Justice League Movie

[The Overlord]

With the success of the Avengers, it seems obvious that WB will make a Justice League movie to try and repeat the Avenger's success. With that in mind, what should they do and what should they avoid with a JLA film? What do you think the story should be about and who should they cast?

 

[E]

Looks like a script has already been scrapped:

I've now heard from multiple sources that the Will Beall script for Justice League has been scrapped. The story from each source is the same: it's terrible. Some sources seem to think the whole movie is going to fall apart and never happen, while some believe that Warner Bros will keep moving forward, unwilling to lose the superhero arms race.

Beall's script supposedly includes Darkseid and a heavy cosmic threat. But the script has been half-baked from the beginning, with reports saying that heroes (beyond the core five of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and Green Lantern) have been cut and added from the proceedings seemingly at studio executive will. The latest word was that Warner Bros, experiencing real cold feet, had decided to wait until The Man of Steel to really move forward, but it's possible that moving forward now will mean a whole new script.

Meanwhile the studio has been unable to get the interest of a quality director, reportedly because of the script. Without a script and without a director, Justice League seems unlikely to meet a 2015 release. The question is will it ever be released at all?

This comes days after Mark Millar poo-poo'd on the idea of a JLA movie:

"You can get away with stuff in comics that in live action’s just a bit sucky -- the best one is definitely Aquaman," Millar told SciFi Now Magazine. "Aquaman can’t even talk under water. If you think about it in comics it’s fine, you just have a speech balloon, but how do you have Atlantis and people talking under water? Are they gonna talk telepathically? Is it going to be body forms? The actual logistics of each member of the Justice League is disastrous, and you put them all together and I think you get an excellent way of losing $200 million."

I don't know how significant the scrapping of the script is. Obviously it is a setback but is it a HUGE deal? Was this supposed to be THE script, or was it less than that? I don't know the script writing and acceptance process.

 

[E]

Looks like a script has already been scrapped:

I've now heard from multiple sources that the Will Beall script for Justice League has been scrapped. The story from each source is the same: it's terrible. Some sources seem to think the whole movie is going to fall apart and never happen, while some believe that Warner Bros will keep moving forward, unwilling to lose the superhero arms race.

Beall's script supposedly includes Darkseid and a heavy cosmic threat. But the script has been half-baked from the beginning, with reports saying that heroes (beyond the core five of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and Green Lantern) have been cut and added from the proceedings seemingly at studio executive will. The latest word was that Warner Bros, experiencing real cold feet, had decided to wait until The Man of Steel to really move forward, but it's possible that moving forward now will mean a whole new script.

Meanwhile the studio has been unable to get the interest of a quality director, reportedly because of the script. Without a script and without a director, Justice League seems unlikely to meet a 2015 release. The question is will it ever be released at all?

This comes days after Mark Millar poo-poo'd on the idea of a JLA movie:

"You can get away with stuff in comics that in live action’s just a bit sucky -- the best one is definitely Aquaman," Millar told SciFi Now Magazine. "Aquaman can’t even talk under water. If you think about it in comics it’s fine, you just have a speech balloon, but how do you have Atlantis and people talking under water? Are they gonna talk telepathically? Is it going to be body forms? The actual logistics of each member of the Justice League is disastrous, and you put them all together and I think you get an excellent way of losing $200 million."

I don't know how significant the scrapping of the script is. Obviously it is a setback but is it a HUGE deal? Was this supposed to be THE script, or was it less than that? I don't know the script writing and acceptance process.

 

[Zombipanda]

I'm not particularly fond of the idea of a Justice League movie. It doesn't click with me the way an Avengers flick does, but not for any particular reason.

Regardless, the news from Bleeding Cool claims they're sticking with Superman, Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern. I can't speak from an effects budget, but narratively, it's sound. Make Flash and GL the heart of it, the new guys who have their very specific jurisdictions and aren't used to the earthly superhero stuff. Make the side narrative of Batman and Superman (who don't really need to be explained in the audience) as young alphas sort of circling each other. And make Diana the dignitary, the peacebroker.

And no, it's not THE script. But the more scripts that a film goes through, the more it begins to get pictured as a doomed project. And it's becoming increasingly tighter to make that 2015 deadline they were pushing for. On one hand, this sounds like the first script rejected, at least for this particular attempt at a JL movie. On the other, the whole execution seems rushed and driven from the wrong direction and completely intended to capitalize on Marvel's success, so I think there's some cause to be concerned.

