DC and Marvel animated DTV movie news

[Christopher]

Bruce Timm also said at Comic-Con that a sequel to one of the movies already released is in development, although he didn't say which one. Wonder Woman and Green Lantern: First Flight seem the likeliest candidates for sequels.

I wouldn't mind seeing a Wonder Woman sequel so long as it developed the aspects of Diana's character that were overlooked in the first film and the DCAU before it, namely her diplomatic side. I've never been satisfied with Timm productions' take on the character because they just make her a warrior and ignore the other facets of who she is.

 

[TemporalFlux]

Or this is based on one of the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earth's Crisis books where the JLA of Earth-1 and the JSA of Earth-2 team up since Crisis being in the tittle always seemed to be a comics thing and not a DCAU thing.

Well, what's making people jump to the "Worlds Collide" conclusion is that Dwayne McDuffie is the writer behind both "Worlds Collide" and "Crisis on Two Earths". If it wasn't for that, I don't think people would be tempted to make a connection. Could it be a coincidence that the same writer is on both projects? Sure.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

McDuffie's "what could have been" comment could also be a reference to the original plan to do a Justice League/Justice Society crossover in "Legends" on Justice League. So Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths could be a JLA/JSA crossover in the classic Earth-One/Earth-Two mold rather than a rewritten version of Worlds Collide.

 

[RobertScorpio]

McDuffie's "what could have been" comment could also be a reference to the original plan to do a Justice League/Justice Society crossover in "Legends" on Justice League. So Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths could be a JLA/JSA crossover in the classic Earth-One/Earth-Two mold rather than a rewritten version of Worlds Collide.

LEGENDS did turn out to be a great episode for JL. And it was even better with William Katt voicing the 'green guardsman'...

Rob

 

[CommodoreKong]

I'm not sure why Warner Animation would be against it. I imagine most of the people who buy these DVDs are fans of the DCAU and would love to see one final movie set in the universe.

Well, for one thing, your imagining may not be correct, and even if it is somewhat correct, it's not the intent. The DCAU was aimed at a youngish audience, including teen and college-age fans but accessible to younger viewers; whereas the DC Universe videos are deliberately PG-13 movies aimed at an older demographic. While there is overlap, they're not intended for the same audience.

For another thing, why should any creator want to be limited to doing only one thing for his or her entire career? Timm, Dini, and the others spent over a decade developing the DCAU; is it really that hard to understand that they might prefer to move on to trying new things rather than being perpetually typecast?

Based on what little we know about the sales of these direct to DVD movies most of them seem to be in the several hundred thousand range, that tells me it's most likely the hardcore fans who are buying these DVDs.

And what makes you think that they don't want to tell another story in the DCAU? We know they have this unproduced movie that bridges the gap between two of their shows, maybe they want to tell that one final story? Obviously they're not to worried about being typecast, since these Direct to DVD movies are extremely similar to the shows they made for a decade.

With that sort of attitude you're assigning them I guess Gene Roddenberry never should of made the Star Trek movies and the Futurama producers shouldn't be making new episodes since they should be moving on to new things.

For those who haven't seen any DCAU they could easily introduce the lesser known of the seven main characters

Just as an aside, if they ever got around to making Worlds Collide, it would be only six main characters; Hawkgirl wouldn't be in it.

Yeah you're right that totally slipped my mind. I guess if they needed to replace her with a female character I would guess that Supergirl was one of the first characters to join the Justice League after they opened their ranks to other heroes.

 

[Christopher]

And what makes you think that they don't want to tell another story in the DCAU?

I don't think anything of the kind. I'm simply refuting your assumption that Warner Animation is "against" it, that the only possible reason for these creators not to be making all DCAU all the time is because they're being prevented for some reason. Sure, maybe they'd like to return to it someday, maybe they are returning to it, but that doesn't mean they had to be forced to stop doing it. They're trying different things because they're creative people and they want to stretch themselves. That's not incompatible with wanting to tell another story in the DCAU. I'm just saying that it's wrong to assume the DCAU would be their automatic default choice in every case unless someone prevented them. (And even more wrong to assume, as some people seem to, that it should be their default or only choice.)

Obviously they're not to worried about being typecast, since these Direct to DVD movies are extremely similar to the shows they made for a decade.

I don't agree with that. There are clear differences in the design style, the continuity, and of course the voices (in most cases). There are some broad "house style" similarities in the use of line and color (though the color use is becoming more complex and anime-influenced lately), but otherwise each one has been distinct.

With that sort of attitude you're assigning them I guess Gene Roddenberry never should of made the Star Trek movies and the Futurama producers shouldn't be making new episodes since they should be moving on to new things.

You're totally missing my point with this. Hopefully I've been able to clarify what I actually did mean. Roddenberry didn't only want to do Star Trek; he developed quite a few other shows in the '70s that he would've gladly done if a network had bought them (Genesis II, The Questor Tapes, Spectre, Starship, Battleground Earth, the list goes on). And he consciously tried to make TNG as distinct as possible from TOS. (And point of information, GR did not make the ST movies; he made one of them and was a consultant on several others.) As for Futurama, that's a perfect example of my point about creators not limiting themselves to one creation, since of course it's from the creators of The Simpsons.

