They are going ahead with a Justice League movie

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Variety has another article on WB's overall development of DC properties. Some of the highlights:

With the Batman trilogy winding down and Superman returning to theaters next summer, plans to put more of DC Comics' superheroes on the bigscreen are coming together nearly three years after Warner Bros. took back control of characters.This week, the studio revealed it tapped "Gangster Squad" scribe Will Beall to revive "Justice League," which WB unplugged in 2008, and hired Michael Goldenberg (one of the many writers of "Green Lantern") to pen "Wonder Woman."

Those projects now join in development films based on the Flash, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Lobo, the Suicide Squad and Shazam. DC and WB are also facing a decision on how to reboot Batman once "The Dark Knight Rises" completes Christopher Nolan's take on the caped crusader, featuring Christian Bale in the cowl.

Studio is figuring out whether to bring back Ryan Reynolds as the Green Lantern in a sequel to last year's actioner or relaunch the character in a completely new way. Goldenberg ("Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix") was brought on board in 2010 to write the screenplay for the sequel, a year before the first film bowed.

With "Harry Potter" having ended its run, WB is clearly turning to DC to help launch new franchises.

But the studio is being especially careful with the characters now after the disappointing perf of "Green Lantern," which earned nearly $220 million at the worldwide box office last year.

According to sources close to the development process, the studio learned that when making a superhero pic, it needs to tap creatives that genuinely understand the characters the way Joss Whedon was comfortable with "The Avengers."

DC execs are excitedly discussing all of the projects in motion with the major exception of its films.

The main reason: Christopher Nolan. With the filmmaker having relaunched Batman (last installment, "The Dark Knight," hauled in $1 billion globally, now surpassed by "The Avengers") and producing Superman pic "Man of Steel," directed by Zack Snyder, WB has increasingly put more control of its DC films in Nolan's hands.

That's similar to how WB entrusted producer David Heyman with all eight "Harry Potter" films.

Nolan has long preferred not to talk about his projects until their release, preserving some of that "movie magic" for the bigscreen.

The article also confirms that Flashpoint will be one of next year's animated DTV movies (something that's been rumored for a while).

 

[Admiral_Young]

^ We talked about the "Flashpoint" DTV I believe in the New 52 thread last month. Kevin Conroy already confirmed he worked on it. I seriously doubt Nolan has or would want as much control of future DC film projects when he's still deciding what to focus on after "The Dark Knight Rises". We already know he will remain Executive Producer on the next "Batman" reboot and has been "godfathering" "Man of Steel" (he's rewritten the script a couple times too).

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Nolan could well take the kind of position he has on Man of Steel on any number of DC properties.

 

[Admiral_Young]

My point is though why would he? He's still making films of his own right now. First of all he'd have to have some kind of interest in the films and projects that article lists. I'm not saying he wouldn't take some kind of Kevin Feige type position within DC Ent...but I am saying that I don't think that he will. I dunno. I'm just very skeptical of what is being "reported" about DC Ent's film properties and their future right now.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

He can continue to direct his own films and increase the number of films he produces directed by others. One doesn't preclude the other. It's actually pretty typical of major directors, once they've achieved a high level of cachet, to branch out as producers. Far from being skeptical that Nolan will follow that path, I think it's only natural that he will do so. I don't expect him to take on a role akin to Kevin Feige's. That would be too time-consuming. But I can see him increasingly taking on the kind of producer role that Steven Spielberg often wears in addition to the films he directs.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Again though I think he'd have to show some interest in the properties mentioned in order to accept a position like the one the article is suggesting. I don't profess to know the man, but having come to know his work...I just don't see that happening to be honest. Who knows, maybe he'll surprise me, he does tend to do that

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

More from Cosmic Book News (for whatever it turns out to be worth):

• The Justice League movie is David Yates' to lose; he is the heavy favorite to become director of the movie.• The look of the film will not be as colorful or as bright as Marvel's The Avengers — which looked like a comic book in real life.
• The Justice League Movie will look like an epic blockbuster film in tone with The Dark Knight Trilogy and Man of Steel, which is something Warner Bros. is keen on — to avoid similarities with The Avengers.
• Christopher Nolan is "godfathering" the project from a distance, meaning more or less Warner Bros. went to him and asked his opinions and how he would he do things.
• Christopher Nolan may well be credited as an Executive Producer on the film with wife Emma Thomas.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

My point is though why would he?

They'll pay him a lot for very little work.

 

[the G-man]

• The Man of Steel will be chapter #1 of a shared universe, it will all bend around that film.
• In chronological terms, the Man of Steel is the first.
• Henry Cavill will be given a new contract after Man of Steel that would probably include a pay raise along with his new terms that feature the Justice League film and subsequent

They'd better hope MoS doesn't bomb, then. Given Snyder's track record is hit and miss nothing is a sure thing about this movie.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

They'd better hope MoS doesn't bomb, then. Given Snyder's track record is hit and miss nothing is a sure thing about this movie.

That's true of the movie business in general.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Yep, and no more or less true of Snyder's films than of most others - well, except that if the studios weren't happy with his track record he wouldn't be working at this level

 

[Captain Craig]

• The Man of Steel will be chapter #1 of a shared universe, it will all bend around that film.
• In chronological terms, the Man of Steel is the first.
• Henry Cavill will be given a new contract after Man of Steel that would probably include a pay raise along with his new terms that feature the Justice League film and subsequent

They'd better hope MoS doesn't bomb, then. Given Snyder's track record is hit and miss nothing is a sure thing about this movie.

