of film. If it turns out to be just as much of a hit as TDK or TDKR appear to be, then it would be worth the logistics to follow the same formula (I don't think you are going to go wrong with a picture that has both Superman and Batman in it).

With that being said, I think that the next WB/DC movie franchise will be Aquaman. The reason why is if you do a copyright search over at copyright.gov on that character you will see that there was a film rights option purchase agreement made back in 2008 among DC, Warner Brothers Entertainment, and Warner Brothers Pictures. If film options expire after 5 years, then they should be making a film within the next two years. The only other character that has a similar situation is Green Arrow. There was an option purchase agreement for that character made back in 2009.

I don't understand the legalese, but it does make sense.

One question though. Do those film options apply to TV pilots? Because both Aquaman and Green Arrow had/will have recent TV pilots.

It would be amazing to see an Aquaman movie. I enjoy his universe. However, it would cost a ****load of money. The economical way to do it is have it take place on a ship/submarine (vs. Black Manta) or a polar icecap (vs. Ocean Master trying to melt polar icecaps). However, nothing would beat UNDERWATER FIGHT SCENES.

 

[dnno1]

I don't understand the legalese, but it does make sense.

One question though. Do those film options apply to TV pilots? Because both Aquaman and Green Arrow had/will have recent TV pilots.

It would be amazing to see an Aquaman movie. I enjoy his universe. However, it would cost a ****load of money. The economical way to do it is have it take place on a ship/submarine (vs. Black Manta) or a polar icecap (vs. Ocean Master trying to melt polar icecaps). However, nothing would beat UNDERWATER FIGHT SCENES.

The TV pilot for Aquaman (titled "Mercy Reef") was in 2006. This copyright for the option on an Aquaman Picture was submitted in 2008. Also Warner Brothers Pictures was involved (as well as Warner Brothers Studio Enterprises) in the option, so it is presumed to be a film (i.e. major motion picture). Neither of these projects have been green-lit yet so it is still just a hunch, but they might be closer to having something done than any of the other candidate franchises listed.

 

[metaphysician]

I think you overestimate WB's sense. If Avengers is a big hit, they probably won't begin setting up for a JLA crossover, so much as they'll dive right into it head first without actually setting anything up.

That said, an even semi-decent World's Finest movie would make bank. I would hope they'd at least aim for that, first.

 

[ThePowerCosmic]

Right now, because of the timing, DC Entertainment will have to wait and see how successful "Avengers " turns out to be before they decide on pursuing that type of film. If it turns out to be just as much of a hit as TDK or TDKR appear to be, then it would be worth the logistics to follow the same formula (I don't think you are going to go wrong with a picture that has both Superman and Batman in it).

With that being said, I think that the next WB/DC movie franchise will be Aquaman. The reason why is if you do a copyright search over at copyright.gov on that character you will see that there was a film rights option purchase agreement made back in 2008 among DC, Warner Brothers Entertainment, and Warner Brothers Pictures. If film options expire after 5 years, then they should be making a film within the next two years. The only other character that has a similar situation is Green Arrow. There was an option purchase agreement for that character made back in 2009.

Ohh man, I really hope so!

 

[dnno1]

I think you overestimate WB's sense. If Avengers is a big hit, they probably won't begin setting up for a JLA crossover, so much as they'll dive right into it head first without actually setting anything up.

That said, an even semi-decent World's Finest movie would make bank. I would hope they'd at least aim for that, first.

I don't know how popular that type of film would be. You would think that both Superman and Batman fans would come in droves just to see the two characters, but there are a lot of Batman fans that like there heroes without powers and then may be turned off by the fact that there would be in a hero with powers in that film.

 

[Saitou Hajime]

WB has always struck me as being similar to tight passive poker players. They're clueless when it comes to playing anything but big hands (ie Batman), which pretty much play themselves. And even they sometimes manage to screw THAT up.

 

[Micromind]

I am baffled by what is stopping WB and DC from making a Shazam ! animated movie using mo cap and CGI technology they used for making Beowulf (and Polar Express)

WB has made some CGI animated movies like Happy Feet and Ant Bully, similarly success for Pixar's Incredibles shows that people can go and watch a superhero based CGI movie then why can't WB make a Shazam (Captain Marvel ) movie featuring young Billy Batson ?

 

[metaphysician]

Maybe WB is leery of getting involved in the potential legal issues? I don't know. Either that, or they've just plain sworn off theatrical animated superhero releases after Mask of the Phantasm bombed.