 

[drychlick]

that plan dumb no thor till 2011 i have to want 2 year to see it! not very smart at all! just make any toon movie when the live action 1 come out! i will no see the toon when it come out

 

[CommodoreKong]

And what makes you think that they don't want to tell another story in the DCAU?

I don't think anything of the kind. I'm simply refuting your assumption that Warner Animation is "against" it, that the only possible reason for these creators not to be making all DCAU all the time is because they're being prevented for some reason. Sure, maybe they'd like to return to it someday, maybe they are returning to it, but that doesn't mean they had to be forced to stop doing it. They're trying different things because they're creative people and they want to stretch themselves. That's not incompatible with wanting to tell another story in the DCAU. I'm just saying that it's wrong to assume the DCAU would be their automatic default choice in every case unless someone prevented them. (And even more wrong to assume, as some people seem to, that it should be their default or only choice.)

Well we do know World Collide was canceled years ago, and I doubt it was by the producers so I'm thinking it had to be Warner Animation. I guess they may have different management now and these movies have apparently been doing well enough for them to continue making more so perhaps the idea of a direct to DVD JLU movie wouldn't be so bad.

At Comic-Con 08 Timm said there was a 50/50 chance of Worlds Collide being made. This seems to indicate he must of had some talks with Warner Animation about doing it, showing an interest in making it.

And I'm fine with them not going straight to DCAU for these movies. I think it's great that they're doing some new things with these characters that they may not of been able to get away with in DCAU. However, we do know they have an untold story that bridges the gap between Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. Is it so wrong for me to want this movie to be that story?

Obviously they're not to worried about being typecast, since these Direct to DVD movies are extremely similar to the shows they made for a decade.

I don't agree with that. There are clear differences in the design style, the continuity, and of course the voices (in most cases). There are some broad "house style" similarities in the use of line and color (though the color use is becoming more complex and anime-influenced lately), but otherwise each one has been distinct.

Well they are making movies based on the same characters they worked on in the DCAU. Sure it's not exactly the same, but that's like saying Bermen and Braga weren't typecast by working on each Star Trek show because they were each unique and different from the others.

With that sort of attitude you're assigning them I guess Gene Roddenberry never should of made the Star Trek movies and the Futurama producers shouldn't be making new episodes since they should be moving on to new things.

You're totally missing my point with this. Hopefully I've been able to clarify what I actually did mean. Roddenberry didn't only want to do Star Trek; he developed quite a few other shows in the '70s that he would've gladly done if a network had bought them (Genesis II, The Questor Tapes, Spectre, Starship, Battleground Earth, the list goes on). And he consciously tried to make TNG as distinct as possible from TOS. (And point of information, GR did not make the ST movies; he made one of them and was a consultant on several others.) As for Futurama, that's a perfect example of my point about creators not limiting themselves to one creation, since of course it's from the creators of The Simpsons.

And there's nothing wrong with that. As I said earlier I'm fine with them making these movies self contained. And let's not forget Star Trek Phase 2, I would guess that if it had made it into production he would of worked on the show.

Same deal with Futurama, I'm glad Simpsons producers did decide to do something different since Futurama is one of my favorite shows of all time. Since I don't read superhero comics I've found both the original stories and the adaptions to be very enjoyable. I'm also glad that after Futurama was canceled they didn't have the attitude that no one wanted to see any more Futurama stories.

 

[Christopher]

And I'm fine with them not going straight to DCAU for these movies. I think it's great that they're doing some new things with these characters that they may not of been able to get away with in DCAU. However, we do know they have an untold story that bridges the gap between Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. Is it so wrong for me to want this movie to be that story?

Please stop putting words in my mouth. I never remotely said it would be wrong to want to see this story made. I want to see it myself. I only challenged the single, specific assumption that there was some kind of executive pressure preventing this from being made. That has no bearing whatsoever on whether I want to see it made -- which I do. I would love to see it made. Just because I question your interpretation doesn't mean I'm advocating the diametrically opposite position. It just means I think your interpretation may be too narrow, that there may be a different reason for the situation than you're assuming. I share your interest in seeing a DCAU movie, I just don't agree with your assumptions about why it hasn't been made yet.

Well they are making movies based on the same characters they worked on in the DCAU. Sure it's not exactly the same, but that's like saying Bermen and Braga weren't typecast by working on each Star Trek show because they were each unique and different from the others.

Hardly an apt comparison. For one thing, Berman and Braga were only actual writing partners on one Trek series, Enterprise. Before then, Braga was only one of multiple showrunners Berman supervised on the various shows. He was a staff writer who rose to junior producer on TNG, he rose through the ranks on VGR to become showrunner for less than three of its seven seasons (preceded by Jeri Taylor, succeeded by Ken Biller), and he had no involvement of any kind with DS9. He co-scripted the first two TNG movies with Ron Moore and had no involvement with the last two TNG movies. Of the 25 seasons of Star Trek television series executive-produced by Rick Berman (7 each of TNG, DS9, and VGR and 4 of ENT), Brannon Braga was a showrunner on only five and a half. (Technically six and a half, since he was still nominally the showrunner of ENT's final season, but in practice, Manny Coto ran the writers' room that year.)