300 was a hit
Watchmen was a mild success
Sucker Punch was a dissapointment
Man of Steel will be....

Hopefully the pendelum swings back more toward 300?!

 

[Takeru]

• The Man of Steel will be chapter #1 of a shared universe, it will all bend around that film.
• In chronological terms, the Man of Steel is the first.
• Henry Cavill will be given a new contract after Man of Steel that would probably include a pay raise along with his new terms that feature the Justice League film and subsequent

They'd better hope MoS doesn't bomb, then. Given Snyder's track record is hit and miss nothing is a sure thing about this movie.

And if MoS doesn't bomb, they'd better hope Cavill signs the new contract. It's possible that he's not interested in doing more than what he agreed to do in his current contract.

 

[Christopher]

More from Cosmic Book News (for whatever it turns out to be worth):

• The Justice League movie is David Yates' to lose; he is the heavy favorite to become director of the movie.• The look of the film will not be as colorful or as bright as Marvel's The Avengers — which looked like a comic book in real life.
• The Justice League Movie will look like an epic blockbuster film in tone with The Dark Knight Trilogy and Man of Steel, which is something Warner Bros. is keen on — to avoid similarities with The Avengers.
• Christopher Nolan is "godfathering" the project from a distance, meaning more or less Warner Bros. went to him and asked his opinions and how he would he do things.
• Christopher Nolan may well be credited as an Executive Producer on the film with wife Emma Thomas.

Again, mostly plausible claims, but maybe a bit too obvious, so I'm still not convinced these rumors are real.

And since when did The Avengers not look like an epic blockbuster film? Not to mention that, although I haven't seen any Man of Steel clips yet, I'd be very surprised if the look of Snyder's film was the same as that of Nolan's films.

 

[davejames]

Grant Morrison's JLA was dark and mature, plus fun and humorous at times too. Why do people freak out now when they read those words? Plus Millar talks a lot too.

Because I want the JL movie to be fun instead of a depression fest like TDK.

I doubt it would ever be THAT dark and serious. More likely, it'll just be a bit more grounded in the real world like the new Spidey-Man appears to be.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Regarding Snyder's box office track record, he's mostly directed movies with a higher than normal degree of risk (although almost all movies, even ones that look like no-brainers, carry significant risk).

His first movie, Dawn of the Dead, had by far the lowest risk factor. It had a low budget and there's a solid, consistent market for horror films, especially brand name horror films. And Dawn of the Dead was indeed a big success relative to its budget.

His movies after that were a lot riskier: an R-rated green screen historical action movie, a very dark, very violent and very long R-rated superhero epic with no big stars, a CGI animated movie for a studio that, despite its long and storied success in animated television series and film shorts, has struggled to sell animated feature films, and an esoteric action movie with a cast centred on young, mostly lesser-known, actresses.

Directing a Superman movie is a much safer bet for Snyder than any of his other post-Dawn of the Dead movies. After all, if a Superman movie designed as an introspective drama that split moviegoers and had many complaining about a lack of action could nonetheless make just shy of $400 million worldwide then it stands to reason that a Superman film with Zack Snyder's penchant for massive action scenes has a good chance to make a whole lot more.

 

[Captain Craig]

Grant Morrison's JLA was dark and mature, plus fun and humorous at times too. Why do people freak out now when they read those words? Plus Millar talks a lot too.

Because I want the JL movie to be fun instead of a depression fest like TDK.

I doubt it would ever be THAT dark and serious. More likely, it'll just be a bit more grounded in the real world like the new Spidey-Man appears to be.

How exactly were the Raimi films not grounded in the real world?

 

[davejames]

I doubt it would ever be THAT dark and serious. More likely, it'll just be a bit more grounded in the real world like the new Spidey-Man appears to be.

How exactly were the Raimi films not grounded in the real world?

Because they took place in a super bright and happy and colorful version of NY, with lots of corny dialogue straight out of the 1960s comic books. With walking cartoon characters like J Jonah Jameson. And villains who rode around on gliders in cheesy green armor, or had long tentacles on their back.

I love the heck out of the first two movies, but they weren't exactly the grittiest or most realistic movies ever.

 

[Professor Zoom]

I love the heck out of the first two movies, but they weren't exactly the grittiest or most realistic movies ever.

Not being gritty I'll grant you, but how is the whole concept of a guy who clings to walls realistic in the slightest? It's a fantasy, just like the new one.

 

[Captain Craig]

I doubt it would ever be THAT dark and serious. More likely, it'll just be a bit more grounded in the real world like the new Spidey-Man appears to be.

How exactly were the Raimi films not grounded in the real world?

Because they took place in a super bright and happy and colorful version of NY, with lots of corny dialogue straight out of the 1960s comic books. With walking cartoon characters like J Jonah Jameson. And villains who rode around on gliders in cheesy green armor, or had long tentacles on their back.

I love the heck out of the first two movies, but they weren't exactly the grittiest or most realistic movies ever.

This doesn't compute for me. People seem to be having selective memory about the 'net for the Raimi films.
Uncle Ben was carjacked and killed.
Mary Jane was going to be mugged...at the least, in the rain at night.
Doc Ock wrecks the O.R. and kills the attendants working on him. He then makes a secret lab in a run down warehouse pier shown to us at night, the grity night.
Flint Marko is a robber on the run from the law
Not to mention broad daylight robberies in the first film montage.
How much more real can you get? I swear in 6 months the revolutionary rewriters about the 'net will be pushing the Raimi movies as flat out Camp Spoofs.