 

[DIrishB]

Well said, Zombi. I also think WB is intentionally doing the polar opposite of Marvel in terms of introducing the characters (or most besides Superman) all at once in the JL movie and then planning solo films, apparently just to be different. I think that's a mistake, as by the time The Avengers came out, audiences were already familiar with and enjoyed the characters from their own movies, which allowed for more room to focus on character interactions in Avengers (which in my opinion was it's strongest trait). JL is going to spend a good portion of the film introducing not only the JL members besides Supes and the new Batman, but also the villain or villains. I think that's going to hurt the story and hamstring the whole project.

WB need to just come to terms with the fact that they're ripping off Marvel Studios approach (which they are whether starting with the team movie or not, minus Man of Steel of course), accept it, and move on to actually doing it right (this would be the best area to rip off Marvel in). You've got Man of Steel in the pipeline, you're apparently introducing a new Batman in JL itself, not sure if Ryan Reynolds will reprise Green Lantern or if that's to be recast, and you've got to introduce Wonder Woman, Flash, and Aquaman (who really cares about Aquaman?) on top of that?

Of course it could be tough to sell Flash, Wonder Woman, and especially Aquaman in their own solo movies, so I guess I can see WB execs apprehension in taking the solo films first approach.

Jesus... maybe Mark Millar is right.

Either way, though, Zombi makes a good point about the ticking clock. They're aiming for a summer 2015 release to go up against Avengers 2, and we're less than 2 1/2 years away. That's a long time, but not so long considering the amount of planning and pre-production, as well as visual effects work a movie like this will need. Hopefully they can get a decent script sooner rather than later, else this project may fall through the cracks.

 

[Zombipanda]

Well said, Zombi. I also think WB is intentionally doing the polar opposite of Marvel in terms of introducing the characters (or most besides Superman) all at once in the JL movie and then planning solo films, apparently just to be different. I think that's a mistake, as by the time The Avengers came out, audiences were already familiar with and enjoyed the characters from their own movies, which allowed for more room to focus on character interactions in Avengers (which in my opinion was it's strongest trait). JL is going to spend a good portion of the film introducing not only the JL members besides Supes and the new Batman, but also the villain or villains. I think that's going to hurt the story and hamstring the whole project.

WB need to just come to terms with the fact that they're ripping off Marvel Studios approach (which they are whether starting with the team movie or not, minus Man of Steel of course), accept it, and move on to actually doing it right (this would be the best area to rip off Marvel in). You've got Man of Steel in the pipeline, you're apparently introducing a new Batman in JL itself, not sure if Ryan Reynolds will reprise Green Lantern or if that's to be recast, and you've got to introduce Wonder Woman, Flash, and Aquaman (who really cares about Aquaman?) on top of that?

Of course it could be tough to sell Flash, Wonder Woman, and especially Aquaman in their own solo movies, so I guess I can see WB execs apprehension in taking the solo films first approach.

Jesus... maybe Mark Millar is right.

Either way, though, Zombi makes a good point about the ticking clock. They're aiming for a summer 2015 release to go up against Avengers 2, and we're less than 2 1/2 years away. That's a long time, but not so long considering the amount of planning and pre-production, as well as visual effects work a movie like this will need. Hopefully they can get a decent script sooner rather than later, else this project may fall through the cracks.

There's no word Aquaman's going to be in it. Just the core five.

I actually think introducing these characters in JL instead of giving them solo movies first is the way to go. I think it could be easily done with a clever script.

 

[DIrishB]

There's no word Aquaman's going to be in it. Just the core five.

Ah that's right, I guess I assumed he was based on Millar's comment.

I actually think introducing these characters in JL instead of giving them solo movies first is the way to go. I think it could be easily done with a clever script.

I disagree. As I said, Introducing the world JL inhabit, along with a villain or villains and their motivations, and trying to introduce the other JL members besides Supes and Bats, explain the powers/abilities (which admittedly wouldn't take much time at all), and their interactions with each other won't allow for much character development at all beyond said interactions. It's possible, sure, but not easy. And trying to accomplish all of that will likely result in a bloated, overly long script, which would have to likely be streamlined by cutting scenes expanding on character development.