For another thing, the analogy doesn't work. TNG, VGR, and ENT all had different characters and situations but, despite all efforts, ended up being too similar to one another in terms of storytelling and style. (DS9 obviously broke the mold.) The various productions made by Timm and other DCAU veterans in recent years -- Teen Titans, The Batman, Legion of Super Heroes, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and the DC Universe movies -- feature many of the same characters and concepts, but take them in wildly distinct directions creatively, artistically, and stylistically.

I'm also glad that after Futurama was canceled they didn't have the attitude that no one wanted to see any more Futurama stories.

One last time: you're imagining me saying something that is absolutely unconnected to anything I'm actually saying. I have NEVER, EVER at any point in this thread even suggested that there would be anything wrong with wanting to see more DCAU stories. I personally would enjoy seeing more DCAU stories. I only said that it should be possible to understand why the creators of the DCAU might want to do other things.

I mean, if I said it should be understandable why a person would want to eat things other than pizza, that doesn't mean I'm saying they shouldn't eat pizza. If I say it's understandable that a person might want to watch more than just romantic comedies, I'm not saying they should never watch romantic comedies. "Not always" is not the same thing as "never."

So please stop reacting as if I'm saying there's something wrong with wanting more DCAU material. That is not even remotely my point.

 

[RobertScorpio]

I think the key to GREEN LANTER, whether you liked it or not, was to make it mainstream. You didn't have to know anything about Green Lantern to enjoy this DVD version, which I think, was DC's intent. The same with WONDER WOMAN. I think these DC dvds are experiments to see if these titles would make it as movies; and I think Lantern did just that...and so did Wonder Woman.

Rob

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

While Marvel often announces DTV titles years in advance, Warner Animation plays things a lot closer to the vest and usually keeps titles in development under wraps for as long as possible, but writer/director Adam Green spilled the beans in an interview that Warner Animation bought a pitch from him and hired him to write the screenplay for an Aquaman DTV movie. He says it's tentatively titled Aquaman: Hero of Atlantis, but cautions that it might not be released until 2011 given the time it takes to make these movies.

 

[Christopher]

I wonder which version of Aquaman they'd go with.

 

[davejames]

Bruce Timm also said at Comic-Con that a sequel to one of the movies already released is in development, although he didn't say which one. Wonder Woman and Green Lantern: First Flight seem the likeliest candidates for sequels.

I hope they eventually do sequels to both. I've never been fans of either character before, but suddenly after these two movies I can't wait to see them in more adventures (especially GL).

And I haven't been keeping up on the Marvel movies. Have they made any really GOOD ones yet? I found the Iron Man and Avengers movies to be pretty damn dull.

 

[Broccoli]

I wonder which version of Aquaman they'd go with.

If I was a betting man, I would say the post-crisis "standard" Aquaman: Aurthur Curry/Odin...one not too different than the one seen in the Mercy Reef pilot. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if they mix in some elements from the Pre-Crisis Aurthur Curry.

 

[CaptainCanada]

And I haven't been keeping up on the Marvel movies. Have they made any really GOOD ones yet? I found the Iron Man and Avengers movies to be pretty damn dull.

The two short-stories in Hulk vs. were very entertaining; otherwise, a fairly ordinary collection of titles (all Marvel's juice seems to go into their roster of animated series at the moment). The promos for the next two look very strong, though (Planet Hulk and Thor: Son of Asgard).

 

[Christopher]

I wonder which version of Aquaman they'd go with.

If I was a betting man, I would say the post-crisis "standard" Aquaman: Aurthur Curry/Odin...one not too different than the one seen in the Mercy Reef pilot. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if they mix in some elements from the Pre-Crisis Aurthur Curry.

Oh, I wasn't talking about that. I mean, will it be the clean-cut guy in the weird orange and green getup, or the long-haired, bearded, hook-handed guy from the Peter David era, or an amalgam like the animated version in The Brave and the Bold? Will he be a straight-up heroic figure or something like the Namor-type Aquaman from the DCAU?

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Okay, whatever Justice League: Crisis on Two earths turns out to be, it's not a JLA/JSA team-up. Someone on the DC forum at Toonzone posted that they're going to assume it's a JLA/JSA team-up until they get "evidence otherwise". Bruce Timm then posted one word in reply: "Otherwise."

Someone then assumed Timm's answer meant it'll be a DCAU movie, to which Timm responded: "I didn't say THAT." So most people are now betting it'll be a JLA/Crime Syndicate story, perhaps rewritten from Worlds Collide or perhaps not. The idea that it might be based on Grant Morrison's Earth 2 has also been raised.

 

[Christopher]

Or maybe it's an epic crossover with the Pinky and the Brain episode featuring "Chia Earth."

 

[Broccoli]

Narf.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

More sales news for Green Lantern: First Flight: in addition to the 158,238 copies in DVD sales, it also had first week Blu-ray sales estimated at 34,000 copies. By contrast, Wonder Woman had first week DVD sales of 106,432 copies and first week Blu-ray sales estimated at 17,000 copies.