Definitely think Marvel's approach of introducing the heroes in their own solo films was better and smarter, as it allowed for that character development, explanation of their abilities and place in the world, and (from a marketing perspective) created an amazing amount of hype (which it fulfilled for the most part) and excitement not only among hardcore comic fans, but general movie-going audiences as well. It all built up to something, whereas the approach WB is taking with JL is basically starting with the big something first (well, after Man of Steel) and then where does it go? How excited will audiences be to go see solo films of these heroes who've already appeared on screen together (assuming JL happens at all)? Granted quality stories can create that, but the announcement the JL script has been scrapped leads me to think WB doesn't know what the hell they're doing with the DC properties in terms of working towards a JL film. They accepted a treatment/story pitch that resulted in it being scrapped, they released the incredibly lackluster Green Lantern film, and now it seems like a JL film is less likely to happen at all.

Granted Man of Steel looks decent and will probably do well in terms of box office, so hopefully that'll light a fire under the asses of the WB execs who make these decisions and hopefully they can find a talented filmmaker to not only get JL done, but hopefully serve as an architect/overseer for future DC movies set in their proposed shared universe.

 

[Captain Canuck]

The problem is, DC is WAY behind Marvel in terms of film development. Marvel has been cranking out superhero movies constantly since 1998 (Blade). Admittedly, a lot of them sucked, but they have gotten their franchises out there and really led the way in making superhero movies. DC, on the other hand mostly has just focused on Batman in recent years. They tried Superman again, but it didn't go well. They tried Green Lantern, and it was pretty awful. Ten years ago, when Marvel was putting out Hulk, DD, & FF Green Lantern would have been acceptable, but it came out the same summer as Thor, Cap, and X-Men: First Class. Those three movies were no Dark Knight or even Iron Man, but they were way better than the stuff marvel was putting out 8-10 years ago.

Marvel has paid their dues, made some crappy movies, learned from their mistakes and are now making solid movies (besides some of the movies being made by other studios like Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance). WB/DC put all their eggs in Batman's basket, made a brilliant trilogy, but now are struggling to know where to go.

I think they need to forget the JLA movie idea for now and just concentrate on making some good stand alone movies that play to their characters' strengths. Make a Flash movie that's a crime drama. Make a good Green Lantern movie that's a space opera. Make a Wonder Woman movie that's a mythical fantasy and in which Wonder Woman doesn't wear the American Flag as a bikini. Hire good writers, good actors, good directors, and make some good movies, don't rush the process, and don't try to make everything dark! Gain some victories, make some mistakes, learn from both, THEN start thinking about how to make a JLA movie.

 

[drvshft dazy]

I think a Cyborg movie would be good. Just him without a team. Being such a supporting character they can do a lot if they gave him center stage. Also I did think the Jonah Hex movie was decent a few years back. Maybe a bit miscast but was glad someone tried to do something with Hex. Seems to have been forgotten though.

 

[hero020]

The problem is that DC just don't know what to do with there characters. DC have been sucking Batman's and Superman's life force since thirties and beyond. Other characters such as Wonder Woman, Flash etc, are known because of cartoons, spoofs and so on; but no one has seen them on the big screen. batman and Superman have been DC's Crown Jewels for ages now, and as Comics adaptions are Cinema's most watched movies, they should introduce more characters into the universe. The only characters cinema goers know who are in the DC Universe are Batman, Joker, Superman and Lex Luthor (including more characters from their movies).
Movies like Green Lantern make fans worried about the success about a Justice League movie. It's DC's first fantastical film which is not based or have anything to do with Batman and Superman, yet it was a massive flop. The problem is that they don't know what to do with they're characters apart from the ones they have been showboating for the last 70 years.
Marvel managed to bring in multiple characters which have never been seen on the big screen successfully (apart from Hulk) and managed to make that work, so why can't DC?
Don't even get me started about Jonah Hex...

 

[E]

Jonah Hex could not have been more wrong. I'm not even talking about the quality of the writing or acting or whatever. The great thing about Jonah Hex, to me, is that it is so true to the time and setting it takes place in. You never see any ridiculous super hero-ish stuff, or weird weapons, or anything (I'm talking about the current book; I can't speak for anything earlier because I haven't read it). The movie just completely ruined that.

 

[Zombipanda]

Jonah Hex could not have been more wrong. I'm not even talking about the quality of the writing or acting or whatever. The great thing about Jonah Hex, to me, is that it is so true to the time and setting it takes place in. You never see any ridiculous super hero-ish stuff, or weird weapons, or anything (I'm talking about the current book; I can't speak for anything earlier because I haven't read it). The movie just completely ruined that.

Well, I think that's a situation of different media having to do different interpretations. The reason Jonah Hex was refreshing as a straight western with little suprenatural flair (Let's be honest, the current series still takes place in the DCU and still has some bleed from there) in comic books is because there isn't much in the way of the standard western. JH as a book is successful because it represents a market that has zero representation in the medium otherwise.

But if you're going to make a straight-faced western as a movie, why make it Jonah Hex? What does he bring to the table that wouldn't be represented with any other script or character? The comic works because it brings the sensibilities of the post-modern western that were perfected in film and novels into a comic book. The uniqueness of Jonah Hex comes from being a comic book. Translating it straight loses the uniqueness because it's doing something that's already been done in film before, and has been done for forty years now.

 

[drvshft dazy]

The problem is that DC just don't know what to do with there characters. DC have been sucking Batman's and Superman's life force since thirties and beyond. Other characters such as Wonder Woman, Flash etc, are known because of cartoons, spoofs and so on; but no one has seen them on the big screen. batman and Superman have been DC's Crown Jewels for ages now, and as Comics adaptions are Cinema's most watched movies, they should introduce more characters into the universe. The only characters cinema goers know who are in the DC Universe are Batman, Joker, Superman and Lex Luthor (including more characters from their movies).
Movies like Green Lantern make fans worried about the success about a Justice League movie. It's DC's first fantastical film which is not based or have anything to do with Batman and Superman, yet it was a massive flop. The problem is that they don't know what to do with they're characters apart from the ones they have been showboating for the last 70 years.
Marvel managed to bring in multiple characters which have never been seen on the big screen successfully (apart from Hulk) and managed to make that work, so why can't DC?
Don't even get me started about Jonah Hex...

I think you hit it on the head. Yes I know Hex was a flop but I was glad to see them use someone a bit obscure to non comic readers. DC needs to take more risk like that instead of their poster boys like Hero just stated here. Years back when the 1st Blade came out not everyone knew he was Marvel. Now even non comic fans can name a handful of Marvel's property because they market themselves better than DC.

 

[comicman12]

Yeah you are right and the green lantern movie was ehhh okay and I'm a fan of the green lantern but it's an easy thing to do, they just aren't doing it

Sent from my iPhone using ComicBoard

 

[drvshft dazy]

I guess after Man Of Steel hits the theaters we can really gauge DC and see if they can have more success like they did with Batman. Also isn't Wonder woman supposed to be released one day? If these flop like Green Lantern them they won't be able to recover.

 

[DIrishB]

I guess after Man Of Steel hits the theaters we can really gauge DC and see if they can have more success like they did with Batman. Also isn't Wonder woman supposed to be released one day? If these flop like Green Lantern them they won't be able to recover.

I think Man of Steel will do well commercially, and maybe even critically. Superman's a much better known character than GL, and while both feature over the top fantastic-ness inherent in comic films, MoS will be more grounded principally because it's set primarily on Earth (GL had a fair amount of the film set in space). Granted the cosmic setting isn't what ruined GL, cliched characters and ****ty writing sunk that ship. But MoS seems (at least from trailers) to be the first Superman movie that may actually be decent since the first two Donner films.

It's not the single hero films I'm worried about, it's the multiple-hero film of JL I think they'll have trouble with. As I've said previously, Marvel was smart in that they introduced their characters in their own films, which all set up those characters' personalities, abilities, relationships, etc, before bringing them all together where they didn't have to take the time to focus on that stuff (one of the main reasons many of the Cap introduction scenes were cut--as good as they were, they weren't needed and would've served better in the upcoming Cap sequel). Granted if JL happens we'll be familiar with this version of Superman from MoS, but it also has to introduce the new Batman, Wonder Woman, and Flash. I'm still unsure (and I think WB is too) if they're going to reboot GL and recast him, or just bring Reynold's back. But that's a lot of introduction and set-up, besides that movies villain needing the same, their motivations and reasoning (which becomes more and more difficult as time goes on and just about every villain has become a cliche in most areas). I just don't think DC's approach of introducing most of the heroes in the team film will work anywhere near as well as Marvel's approach of solo films first. WB is just rushing to get a JL film out the door for the dollars, without much interest in quality or story, which is a huge mistake already made with GL. Maybe the news of them reworking the JL script from the ground up is a sign they learned from that mistake, but then again the fact they green-lighted Will Beall's treatment in the first place may be a sign they haven't. WB desperately needs their own Kevin Feige.

 

[E]

Big rumors:

EXCLUSIVE: The DCU Takeover & HUGE Developments on ‘Justice League’

Super friends Christian Bale and Chris Nolan to re-team for 'Justice League'?

Latino Review, who's been slinging super-scoops left and right lately, reports that Warner Bros. has brought in "Dark Knight" mastermind and "Man of Steel" producer Christopher Nolan to "completely take over the DCU [DC Comics Universe] ... so anything having to do with these superheroes goes through him now."

Nolan, like Abrams, is a notoriously secretive fellow, so it's no surprise that he's "completely locked it down and it's gone radio silent over there." But Latino Review was still able to get an inkling of what's going on behind closed doors at the Hall of Justice.

As with this summer's "Man of Steel" (which apparently thrilled Warner Bros. suits at recent early screenings), Nolan will be "Godfathering-slash-producing" the "Justice League" project, with Zack Snyder coming on board to possibly direct. But the real kicker is that the studio is looking to bring back a tried and true superhero star to team up with a brand new one in the film.

Yes, "Justice League" is perhaps being shaped as a team-up for Christian Bale to reprise his role as Batman and join "Man of Steel" star Henry Cavill as Superman.

That makes for some pretty extreme fanboy wishful thinking. It also makes complete business sense, whether it’s true or not.
Warner Bros. doesn't have "Harry Potter" any more, and they've just wrapped up "The Dark Knight." They're feeling the pressure of Disney's "The Avengers" ready to take another bajillion dollars at the box office in a couple of years, as well as "Star Wars" poised to once again take over the galaxy. Would-be WB franchise kickstarters "Beautiful Creatures" and "Jack the Giant Slayer" have both tanked this year, and it's only early March.

Warner Bros. is freaking out. They need a hit. And, as the Justice League's motto is "No Fear," the superhero team-up might indeed hold the key to a bright future, one in which the studio can truly compete (or at least co-exist) with the likes of "The Avengers" and "Star Wars."
WB is very happy with "Man of Steel," so apparently the Nolan/Snyder team works well. But in order for "Justice League" to really be a sure thing, they need to bring back the guy who starred in two superhero movies that grossed more than a billion dollars each in worldwide box office. They need Bale as Batman.

Sure, Bale let it be known last summer that "The Dark Knight Rises" was (most likely) going to make for his final gig as the Caped Crusader. But he also went on record as saying, well, never say never.

"My understanding is that this ["The Dark Knight Rises'] is the last one. I think it's appropriate, I think it's going out at the right time," said Bale in an interview with Empire Magazine. "But ... if Chris [Nolan] came to me with a script and said, 'You know what? There is another story' then I would love the challenge of making a fourth one work."

 

[Zombipanda]

Hm... I like Nolan, and I liked 2.5 of his Batman movies, but I'm not sure I want him in charge of all the DC film output.

 

[Captain Canuck]

If this is true, I wonder if they would address how it fits in with the Dark Knight universe or just ignore the incongruity.

 

[DIrishB]

If this is true, I wonder if they would address how it fits in with the Dark Knight universe or just ignore the incongruity.

Either Justice League would have to take place between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight (not likely though), or Bruce is persuaded (either by himself, the events going on to bring the JL together, etc) to take up the Batman persona again after the events of TDK Rises. Of course what that means for John Blake remains to be seen...

It's still all just rumors anyway, though it would be very smart and beneficial for WB to spend the money initially and bring Bale back to tie it into the huge grossing Dark Knight trilogy. It also fits in tone with the grittier, slightly more realistic take of the DK trilogy and Man of Steel. How they'll translate that into JL will be very interesting. Assuming it happens, that is. But again, Bale's version of Batman versus a new version automatically makes JL more interesting to me personally, and I'm sure a majority of fans as well. If WB don't muck it up, they're guaranteed to pass the billion mark as Avengers did by taking that approach.